Highland beats Madison Boys Basketball Team by Two

On Friday night, Madison’s boys basketball team faced off against the Highland Rams in a close game. The final score was 53-51, with Highland taking the win. The two teams stayed relatively close throughout the whole game, until the fourth quarter when Highland closed the gap and pulled ahead.

Madison started the game off strong. They moved the ball really well on offense and drove to the basket when they saw an open lane. Both of these strategies allowed for many opportunities to shoot. Madison ended up holding the lead through the first, second and third quarter. However, as the game went on, Highland started locking down on their defense which shut down the driving lanes for Madison. More pressure on defense made the offense a little scrambled. Madison was getting flustered resulting in
more turnovers and rushed shots.

“Our team is trying to work on finishing our quarters better, especially in the fourth quarter. We just need to take care of the ball better and have more quality in our
possessions,” said Rhett Hammond.

The third quarter was beneficial for both teams, but in different ways. Madison looked more put together and focused. The game was running smoother with less stopping. However, good gameplay didn’t translate back into points. Highland on the other hand, gained 20 more points within the quarter, with Boston McCulloch shooting two 3-pointers within 20 seconds.

As the fourth quarter started, it was clear that both teams were feeling the pressure. Towards the end of the quarter, the score became tied at 51-51 with only a couple minutes left. At nine seconds left in the game, both teams came from their last timeout. They set up in their respective spots on the court and the clock started. With five seconds left in the game, Highland scored the last points to solidify the win. Free throws had a major impact on the final score. Highland sent Madison to the free-throw line six times, giving Madison nine points. Madison however, sent Highland to the free-throw line ten times, giving Highland 16 points. If the fouls were cut down a bit, the game could have had a very different outcome.

Despite the loss, Madison continues to improve and stay optimistic for their upcoming games.

“I personally took away [from the Highland game] that we can easily beat these teams we are playing, we just need to fix a couple small things. I’m focusing on leading my team with positivity and playing the best basketball I possibly can for us to come out with a win and continue against these teams,” said Hayden Kunz.