By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden and Seaman traded blows through the first half of Tuesday's Centennial League boys contest, but the Vikings got the best of the offensive flurry on the way to a 56-45 road win.
Hayden came out smoking against the Vikings, hitting four first-quarter 3-pointers while also converting a traditional 3-point play en route to a 19-7 advantage late in the quarter.
The Wildcats took a 19-9 lead into the second quarter, but Seaman responded to its double-digit deficit with a vengeance, hitting the Wildcats with a 21-5 second-quarter lick to take a 30-24 advantage at the half and held off Hayden the rest of the way to improve to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the league.
"I was hoping at some point they might cool off, but they've got a number of capable guys and they came off a (Topeka West) game where they shot it really well, so they came out with a lot of confidence,'' Seaman coach Craig Cox said of the Wildcats. "It was more about picking up our defense, but also us being better offensively and to flip it like we did was a huge turnaround.''
"Their second quarter mirrored our first quarter,'' Hayden coach Torrey Head said. "They came back, and to their credit, smacked us right back as hard as we hit them and then they hit us a little harder. When baskets are falling it's easier to play and when baskets aren't falling you don't guard quite as well.''
Seaman's Ty Henry slips under the basket for 2 points against Hayden (Photo by Rex Wolf /TSN)Hayden (3-8, 2-6) battled back from a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter to get as close as 3 points on three occasions.
Hayden was within 5 (41-36) going into the fourth quarter and was still within 5 with 6:19 remaining before Seaman ended the game with a 10-4 run and led by 13 late.
The Wildcats fought foul problems throughout the game, with sophomore Joe Otting (10 points, 9 rebounds) and junior Trent Duffey both fouling out.
"I thought we came out the third quarter and made a little bit of a flurry and had a chance to make it a ballgame, but when certain guys aren't in the game for us it's awfully difficult for us to play like we'd like to,'' Head said.
Both teams lost key players to injuries in the second half, with Hayden senior Geivonnii Williams, who led the Wildcats with 12 points, leaving the game with 2:47 left in the third quarter and Seaman sophomore Kaeden Bonner exiting with 2:46 left in the game. Both players suffered injuries to their left ankles.
Junior Ty Henry led a balanced Seaman attack with 12 points while junior Mateo Hyman added 11 points and senior Micah Kobuszewski 10 as five Vikings scored at least seven points.
"After playing three games last weekend and just having the one practice, I wasn't sure how we were going to be and if we'd be able to respond with our legs, but our guys did a really good job and it always helps when you get contributions down the line,'' Cox said.
SEAMAN BOYS 56, HAYDEN 45
Seaman 9 21 11 15 -- 56
Hayden 19 5 12 9 -- 45
Seaman (5-5, 4-3) -- Hyman 2-3 7-8 11, Henry 5-12 0-1 12, Bonner 3-9 2-2 9, Stallbaumer 3-7 1-2 7, Davis 2-4 0-0 4, Brewer 1-2 0-0 2, Stuewe 0-2 0-0 0, Kobuszewski 4-5 1-2 10, Gormley 0-0 1-3 1, Finley 0-0 0-0 0, Griess 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-44 12-18 56
Hayden (3-8, 2-6) -- Williams 4-9 3-3 12, Muller 2-6 3-4 8, Duffey 2-6 0-0 6, Pivarnik 2-8 0-0 6, Otting 2-3 6-6 10, Bartlett 0-2 0-0 0, Gorman 1-4 0-0 3, Rice 0-2 0-0 0, Munoz-Frye 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-40 12-13 45.
3-point goals -- Seaman 4 (Henry 2, Bonner, Kobuszewski), Hayden 7 (Duffey 2, Pivarnik 2, Williams, Muller, Gorman). Total fouls -- Seaman 12, Hayden 18. Fouled out -- Duffey, Otting.
