The Caldwell boys are 2022 SCBL Tournament Champions. (Click to enlarge) Photo by Karen Shellhammer

South Haven girls are SCBL Tournament Champions. (Click to enlarge) Photo by James Jordan

by James Jordan, Sumner Newscow — Sumner County went two-for-two at the South-Central Border League Tournament Saturday at Cowley College. The Caldwell boys clinched the tournament championship with a 38-34 win over favored Cedar Vale-Dexter. The South Haven girls would beat Flinthills 38-25 in the finals.

This marked the first time two Sumner County teams swept the SCBL tournament championships since 2019 (see tournament history below). Caldwell boys and South Haven girls now both lead the number of titles won by a school for their gender. The Bluejays have 10 while the Lady Cardinals have eight.

In the boys game, Caldwell clawed its way out of a 10-point deficit as the fourth quarter began and beat Cedarvale – Dexter 38-34 Saturday to win the SCBL tournament championship in Arkansas City.

CVD’s Cole Clark hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to end the third quarter to give the Spartans a 30-20 lead. At that point, CVD was firmly in control going on an 11-2 run as the quarter ended.

Teagan Thompson fighting for the ball vs. Cedar Vale-Dexter.

But then Caldwell got hot. The Jays hit three 3-pointers wrapped around a single basket by CDV to get within three halfway through the fourth quarter. Jackson Risley, Keiondre Smith, and Brody Perkins were the scorers in that stretch on that 9-2 run. Matrix Eanes hit a short shot and converted a free throw to tie the game at 32 with just under three minutes left.

Both teams were playing tight defense, utilizing a zone, and playing a half-court game. Both teams had turnovers, and Caldwell held its own in the rebounding department especially late in the game.

With two minutes left Eanes again hit a short shot and Caldwell led 34-32. Xavier Strong scored for CDV to tie it up again at 34 with 1:11 left on the clock.

Matrix Eames snags the tip-in vs. Cedar Vale-Dexter.

Both teams failed to score on consecutive possessions. With 30 seconds left Perkins hit a short shot to give Caldwell the lead. CDV was working for the last shot when Perkins deflected a pass and stole the ball. He raced down the court and missed a layup, but Teagen Thompson was trailing and put in the rebound to give Caldwell a 38-34 lead with 10 seconds left.

Both teams worked patiently for shots throughout the game and tried to get the ball inside. The defense for both teams shut down the other for the most part, and both had to try to make longer shots. Caldwell had seven three-pointers while CVD had four.

The score was tied at 5 at the end of the first quarter. In the second all of Caldwell’s points came on 3-pointers, two by Risley and one by Perkins.  Clark hit another three late in the quarter and CVD led 17-14 at the half.

The score was tied at 18 when CVD got its run going in the third quarter. That run was punctuated by Clark’s half-court shot and CVD led by ten as the final quarter started.

Risley led Caldwell with 13 points, Eanes had 9 Perkins 8, Thompson 5, and Smith 3.

Clark led CV-Dexter with 11 points, and Brayden Henderson had 6. Five other players scored for the Spartans.

This was Caldwell’s 10th SCBL tournament title, which is more than any other school since the tournament began in the early 80s. The Bluejays last won it in 2019.

In the boys’ third-place game, Sedan beat South Haven 63-36.

South Haven’s Alyssa Bridges vs. Flinthills in SCBL Tourney championship.

South Haven Girls Win

The South Haven girls team went on a run in the third quarter and pulled away for a 38-25 win over Flinthills to win the tournament championship. South Haven was trailing 11-10 when it went to a full-court press causing Flinthills a lot of problems.

Twice in the second quarter, Flinthills turned the ball over on 10-second violations, unable to get the ball past halfcourt.

South Haven scored the first six points of the game and led 8-5 at the end of the first quarter. Flinthills was getting the ball inside and controlling the boards. The Mustangs had a run of their own leading 11-10 halfway through the second quarter.

The Cardinals then broke things open by going on a 20-2 run that went almost to the end of the third quarter.  Flinthills hit a three just before the quarter ended and South Haven took a 30-16 lead into the final quarter. Flinthills was not able to get any closer than 12 points after that.

Britain Dark led South Haven with 13 points and nine of those games in the second half.  Alyssa Bridges scored nine and had two quick baskets to start the final quarter that gave South Haven its largest lead at 18.  Macey Pond had seven, Kandyn Butler had five, and Aubrey Pond scored four.

Paige Corter led Flint Hills with seven points, and Riggin Carney added six.

This was South Haven’s eighth SCBL title, and the Lady Cardinals have now won more times than any other school in the league.

SCBL Finals scores 

Boys

First place – Caldwell 38 Cedar Vale 34

Third place – Sedan 63 South Haven 36

Fifth place – West Elk 67 Flinthills 43

Seventh place – Oxford 73 Central 62.

Ninth place – Udall over Argonia (forfeit).

Girls

First place – South Haven 38 Flinthills 25

Third place – West Elk 42 Sedan 34

Fifth place – Oxford 42 Argonia 32

Seventh place – Central over Cedar Vale-Dexter (forfeit).

Ninth place – Cedar Vale-Dexter 40 Udall 28.

SCBL Tournament list of champions

Number of championships per school

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