The Hearts were unable to get any closer.
Turnovers on consecutive possessions sparked a 7-0, 44-second spurt that expanded the deficit to 14 at the 3:05 mark. A short jumper by Gephart, following another EHS turnover, made it 73-57 with only 2:21 to play.
“We were playing catch-up the whole game,” Farmer noted. “We kept getting it back to six or seven, but just couldn’t get over the hump. I thought our kids played exceptionally well. I felt there was some growth tonight. But credit Dieterich. They shot the ball really, really well.”
Especially from the free throw line. When Tanner Will made his final four free throw attempts in the final minute, it completed a perfect night. The Maroons were 21-for-21 from the charity stripe.
“I thought we executed on offense very well and we shot well,” Farmer said. “We just didn’t hit as many shots as Dieterich. And it’s hard to overcome a lead when the other team goes 21-for-21 at the line.”
This was the first game after the Maroons entered the Top 25 in Class 1A – ranked 25th. And they showed why.
Keck started the game off with a three-point play. Gephart knocked down two shots from behind the arc and Will and Westendorf each hit a three. The Hearts got five points from KJ Kellams and a three-pointer from Bockhorn, but a four-point play by Gephart in the final seconds gave the hosts a 24-15 edge after the first eight minutes.
Five straight points by Westendorf gave DHS its first double-digit lead at 29-17, but back-to-back shots from long range by Bockhorn and Kellams trimmed it to six, 29-23. It was still a six-point margin until Jaxon Funneman turned in a three-point play to make it 37-28 at halftime.
The pattern stayed the same in the third period. The Maroons kept threatening to pull away, but the Hearts wouldn’t let them. A three-point play by Westendorf followed by a layup by Gephart made it a 16-point gap, 53-37, at the 2:58 mark. But the Hearts responded with a 12-4 surge that included threes by Nolan Fearday and Bockhorn, that got them within 57-49 entering the fourth period.
Turnovers were also a factor. The Hearts had 17, including 10 in the second half. And the Maroons were deadly from the foul line. They were 14-for-14 in the second half.
“Dieterich is a good team,” Farmer said. “They are the 10th team we’ve played that was Top 25 in their respective class. For a 1A school, they have a lot of length and scoring ability. Plus, they’re strong and quick.”
The Maroons, who improved to 14-5 on the season, shot 58 percent from the floor, connecting on 25-of-43 attempts. They were 8-for-13 from three-point range.
This proved to be a special night for Gephart. When he hit a short jumper just 11 seconds into the second half, it gave him 1,000 points for his career.
Bockhorn led the Hearts with 21 points and Kellams added 17. EHS also shot well, making 21-of-37 attempts, a 57 percent clip. They were 9-for-14 from behind the arc and 11-for-15 at the foul line.
The Hearts are now 2-19 for the season. They are scheduled to be back in action tonight (Wednesday). They will face Centralia in an opening round game of the Salem Invitational Tournament. Tipoff was slated for 6 p.m.
