The Indians almost gave it away at the charity stripe, but held on for a 61-59 against the Sedgwick County Cougars, Saturday in Julesburg.
It was Yuma’s second straight win after opening the season 0-3. The Indians now are 2-0 in the Lower Platte Activities Association, 2-3 overall, heading into Thursday’s home game against Merino.
Following Friday night’s blowout win over Holyoke, the Indians again enjoyed a solid effort from several players.
They went on an 8-0 run bracketing the first and second quarters to build a 15-7 lead. Great defense led to more buckets as the Indians led 25-13 at halftime.
Sophomore guard Javier “Quick Hands” Duran was getting to the rim with a dazzling array of finishes, and several different players were involved at both ends of the floor.
The Indians were able to build their lead to as much as 15 in the third. Duran’s “and-one” finish at the rim gave them a 48-32 lead early in the fourth.
However, Sedgwick County seniors Jared Ehmke and Tate Dille finally started rolling offensively. The Cougars went on an 8-0 turn to pull within 57-52 with just under 3 minutes left. It was 58-54 when Forest Rutledge’s 3-pointer pushed Yuma’s lead to 61-54 with about a minute left.
However, Ehmke answered with a trey, Yuma missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Dille got the rim, cutting Yuma’s lead to 61-59. The Indians continued to miss at the charity stripe, setting up the Cougars with one last chance with 8 seconds left.
However, the Yuma defense rose to the challenge, not allowing the Cougars to get off a shot before final buzzer, holding on for the two-point win.
