By Spencer Spliman
The Hays Rebels basketball team found themselves in a battle with the Akins Eagles Tuesday night. The Eagles rallied to send the game into double overtime, but they fell short in the end as Hays held on to win 60-59 to avoid the upset.
The Rebels jumped out to an early lead behind the hot hand of Jake Krafka, who had 17 points in the first half. Krafka rained threes on the Akins zone, while his teammate Charles Bohannon did most of his damage inside the paint and at the free-throw line.
The two gave Hays a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Krafka and Bohannon finished with 43 of the Rebels’ 60 points. Krafka had 27, and Bohannon added 16.
Rebels’ floor general Jerome Scaturro penetrated the zone and found the open shooters, and Hays got some much-needed bench points from Chris Gonzalez. The Rebels increased the lead to nine and appeared to be in full control going into halftime.
But the Rebels seemed to let off the gas in the second half. They turned the ball over and Akins capitalized with easy fast-break scores.
The Eagles outscored the Rebels 15-9 in the third quarter behind the scoring from Isaiah Rumdeea, who led Akins with 14 points.
“We got too comfortable with the lead, that’s it,” Scaturro said.
The scoring in the fourth quarter went back and forth, and Hays was unable to get a basket in the last minute to take the lead and the game went to overtime.
Scoring was similarly fluid in the first extra session. Akins nailed a shot with 45 seconds left, and as the buzzer went off, the score was tied at 54.
The Rebels struck first in the second overtime. Krafka got open and hit a big shot to go up by three. Krafka said they play their best when it matters.
“We like when it gets loud, and that’s when we play our best,” he said.
Akins would eventually tie the game again with 25 seconds left. Twenty seconds later, Bohannon was fouled hard and scored free throw attempts to take the lead.
After missing the first shot, Bohannon’s second shot bounced around the rim and dropped in to give the Rebels a one-point lead.
Krafka stole the ensuing inbounds pass and threw the ball high into the air, sealing the victory for the Rebels, 60-59.
Bohannon looked calm and collected on the line, but he said he was feeling the pressure after missing the first free throw.
“I don’t want to say I was nervous, but I kind of was. But at the same time I knew I needed to calm down, go through my routine, and just finish,” he said with a smile on his face.
