Concordia Boys Mount Second-Half Comeback, Take Down Rose Hill in Overtime 51-44

The Concordia High School Boys Basketball team won 51-44 in overtime over the Rose Hill Rockets in the 2024 Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 4A - West Sub-State Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, February 28th.

The Panthers, 13-8 overall, had three players score in double figures with Senior Point Guard Joey Henderson leading the way with a game-high 18 points.  Henderson scored 10 points in overtime, including connecting on 8-of-10 attempts from the foul line.  Henderson was named our Nex-Tech Wireless MVP of the Game.

Sophomore Chane Parker had a double-double by halftime and finished the night with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Senior Guard Payton Breese scored 12 points, including knocking down two second-half three-pointers.

Junior Peyton Retter scored 4 points, all of it from the charity stripe, and pulled down 4 rebounds, including two huge defensive rebounds in the closing minutes.  Senior Jonathan Turner had 2 points and 6 rebounds.  Freshman Ian Loudermilk didn't score but had 5 rebounds, 3 of them on the offensive side, in playing key minutes late in the place of Parker.  Loudermilk received our H&R Block of the Game.

Rose Hill opened the game with two three-pointers in the first quarter to hold a 12-8 advantage at the end of one.

Concordia finished the first-half 0-of-7 from behind the arc, while the Rockets were 4-of-14 (28.6 percent) from long-range through the first two quarters.  The Panthers trailed 22-18 at the break.

Breese made a three to start the third quarter, cutting Rose Hill's lead down to 22-21 with 7 minutes to play in the period.

The Rockets answered with a 7-2 run to lead 29-23 midway through the third.  

Concordia ended the quarter with a strong push, highlighted by its guards attacking Rose Hill off the dribble, and they brought it back to a three point game at 31-28 headed to the fourth.

Retter connected on two shots from the foul line with 4:07 remaining to tie the game at 35.

On the next possession, Breese drilled his second made three-pointer of the second-half, putting the Panthers in front at 38-35.  It marked Concordia's first lead since the first quarter.

Rose Hill Senior Jace Evans scored in the lane moments later to bring it back to a one point game at 38-37.

The Panthers elected to go to their stall game, forcing the Rockets to foul.  Breese made 1-of-2 on a trip to the line with 1:25 remaining to push Concordia's lead to 39-37.  

On the ensuing possession, Rose Hill Senior Cooper Nace scored in the paint and drew a foul, tying the game at 39.  Nace missed his free-throw attempt.  

Rose Hill ended the game 0-of-7 from the foul line.  The Panthers, meanwhile, were 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) for the game.

Playing for either the win or overtime, Concordia missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer, sending the contest into the extra frame.

Henderson scored the first three points of overtime.

Evans recorded a steal and scored on a transitional lay-in to make it a one point game at 42-41 with 2:25 to go.

Henderson then scored the next 6 points, knocking down a pair of free-throws on three consecutive trips to the foul line.

Retter added a pair of free-throws with 24 seconds to play.

Fouled again with 13 seconds to go, Henderson made 1-of-2 free-throws to give Concordia a double-digit lead at 51-41.

Evans made a three-pointer with three seconds remaining, finishing as the only Rockets player to score in overtime.

Concordia improved to 2-1 in overtime games this season and finishes the year with a 7-1 record on their own home floor.

The Panthers now advance to the Class 4A - West Sub-State Tournament Finals where they will face 21-0 McPherson on Saturday, March 2nd at 5 pm.  The Bullpups won their first round game against the Buhler Crusaders Wednesday night, 61-22.  The last time Concordia and McPherson met was 2012 with McPherson picking up a 65-43 sub-state victory over the Panthers.  This year, McPherson is averaging 66.9 points per game.  The team's last loss came in last year's 4A State Title game to Hugoton, 67-58.  Live coverage of Saturday's game can be heard on 1390 KNCK, 98.3 FM and NCKToday.com.