The Whiteface Antelopes hosted the Morton Indians for a district basketball battle this past Friday, resulting in the Antelopes getting a crucial 52-47 win to stay alive in the playoff chase.
The game was ultra-competitive, with the Antelopes winning the first and fourth quarters, 31-21, and the Indians winning the second and third quarters, 26-21.
In team statistics, Whiteface outshot Morton 36% to 29% from the field, 24% to 13% from three and 47% to 44% from the free throw line, also besting them 10-6 in transition points, 17-16 in points off turnovers, 30-28 in points in the paint and 9-7 in steals, while Morton bested Whiteface 12-6 in second chance points, 18-16 in offensive rebounds, 15-9 in deflections, 3-1 in blocks and won the turnover margin by three. The teams tied 9-9 in assists.
The win improves the Antelopes to 12-12 overall and 5-7 in district play, which puts them fifth in the 2A District 5 standings, and more importantly, it kept their playoff hopes alive.
“Our guys did a great job of coming out with a sense of urgency,” Antelopes Head Basketball Coach Brandon Flores said. “We knew it would be a tough game, but we kept battling. I was proud of our effort and fighting. It was a good home win in front of a great crowd.”
Standouts for Whiteface included Cesar Chavez with a double-double including 17 points, 21 rebounds, four steals and a block, Isaak Soliz with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal, and Jose Flores with 10 points, two assists, two steals and a rebound.
Meanwhile on Morton’s side of things, standouts included EJ Rivas with 24 points behind 11/18 shooting, adding seven rebounds, three steals and two assists, Britton Boggs with eight points, two rebounds and two steals, and Travion Holland with six points, six rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.
The loss drops the Indians to 9-17 overall and 4-7 in district play, which puts them sixth in the 2A District 5 standings, and while it hurts their playoff chances, they’re still in the fight.
“We had a chance to open the game up in the third and we just didn’t do it, and that gave Whiteface confidence to pull out the win,” Indians Head Basketball Coach Andrew Brockman said. “Our playoff hopes are still alive, but we need help now.”
The playoff scenarios for both teams are super complex and could come down to potential tiebreaker matchups coming to fruition.
That will all be decided by the results early in the week, as the Indians host Seagraves and the Antelopes will be on a bye, eagerly awaiting the results.