ALTAMONT — Snapping an 11-year losing streak to the Pittsburg Purple Dragons, the Labette County Grizzlies won on Friday night, 52-44, in SEK League boys basketball action.
“I know it means a lot to our kids,” Labette County head coach Bradley Argabright said. “We didn’t shy away from the fact that these kids have never beat them. You can tell it meant something to them after the game.”
Kane Nash and Barrett Hestand both led the Grizzlies with 13 points apiece.
Nash connected on a pair of treys and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, helping put the game on ice.
“Since Christmas, Kane has found his stride,” Argabright said. “He pushed himself and it’s showing. He’s averaging right around 15 points since the break. His 3-point shooting has been great. He found scoring in different ways tonight. It was good to see him get to the line and convert.”
Nolan Nash added a dozen points for Labette County.
The Grizzlies led, 29-24, at halftime before Pittsburg stormed back to reclaim the lead in the third period.
“Right off the bat, we gave up a few layups and a three that gave them the lead,” Argabright said. “But we got back in it. I thought we did enough. But we’ve got to be better in stretches. It wasn’t about our effort. So I was proud of how we came out of it.”
Labette County shot 42% from the field in the win.
“We were balanced and selfless,” Argabright said. “That shows with three guys in double figures. We’re finding each other on the court. We’re playing efficient basketball. When we need a big shot, we’ve got guys that can hit them.”
The Grizzlies also effectively iced the game late, chasing away demons in the process.
“Our seniors did a great job at the end,” Argabright said. “These are guys that have taken that jump this year. Last year, we could hardly finish any of our games. Now, we’re finishing them at a high clip. We’re hitting free throws and buckling down in the fourth quarter. We’re forcing teams to take tough shots and we’re rebounding well. That’s what our maturity has looked like.”
The Grizzlies are now 7-3 overall and 3-2 in SEK League play. Labette County has won four of its last five games dating back to a Dec. 19 win over Parsons.
Up next
Labette County faces Independence in the first round of the Burlington Invitational on Tuesday.
“It starts with the first night and us wanting to get into the front side of the bracket,” Argabright said. “Us and Independence are playing great basketball right now. So it’ll be a great game. We’ve gone to this tournament for a long time and it’s always a great tournament.”
