Collegiate wins rubber match with Andale to reach 4A-II boys tournament
ANDALE — The trophy presented to Collegiate at halfcourt signified their sub-state championship. It followed 32 minutes that made that seem like a secondary achievement.
With fans stretching to standing-room only areas beyond the bleachers and reacting to every whistle and non-call, Collegiate found the steadiness to earn a 47-41 win over Andale.
Collegiate (21-1) avenged its only loss and beat Andale for the second time this season, both on the road, while earning a trip to defend its Class 4A-II championship next week in Emporia.
The Spartans emerged from a sub-state that included three teams with 18 wins and finished off Saturday’s victory by holding Andale scoreless for the final 70 seconds.
“I have so much respect for Andale and the kind of disciplined basketball they play,” Collegiate coach Mitch Fiegel said. “To be able to come in here and get them tonight was a significant accomplishment.”
Collegiate dominated the first half but left Andale some room with a 25-16 halftime lead. Andale committed 14 turnovers in the first half, which wiped out its effective shooting and the fact that Collegiate was kept far off the pace of its 70-plus scoring average.
Andale cut back on the turnovers in the second half, committing three, but the game was no less physical and frenetic. The high turnover count transferred to fouls, as the teams combined 30 second-half free throws.
Many of those calls were met with passionate responses from fans, and sometimes Andale coach Jeff Buchanan. But Collegiate remained steady enough to make 5 of 9 free throws in the fourth quarter, not a flashy total but just enough in an area Andale faltered.
“We played well at home one time this year,” Fiegel said. “We have been awesome on the road. I don’t know why, but we’re better on the road. You know what, that’s good, because all of the rest of them are on the road.”
Collegiate’s 13-point third-quarter lead was first threatened when Andale scored seven straight points, a run capped by freshman Easton Hunter’s three-point play. After a Collegiate basket, Hunter scored five in a row to cut Collegiate’s lead to 31-28 late in the third.
It stayed close throughout, but Andale never had the ball with a chance to tie. Every time Andale cut the lead to three, Collegiate answered. The most dramatic of those instances happened when Andale had a five-point possession thanks to a foul after a three-pointer.
Collegiate scored the next basket and continued to produce in the most urgent situations while Andale missed opportunities, missing eight straight free throws early in the fourth quarter.
“We felt like whoever came out of this sub-state would already be state (tournament) tested,” Fiegel said. “Tonight, without a doubt, proved that.
Andale 7 9 12 13 -- 41
Collegiate 12 13 8 14 -- 47
ANDALE: Jobbins 4, Hunter 12, Urbanek 2, Cothran 5,G. Fairchild 6, M. Fairchild 3, Carney 9.
COLLEGIATE: McNerney 6, Dick 4, Reddy 3, Fisher 11, Kelly 6, Ashley 10, Root 7.
This story was originally published March 4, 2017 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Collegiate wins rubber match with Andale to reach 4A-II boys tournament."