First win narrowly eludes ES boys
On Dec. 19, Excelsior Springs seemed poised to get its first win this season in varsity boys basketball.
That night, the Tigers led visiting Odessa at halftime. But a game-changing third quarter led to them falling 55-43.
Excelsior Springs grabbed the opening lead 35 seconds into the first quarter, as junior Jake Zapata scored off an inbounds play. The Bulldogs answered with a layup to make it 2-2. After trading a few baskets with Odessa, Excelsior Springs staged a 9-0 run to take a 13-5 lead. But the Bulldogs answered with a 10-3 run during the final two minutes to trim Excelsior Springs’ lead to one (1615) at quarter’s end.
Excelsior Springs led 22-21 at halftime. The Tigers nudged their lead to five during the third quarter. Sparked by a three-point bucket about midway through the quarter, the Bulldogs staged a 10-2 run to cap their 17-8 quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Excelsior Springs cut Odessa’s lead to six (38-32), as Easton Ryan hit a two-point bucket off an…