HOISNGTON — For the first time in Bearcat history, the boys; basketball team took first place in the Hoisington Winter Jam tournament. Going 3-0 for the week, they started the tournament with a 64-13 win over Minneapolis. In the semi-final round versus Victoria, they took a 41-24 win, and dominated in the championship game over Pratt with a final score of 43-27.

Seeded No. 1 in the tournament, the Cats were matched up with the No. 8 seed Minneapolis. Jumping out with a commanding lead from the start, the Cats took over and dominated the game. At the end of the first quarter, the Cats led 16-4.

All night, Ellsworth was on fire. Hitting field goal shots and block shots inside, the Cats came alive in the second quarter. Senior Will Cravens alone hit four 3-pointers in the quarter. At halftime, the Bearcats were up 23-7.

Building off the first half momentum, the boys continued to fight through the duration of the second half. Coming out strong in the third quarter, they dominated and ended the quarter 52-9.

By stopping the Lions from making any progress offensively, the Cats were able to score off not only offensive plays, but transition buckets as well. After four quarters of tough teamwork, the Bearcats sealed their victory over Minneapolis 64-13.

Cravens led with 27 points, senior Riley Stone put up 10 and senior Lane Rolfs had 9.

The win over Minneapolis allowed Ellsworth to advance to the semi-final round Jan. 19, where they took on the Victoria Knights.

Starting out the game, both teams put up a fight. Working to make stops defensively, the Bearcats knew they needed to gain the lead. They fought ahead and held a lead of 12-8 by the end of the first quarter.

While scores were low for the first half, Ellsworth maintained their defensive intensity. They still were able to stop the Knights from going on a scoring run. At halftime, Ellsworth led 16-11.

Coming out in the second half, the teams still seemed evenly matched. Struggling to get anything going on the offensive end, the Cats knew they needed to take control of the game on defense. Holding their lead, the Bearcats were up 30-24 at the end of the third quarter.

Dominating on defense, the team was able to pull away and gain a larger lead in the fourth quarter. Ellsworth completely shut down Victoria’s offense in the quarter, allowing no points and turning Knight turnovers and missed shots into Bearcat scoring opportunities. The Cats clinched a victory with a final score of 41-24.

Leading the scoreboard for the Bearcats, Cravens put up 21 points, Stone had six and senior Layton Leiker and sophomore Cooper McGowan each had 5.

The semi-final win advanced Ellsworth to the championship game Jan. 20 against Pratt.

From the start, the Cats were determined they would come away with a first place plaque. They came out strong and took control of the game. While scores were tight at the beginning, Ellsworth dominated defensively. Shutting down the Greenbacks caused frustration for Pratt and allowed the Bearcats to dominate the court. The score at the end of the first quarter was 12-9 with an Ellsworth lead.

By working the ball into the post as well as capitalizing on free throw opportunities in the second quarter, the Cats collectively increased their lead. After shutting down the Greenbacks’ offense, Ellsworth ended the first half with a lead of 21-12.

Coming out in the second half, the team continued to push forward. Playing a truly defensive game, the Cats were able to gain transition points and increase their lead over Pratt. At the end of the third quarter, they held a lead of 30-18.

Players from both Ellsworth and Pratt got into foul trouble. Cravens and Stone each put up four fouls; the Greenbacks had two players with four fouls and one who fouled out. Due to these fouls, both teams were sent to the free throw line and were given numerous scoring opportunities at the line. Throughout the game, the Cats made 9 of 14, and Pratt made 10 of 16.

Even though they did not score as many free throws, the Bearcats still had control of the game and did not let up at any point. The final score was 43-27.

Cravens led with 20 points and Stone had 13. Both Cravens and Stone were honored with medals as members of the All-Tournament Team.

The boys will take on Southeast of Saline at home Jan. 26.