The season came to an end for the Buhler Crusader boys basketball team with a 56-53 loss to the Hugoton Eagles in the Class 4A sub-state No. 3 championship Saturday at the Hugoton High School gymnasium.
Hugoton led the Crusaders 17-12 at the end of the first quarter and 29-28 at halftime. Buhler took a 41-39 lead after three quarters, but the Eagles outscored the Crusaders 17-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Crusaders cut Hugoton’s lead to 54-53 on a Luke Holmberg 3-pointer, but the Eagles hit a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds left to clinch a state tournament berth. Hugoton won the state title in 2023.
Four seniors played their final games for the Buhler boys: Isaiah Heredia, Luke Holmberg, Jared Miller and Jacob Miller.
Heredia led the Crusaders with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Holmberg had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 streaks and 3 assists. Asher Zachary had 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Jacob Miller and Brycen McCurdy scored 8 points apiece and Landon Martinez added a free throw. Gabe Edmund and Jared Miller played but did not score.
“We played hard,” said Buhler boys basketball coach Eric Tate during his radio postgame interview. “I’m really proud of these guys. They worked hard. You have to tip your cap to these guys. I can’t say enough of these guys. We left it all out on the floor. We put in a lot of hard work and a lot of effort.”
Buhler finished the season with a 14-11 record.
In other West sub-state championship scores, Pratt defeated Mulvane 78-64, Andale defeated Augusta 53-45 and McPherson defeated Concordia.
Hugoton will take a 21-4 record to the Kansas Class 4A state quarterfinals Tuesday. Other West black champions are Pratt 21-3, Andale 18-5 and McPherson is 16-9. East sub-state winners are Rock Creek 25-0, Atchison 25-0, Baldwin 19-6 and Eudora 13-11.
