PARK CHRISTIAN USES LATE FREE THROWS TO BEAT CLIMAX-FISHER

The Climax-Fisher Knights Boy’s Basketball team trailed by one point with less than two minutes left, but they didn’t score the rest of the game and the Park Christian Falcons made their free throws to win 68-63 in a game played in Moorhead. 

FIRST HALF 
Park Christian scored the first points of the game on a Caleb Kern three-pointer, but Ryan Morris answered with a basket for the Climax-Fisher.  Kern answered with another three-pointer before the Knights Dylan Evitts scored three straight points to cut the Park Christian lead to 6-5.  The red hot Caleb Kern made another three-pointer for a 9-5 lead.  Climax-Fisher caught fire and answered with a 10-0 run with Ethan Evitts getting things going with a three-pointer, Morris made two free throws, Dylan Evitts made an NBA range three-pointer, and the run was capped with an Aidan Rogenes offensive rebound for a basket and a 15-9 lead with 11:13 left in the half.  “That was a good run for us and we had different guys making plays,” said Knight Coach Brenda Slyt.
Park Christian slowly chipped away at the deficit and tied the game at 21 before Climax-Fisher answered with a Rogenes basket and a Vasek offensive rebound and putback for a 25-21 lead with 6:05 remaining.  Park Christian chipped away at the deficit and actually took a 29-28 lead with over two minutes to go in the half.  Morris scored the only points in the final two minutes and gave Climax-Fisher a 30-29 lead at halftime. “We were excited at halftime.  The boys were pumped and it was nice being close at halftime,” said Coach Slyt. “I thought they played well, they played hard, and it was nice to have the lead.”

SECOND HALF
The second half saw the intensity pick up and that had a lot to do with the six ties and five lead changes in the first 10-plus minutes of the half.  The teams were tied at 56 with 7:33 left in the game when Park Christian’s Kern made his fifth three-pointer of the game and Max Albrecht scored to give the Falcon’s a 61-56 lead.  The Falcons led 63-58 when Jory Vasek banked a three-pointer from the left-wing and after a Park Christian free throw, Vasek scored two more points and Climax-Fisher trailed 64-63 with 1:54 left in the game.  Climax-Fisher went cold the rest of the game and Park Christian made four of six from the free-throw line to hold on for a 68-63 victory. “The boys gave it there all tonight.  They played with a lot of heart and we were right there until the end,” said Coach Slyt. “The lack of boxing out and giving up second-chance opportunities kind of kicked our butt tonight.  We didn’t get our shots to fall in the final minutes and that is too bad.”

Climax-Fisher drops to 0-11 on the year.  Park Christian improves to 2-7 on the season.