RHS Boys' Season Ends With Sub-State Defeat at Phillipsburg
PHILLIPSBURG-Caleb Leidig scored 17 points as Phillipsburg overcame a slow start and rallied to defeat Russell 61-47 in the first round of the Class 3A Larned Boys Sub-State Tournament Thursday evening at Chuck Newlin Gymnasium.
The Broncos scored the game's first six points and led 8-2 before the Panthers closed to within 13-11 after the opening eight minutes of the game. Turnovers and consistent offensive rebounding by the Panthers plagued Russell in the second quarter as they were held to six points while Phillipsburg pulled ahead 23-19 by intermission.
The Panthers then put up 20 points in the third quarter, knocking down four three-point baskets in the process as they surged to a 43-30 advantage. Phillipsburg led by as many as 16 points before Russell closed the gap to 47-41 with 4:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos reached the five-foul mark with more than three minutes left, allowing the Panthers to go on a 9-0 run, which allowed them to salt away the contest and punch their ticket to a Sub-State semifinal match-up against Beloit on March 3 after the Trojans disposed of Nickerson 79-37 on Thursday. Russell and Phillipsburg were meeting for the fourth time this season and the Panthers picked up their third win in those four games.
Playing in his final high school game, Sam Thielen led Russell (10-13) with a game-high 21 points while fellow senior Jake Mooney added 10 points. Joining Leidig in double figures for Phillipsburg (10-10) were Elijah Springer with 14 points and William Jessup with 12 points.
The Broncos had a tough night handling the ball as they committed 33 turnovers. They also were whistled for 26 fouls while Phillipsburg had 13 infractions. The Panthers also attempted 21 free throws while Russell attempted just five, including one in the second half which was the end of a three-point play opportunity for Corbin William.
Thursday's game was the last in a Russell uniform for Thielen, Mooney, Pierce Schoenberger, Dominick Hernandez, Trey Zorn, Walker Middleton and Ian Strobel