Ethan Jones broke the ice for EHS, connecting on a three-pointer – the team’s only three of the contest -- at the 2:25 mark to get the Hearts on the board. By the end of the opening eight minutes, Charleston owned a 13-7 advantage.
The Trojans shot well from the beginning. They shot 60 percent in the opening half, going 15-for-25, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc.
“They came out hitting shots early and often,” EHS coach Obie Farmer said. “The beat us on straight line drives, and when we rotated to stop the drive, they dished the ball out to a wide open shooter. When that team has wide open shots, they’re going to knock them down.”
Luke Bonstetter was 4-for-5 from long range in the first half, including 3-for-3 in the second quarter. He hit two back-to-back, followed by another from Tyler Oakley, as the Trojans turned the final 2½ minutes into an 11-4 run to take a 36-18 lead to the locker room at intermission.
“We talked about playing more physical, which I thought we could do tonight,” Farmer noted. “But we turned the ball over, forced shots a few times and gave up too many offensive rebounds. There were just too many losing plays. It’s hard to compete that way.”
Any hopes of a second half comeback were dashed quickly.
Bonstetter and Oakley drilled three-pointers in the first 51 seconds, sparking a 14-2 run that expanded the margin to 30 points, 50-20, midway through the third period.
It was a 28-point deficit, 55-27, heading into the final eight minutes. Charleston reserve Ty Campbell opened the fourth quarter with a three from the corner -- the Trojans 10th of the game – making it a 31-point spread and resulting in a continuously running clock the remainder of the way.
Oakley and Bonnstetter led the scoring attack, finishing with 23 and 17 points respectively, while Rudibaugh added 10. The Trojans’ shooting was red hot. They connected on 24-of-41 attempts, a blistering 59 percent clip. They were 10-for-16 from behind the arc and 6-for-11 at the foul line.
The Hearts shot an icy 27 percent, making just 9-of-33 shots. They were 1-for-13 from long range and 15-for-20 from the free throw line. Rylan Pals scored seven points and Cole Phillips added six.
“We need development on offense,” Farmer said. “We had a difficult time getting open shots this season.”
The Hearts finished their season with a 3-28 record.
“But we’ll have a ton of experience coming back,” Farmer noted. “Our four juniors stayed bought-in all season and our sophomores have two more years of basketball. They know there’s a lot of future left for them. Our kids have learned a lot this season and I believe they’ll get much better.”
