Despite 24 points from senior Deonte Toliver, the Todd County Central boys’ basketball team couldn’t manage enough stops on the defensive end in an 83-63 loss to Franklin-Simpson on Tuesday night. The 13th District-tourney defeat ends the Rebels season, while the Wildcats advance to Friday’s title game with top-seeded Logan County.
The Rebels held a 1-point lead midway through the first quarter after a putback basket by Dominique Morrow, but the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish. Trailing by 9, Austin Rager connected on a baseline jumper, and the Rebels were down 19-12 after one.
After scoring 5 points in the first quarter, Franklin-Simpson’s Kyjuan Stutzman got hot from the perimeter, knocking down three 3-pointers on the way to 11 second-quarter points. A Logan Burgess corner 3 pulled the Rebels to within 4 at 28-24 at the midpoint of the second quarter, but Franklin-Simpson closed on a 10-3 spurt to take an 11-point cushion into the break.
Franklin-Simpson opened the second half on an 11-0 run to stretch the margin to 22, before Amari Andrews scored in the lane for the Rebels’ first points of the third. Toliver scored 6 in the quarter for Todd County, but the Wildcats maintained a 21-point edge going to the fourth.
The Wildcats looked to be on cruise control and went to their bench early in the quarter, but with Toliver attacking the rim the Rebels began to trim the lead. After Toliver hit 1 of 2 free throws with 5:39 to play to cut the Wildcats advantage to 16, Franklin-Simpson coach Dee Spencer brought back his starters to see out the game.
Nate Reding came off the Todd County bench to score 7 points in the fourth, including a corner 3 to make the score 68-55 with 4:20 left, but the Rebels wouldn’t get any closer.
Todd County Central 12 15 12 24 — 63
Franklin-Simpson 19 19 22 23 — 83
Todd County Central (6-22) — Toliver 24, Andrews 10, Morrow 9, Reding 7, Rager 6
Franklin-Simpson (14-14) — Stutzman 24, Miller 14, Chatman 11, Partinger 10
