Late free throws send Arrows past Dodgers

The free throw line....

It can play with your head but good players find a way to stay the course.

The line was both cruel and then a place to call home for Lancaster guard Dayne Kaufman. He had a chance to pull the Flying Arrows into a tie with 1:53 to play with two chances and the Dodgers leading 74-73.  But he missed both tries.

But the world embraces second chances and so does high school basketball. Kaufman got to the line twice more with better results for the Arrows. With 16 seconds left he made a pair then with 10 seconds left two more. The last two tied the game at 78 all then push the Arrows over the hump for a 79-78 win in a SWC battle Friday.

Kaufman finished the night with 18 points, the lowest of three Arrows in double figures. Zach Hermsen led the Arrows with 27 and Tyler Williams reached 20.

The Dodgers won the first half finishing it ahead 43-37. Jayce Halverson scored 11 on the way to a 21 point performance along with a good amount of steals. Bryce Crubaugh-Lockard scored 10 of his 18 and Griffin Busch nine of his 17.

Elliot Hesseling also reached double figures with 10.

Crubaugh-Lockard scored with 30 seconds left for a 78-75 Dodger lead but Kaufman found a way to get to the line and seal it for the Arrows.

“We lost a heartbreaker in a great high school basketball game,” Dodgeville coach Matt McGraw said.  “It was a game of swings. Unfortunately they had the last swing.”

McGraw felt a call he did not agree with played a role in the loss.

“Instead of us being at the line for a bonus shot like we should have been we got a foul called on us which put them up one at the free throw line,” he pointed out.  

It was one of those games you either win or you learn. The Dodgers learned, McGraw feels.

“We need to clean some things up in order to win against good teams,” McGraw said. “We shot it very poorly from the free throw line (4 for 10) and had some possessions that were not great late in the game. Unfortunate way to start the conference season but it was two good teams battling it out. Overall we played very well.”

SCORE BY HALVES

Lancaster   37   42    79

Dodgeville 43   35    78

BOX SCORE

LANCASTER 79: (fg-ft-tp) Hermsen 10-3-27, Schmitz 0-0-0, Kaufman 4-8-18, Williams 5-10-20, Crubel 1-0-2, Busch 0-0-0, Weber 4-0-8, Mack 2-0-4. Totals 26-21/29-79. Fouls-12

DODGEVILLE 78: Busch 6-1-17, Fockler 0-0-0, Crubaugh-Lockard 8-1-18, E. Hesseling 4-0-10,Olson 0-0-0, Jabs 0-0-0, Argall 1-0-2, Halverson 9-2-21, A. Hesseling 2-0-4, Stodola 3-0-6. Totals 33-4/10-78. Fouls-20

3 point goals:

L-Hermsen 4, Kaufman 2

D-Busch 4, Crubaugh-Lockard 1, E. Hesseling 2, Halverson 1