Leyton's season ends in district final
Mead turned up the heat defensively after intermission and held Leyton to just 12 points in the second half to pull away from the Warriors for a 56-33 win in the D1-8 District Final on Tuesday at Cozad High School.
By News Channel Nebraska
COZAD – Mead turned up the heat defensively after intermission and held Leyton to just 12 points in the second half to pull away from the Warriors for a 56-33 win in the D1-8 District Final on Tuesday at Cozad High School. Four Raider starters finished in double figures as Mead improves to 16-10 on the season and returns to next week’s NSAA State Basketball Championships for the first time since 2018.
Mead started the game quickly as junior Luke Carritt hit a three-pointer to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead and force a Leyton timeout. Leyton’s Dillon Juelfs made a pair of three-pointers of his own to keep the Warriors in the game after the first period, 16-9.
Mead senior A. J. Carritt, who averaged 6.3 points per contest coming into the game, proved to be a tough matchup in the paint as he poured in 9 second quarter points to stretch the Raider lead. Juelfs kept Leyton within striking distance with another three and 5 points in the period as the teams headed to the locker rooms with Mead on top 30-21.
Mead head coach P. J. Quinn said the Raiders hang their hat on defense and it showed after halftime. The Mead zone that had been very active in the first half turned into a stingy trapping zone in the second. Leyton, who had very few turnovers prior to intermission, struggled against the Mead pressure. The Warriors could muster only 5 third quarter points while the Raiders added 13 to their total to take a 43-26 lead into the fourth.
Mead sophomore Frankie Hebenstreit scored 8 of his 11 points in the final stanza to send the Raiders back to the state tournament. The Leyton Warriors finish a successful 2021-22 campaign with an 18-5 record.
LEYTON - Damyn Russ 0, Scout Gamble 7, Jason Jensen 3, Dillon Juelfs 11, Ethan Eckhardt 0, Tyler Jensen 0, Cort Rummel 6, Isaiah Suarez 0, Jakob Kruse 2, Jonathan Kruse 0, Justin Ernest 4, Tyler Bayne 0
MEAD - Brandon Koranda 0, Luke Carritt 11, Tyler Pickworth 12, Frankie Hebenstreit 11, Tye Dickes 0, Colby Sorensen 0, Chris Hanson 0, A. J. Carritt 18, Collin Konecky 2, Tanner Price 0, Tristan Zwiener 0, Tytus Lee 0