BonnerSprings.com

What should have been a celebratory atmosphere Friday night in the stands spilled out on the court at the Bonner Springs YMCAfollowing the Braves' 69-63 victory against Turner.

As the two teams began to line up to shake hands, the student section streamed across the court and mobbed the Braves’ players. Turner coach Rick Sula took his team off the court and walked into their locker room without subjecting his players to the spectacle that was happening.

BSHS Assistant Principal Rick Moulin and coach Ryan Hull dispersed the crowd as quickly as possible — but the damage had been done.

Hull, who was embarrassed, spoke briefly with his team in its own locker room before dismissing them to go down to the Bears’ locker room door where the two teams could properly shake hands and congratulate each other on the hard-fought game, which was in doubt until the last 20 seconds.

The court-storming stole the spotlight from what had been a terrific second half by the Braves.

The Braves trailed by eight points at halftime and were having a hard time with Turner’s interior players. During intermission, Hull issued a challenge to each individual to come out and play hard.

It worked.

Easy baskets in the first half for the Bears becam contested shots in the second half. That effort got the Braves back in the game and eventually earned them the lead as they showed grit and toughness all the way.

Guards B.J. Watson, Stevie Williams and Jourdaine Smallwood played with almost a swagger in the second half as they combined for 25 points in the final 16 minutes.

No shot was bigger than junior guard Juan Pichardo’s. With 1:31 remaining and the Braves again trailing 63-60, Pichardo drained a game-tying 3-pointer. Williams and Watson knocked down 6-of-8 free throws in the game’s final minute to secure the win for the Braves.

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