Spartans effort falls short, losing to Chesapeake 59-46
By: Joshua Hoerner
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WAVERLY, Ohio (WOUB) — Alexander’s comeback effort falls just short after losing to Chesapeake 59-46.
Alexander finished their regular season with a thrilling victory against River Valley. Their first-round opponent was the No. 3-seeded Chesapeake Panthers. The Panthers finished second in the OVC, only losing to the conference champion Fairland Dragons.
Chesapeake played strong right out of the gate. They held a 16-4 lead after the first quarter, implementing a press that forced turnovers. Maddox Kazee led the way with seven first quarter points, while teammate Kaden Perkins followed up with five.
Alexander cut the deficit to seven going into the halftime break, trailing 27-20. Mason Morris scored eleven points in the second, draining two triples and having more than half his team’s points. The Spartans settled in offensively, scoring 16 in the quarter.
Chesapeake and Alexander traded buckets in the third, as the Panthers held a 45-35 lead. Kazee and Perkins led the way for Chesapeake, while Morris and fellow senior Klaxton Hawk remained the main contributors for the Spartans.
Despite remaining close to the lead for the majority of the fourth quarter, Alexander lost 59-46. The Panthers were led by Kazee and Perkins, both dropping 14 points. Kazee also came away with five rebounds and five assists. Center Karson Freeka added in 11 points and five rebounds.
For Alexander, Morris led the way with 17 points, including four-threes. Hawk added in 13 points and five rebounds. Center Isaac Waller followed up with eight points and seven rebounds.
Chesapeake moves on to take on Winchester Eastern in the district semifinals.
After the game, Alexander Head Coach Jordan Hill spoke about the growth of his team throughout this season.
“If you would have told me back in June that this team would have progressed the way they did, I would have called you a liar,” Hill said. “It started with the captains, then trickled down to the seniors, then the rest of the team.
The Spartans finished its season with a 7-16 record, with a 4-8 record in TVC-Ohio play. They graduate six seniors, including Hawk, Morris, and Waller.