Banks Hinshaw hits four 3-pointers including the game-winner against Andale.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It was basketball homecoming in 2010. A Duke was crowned and Wellington’s boys’ basketball team would defeat Andale by two points in a hard-fought Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV game.

That would be the last time Wellington defeated the varsity boy Indians on the hardwood… until Tuesday night. Wellington defeated Andale 62-59 in Crusader gymnasium in a signature win. The Crusaders are now 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the league having played five straight games that were decided in the final minute.

“This was a huge win,” said Joe Newman, Wellington head boys basketball coach. “We missed out on an opportunity to take down Cheney the other night. No matter what happens this season these kids will remember this win for a very long time.”

It didn’t come easy. It never does with Andale. Wellington’s leading scorer Tanner Meyer, who had 23 points for the game, fouled out on a controversial offensive charge with 1:43 to play. At that point, the Crusaders were clutching to a flimsy 57-55 lead. Andale would quickly tie it. Then Banks Hinshaw, who would hit four 3-pointers for the game, nailed one on the right corner and the Crusader were back in front 60-57.

Wellington’s Montel Tate shoots at the end of the first half.

Andale got a deuce at the 23.1 mark. Then Cope Henry was fouled. He went to the line and knocked down both charity shots to give the Crusaders a 3-point lead. Andale failed on a buzzer-beating shot.

And the 19-game losing streak with the Indians is over.

“The guys really stepped up and hit some big shots consistently throughout the night,” Newman said. “Tanner led us in scoring, but several others stepped in and did an excellent job. We played 11 guys tonight and each one of them contributed to this win.”

Andale was a hard team to figure coming in, having lost much of its seniors from the last season’s state-tournament qualifying team. It had just one game before Tuesday, a 60-28 loss to a very good Class 6A Maize. So there were a lot of unknowns going into this contest. Wellington, on the other hand, had played four ball games.

Cope Henry was key down the stretch, especially at the free-throw line.

With the girls in quarantine, the boys had the spotlight for the evening. Neither team could shake the other throughout the evening. Andale opened with a 10-8 first-quarter lead and it was 25-23 at the half. Andale led 41-39 after three quarters. That set up an exciting fourth.

Berkeley Wright opened the quarter with a three followed by a Hinshaw trey. Wellington then expanded the lead to 57-50 at the 3:02 mark. Andale, being Andale, would then score seven consecutive points to tie the game at 57 — setting up the exciting final two minutes.

Wellington finished the night shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent beyond the arch. On the free throw line, it was a deft 85.7 percent, going 12-of-14.

The Crusaders now host Rose Hill on Friday in what will be a boys-only game as well. Wellington has a very good shot of going into Christmas break at 2-0 in the league. That hasn’t happened in a very long time.

———

Wellington 62 Andale 59
Andale –        10   15   14   20 —  59
Wellington –  8   15   16   21 —   62
Andale: J. Potucek 16, W. Spexarth 15, S. Reichenberger 12, N. Bruce 4, Z. Winter 3, N. Seiler 3. Total: 15 (7) 8-12 59. Wellington: Meyer 23, Hinshaw 12, J. Wright 11, B. Wright 10, Henry 6. Total 10 (10) 12-14 62.

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