RUSSELL — The boys’ basketball team took first place at the Amos Morris Classic Dec. 4-9 in Russell for the second year in a row.

Beating Plainville in the first-round game, the Bearcats set themselves up for a successful week from the start.

Taking action from the start of the game, the team dominated over the Cardinals. By controlling the game on defense and capitalizing on each offensive opportunity, they finished the first quarter with a lead of 14-5.

Using the momentum gained in the first quarter, the Cats continued their lead through the entirety of the first half. The second quarter ended with a Bearcat lead of 26-16.

After halftime, Ellsworth began to hit their stride. Capitalizing on offensive opportunities as well as free throws, the Cats led 43-25 after the third quarter.

Adding to their lead, the Bearcats made nine of the 16 free throws they shot throughout the game. The Cardinals, on the other hand, only made two.

Both teams scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, but the Cats came out on top due to the lead they held throughout the duration of the game. The final score was 58-40.

Seniors Lane Rolfs and Will Cravens each had 13 points and senior Layton Leiker trailed close behind with 10.

Monday’s win advanced the team to the semifinal round Dec. 7 where they played Russell after the Broncos were triumphant against Smith Center in their first-round competition.

Ellsworth was once again victorious in their second round game against Russell.

The Bearcats jumped out ready for a win. From the start, they dominated the court; the Broncos were unable to score the entirety of the first quarter. By taking control on defense, the Cats were able to run the score to 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Gaining momentum as the night continued, Ellsworth kept and maximized their lead. The first half ended with the Bearcats ahead, 35-8.

Knowing they needed to continue playing with their first half intensity, the Bearcats started the second half strong and maintained control of the game. The third quarter ended 54-12.

While the fourth quarter was slow offensively for the team, they still managed to stop the Broncos on defense. The final score ended in a Bearcat victory with a score of 54-14.

Cravens led the game offensively, scoring 24 points for Ellsworth. Sophomore Cooper McGowan and senior Riley Stone each put up 9.

There were many variables that added to the team’s win, however, the team took extra pride in one of those factors.

“I think the biggest contributing factor for our success was our defense,” Head Coach Brett Rolfs said. “We played very well on that end of the court.”

The win on Thursday moved Ellsworth on to the championship game Dec. 9, where they took on St. John’s-Tipton for the title of tournament champions.

In a hard-fought matchup from start to finish, the Cats did not give up and ended with not only a victory in the game, but in the entire tournament.

In the first quarter, both the Bearcats and the Blujays played a tight game. However, St. John’s-Tipton finished the first quarter on top with a score of 12-7.

Not allowing this to get them down, Ellsworth turned the game around. Making the necessary stops on defense allowed the Cats to finish the first half ahead, 16-14.

Picking up the momentum, the Bearcats increased their lead. They were able to make more shots in the second half, allowing a third quarter lead of 29-26.

While Ellsworth was ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, they knew they needed to fight until the very end. Capitalizing on every opportunity they could as well as sinking 13 of 25 free throws gave the Cats a fighting chance to take the win. By staying out of foul trouble, the Bearcats only allowed St. John’s to shoot two free throws, of which they made zero. Because of this, Ellsworth was able to finish with a victory over the Blujays with a final score of 37-34.

Cravens was the lead scorer for the Cats with 20 points. McGowan scored 7 and Lane Rolfs had 5.

This was the second consecutive championship at the Amos Morris Classic tournament for the boys’ basketball team.

“It was great to see the team repeat as champions,” Rolfs said. “We had to battle an off night shooting in the championship, but managed to do just enough to get the job done.”

The team will compete Dec. 15 at home against Beloit in the final game before the new year.