Big second half rallies by opponents proved to be the end of the basketball seasons for both the Silo girls and boys in the Class 3A Area Tournament last week.
The Lady Rebels survived an opening round elimination over Valliant (45-42) but couldn’t withstand Kingston in a 53-45 season-ending loss in the consolation semifinals. Silo ended the year with a 23-6 record.
Silo boys, meanwhile, wrapped up at 18-11 following a 57-48 loss to eighthranked Lindsay after leading throughout the first half.
Girls
Looking to avenge an earlier loss to Valliant, the Lady Rebels looked well on their way with a 10-point lead with only two minutes remaining but things got dicey in a hurry thanks to missed opportunities at the free throw line.
Silo connected on just three of 10 from the charity stripe in the final frame, including one for six over the closing 90 seconds to leave the door open for a comeback.
Valliant rallied to within three and had an opportunity to knot the score in the waning seconds but a three-point try fell short.
The Lady Rebels built a double-digit lead in the third period once again a day later against Kingston but fortunes did not go their way that time.
Kingston rallied to narrow the gap to 41-36 after three stanzas and then outscored Silo 17-4 in the final period with the only Lady Rebel basket of the quarter coming on a Paislee Johnson trey. Silo had led comfortably 11-8 through one frame and 27-19 at intermission.
Kynleigh Pierce had a big first half and posted a teamhigh 17 points while Mia Goodlow also reached double figures with 11. Brooklynn Redwine sank a pair of three pointers for six points, Xaleigh Austin chipped in five with Kamrey Hendricks and Johnson notching three apiece.
Boys
The Rebels looked prime for an upset as they blazed out of the gates with five first quarter treys with two each coming from seniors Hayden Roberts and Zane Sander.
Roberts scored 10 points in the first period alone to help stake Silo to a 21-16 advantage, which remained 28-27 at intermission after a low-scoring second stanza.
Things turned sour on the Rebels in the third frame, however, as the Leopards erupted for 25 points to nearly double their opening half production while Silo only accounted for 10 in response. The Rebels closed on a 10-5 run but the damage had already been done thanks largely to five third stanza treys from Lindsay.
Cash Danker had a solid second half to tie Roberts for scoring honors for the Rebels with 11 points apiece. Sander tossed in nine, Doc Nuffer had eight, Sam Mendenall posted seven and Kason Proctor added two.