COLONY — Senior Zach Beckmon and junior Kobey Miller combined for 39 points in Crest’s 52-49 win over Jayhawk-Linn on Thursday.
After a five-game losing streak that started in January and continued through February, the Lancers have won five of their last six. A team that was once buried in disappointment, is now alive heading into the postseason.
“It is funny how it works,” Crest head coach Travis Hermreck said. “A few games ago I thought we were floating in the water, but the kids have rallied and we’ve got some great leadership going right now.”
On senior night, Crest’s solo senior made his impact early. Beckmon scored six of Crest’s first nine points as the Lancers enjoyed an early 9-3 lead with 3:22 left in the first. Beckmon finished with 10 points along with a team-high 12 rebounds.
“When we slow down, run our offense, and get Zach the ball where he is successful, he is a load to handle,” Hermreck said.
After missing his first two attempts from long range, Miller knocked down two 3-pointers before the end of the first, giving Crest a 17-9 lead heading into the second. Miller finished with 20 points while connecting on 4 of 10 from beyond the arc.
“What I love about Kobey is that he is fearless,” Hermreck said. “When a shot needs to be taken, he wants to be the one to take it, and we all want him to take it. He had an impact on the game that wasn’t just shooting it tonight. I was pretty happy with him.”
The Lancers cooled off after a hot first-quarter start. After nearly six scoreless minutes, Miller fired from deep to get Crest on the board in the second. The Lancers were outscored by one in the period, holding into a 22-15 lead at intermission.
in the second. The Lancers were outscored by one in the period, holding into a 22-15 lead at intermission.
A top-of-the-key triple from Miller got the Lancers started in the second half. Crest led by 10 with 4:08 remaining in the period, but the Jayhawks closed the quarter with a 12-5 run to trail 36-33 after three.
The Jayhawks climbed within one after a bucket to start the third. Crest answered with a long methodical possession, taking over a minute off the game clock. The patience was well worth it after a nice pass found Jacquez Coleman in the painted area for a 3-point play.
Beckmon converted both charities with 4:26 remaining, putting the Lancers ahead 43-37. Crest nearly coughed the game away after Tyson Hermreck and Beckmon were both stripped for two easy Jayhawk baskets, but Jayhawk-Linn wasn’t able to create stops on the defensive end to make matters more interesting.
“I’m proud of the kids for pulling this win out. Fourth-quarter leads haven’t been very nice to us this year,” Hermreck said. “We played with a lot of energy, and when we do that, we have a good chance of winning ball games.”
Crest finishes the season with an 8-12 record. Although not where the Lancers hoped they would be at the end of February record-wise, they will now turn their attention to the postseason.
Crest will host Southern Coffey County on Monday at 7 p.m in the first round of regionals. In the first game of the season, the Lancers topped SCC 71-36, but don’t expect the score to be as lopsided this time around.
