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District 11A Boys Basketball Championship

Rebels Claim Fifth Straight Title with Fourth Quarter Comeback, War Eagles Coast to Third

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McKENZIE (February 15) — The District 11A Boys Basketball Tournament wrapped up Friday at Bethel University’s Crisp Arena with consolation and championship contests.
The McKenzie Rebels mounted a huge rally in the final frame to claim their fifth consecutive district title with a 52-43 victory over the runner-up Huntingdon Mustangs.
The West Carroll War Eagles earned a third place finish with 71-49 win over the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central Tigers.
Following the championship game, the District 11A Boys All-Academic, All-District and All-Tournament teams were announced. (See separate story.)
All four teams advance to the Region 6A Tournament. The Rebels will host Perry County Saturday at 7 p.m. at Crisp Arena. The Mustangs host Wayne County at HHS either Friday or Saturday. The War Eagles travel to Summertown Friday, and the Tigers go to Loretto on Saturday.
Championship: McKenzie Rebels 52, Huntingdon Mustangs 43
The Rebels jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Mustangs responded to take a 12-11 lead at the end of the first frame. Xavier White led Huntingdon with four points, Kaleel Bailey and Drake Butler each hit a three-pointer, and Dallas Willis had a pair. Ben Austin led McKenzie with four points, and Caleb Gill scored three. Lazarick Hill and Nate Whitsell each had a pair.
The Mustangs added a point to the lead with a 9-8 edge in the second quarter, led by White with five points. Bailey and Noah Belew each had a pair. Lucas King led the Rebels with six points, and Austin added a pair. At the half, Huntingdon led 21-19.
Huntingdon had a 18-13 advantage in the third, led by Bailey with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers. White scored four, Butler hit another three, and Willis also scored three points. Whitsell and Austin led McKenzie with four points each. Tyler Spivey hit a three-pointer, and Hill added a pair. Heading into the final frame, the Mustangs led 39-32.

The Rebels rallied 20-4 in the fourth to claim the title, led by Whitsell with eight points, including a three. King scored four, and B. Austin had three points. Hill and Gill each added a pair, and Micah Austin hit a free throw. White and Bailey each added a pair for Huntingdon.
Mustangs Xavier White and Kaleel Bailey led all scorers with 15 points each, Bailey with a trio of three-pointers.
Nate Whitsell led McKenzie with 14 points, including a three. Ben Austin scored 13, and Lucas King scored ten points.
Consolation: West Carroll War Eagles 71, Central Tigers 49
The War Eagles stormed out to a 22-10 lead after the opening frame, led by Luke Moore with seven points, including a three-pointer. Jalen Anglin scored five, also with a three. Zach Heckert had four points, and Tyson Keymon and Jeremiah Bryant each hit a three-pointer. Tigers Gage Lowry and Mac Hooten each scored four points, and Nick Zuro had a pair.
West Carroll pulled away further with a 17-8 advantage in the second quarter, led by Keymon with six points on a pair of threes. Moore and Bryant each scored four, Bryant with a three, and Anglin hit another three-pointer. Lowry and Brayden Frye each scored three points for Central, and Hooten added a pair. At the half, the War Eagles led 39-18.
The War Eagles doubled up Central 20-10 in the third, led by Z. Heckert with six points. Bryant scored five with a three-pointer, and Keymon scored four, also with a three. Moore hit a three, and Aaron Heckert had a pair. Zuro led the Tigers with four points, and Frye and Noah Hampton each hit a three-pointer. Entering the final frame, West Carroll led 59-28.
The Tigers rallied 21-12 in the fourth to narrow the final margin, led by Thomas Crews with nine points on a trio of three-pointers. Zuro scored five with a three, and Mason Binkley also hit a three. Lowry and Hooten each added a pair. War Eagle Colton Hart scored six points on a pair of threes, and Jed Robinson also hit a three. Anglin added a pair, and Jack Barrow hit a free throw.
War Eagle Luke Moore led all scorers with 14 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Tyson Keymon scored 13 with four three-pointers, and Jeremiah Bryant had 12 points with a trio of threes. Zach Heckert and Jalen Anglin each scored ten, Anglin with a pair of threes.
Nick Zuro led Central with eleven points, including a three-pointer. Thomas Crews and Gage Lowry each scored nine, Crews on a trio of threes. Mac Hooten scored eight points.

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