Despite leading from their second possession of the second half and by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Hilton boys basketball team fell to Webster-Schroeder 73-71 on a steal, lay-up and extra point with five seconds remaining in regulation.
Following an evenly matched first half that featured six lead changes, the Cadets went on a 16-3 run in the third quarter led by three consecutive baskets by junior guard Johnathan Letta, a trey from Dan Chatterton and a free throw, three-pointer and lay-up by Bailey Pittman.
The Cadets first five baskets in the fourth quarter were all three-pointers with Jack Annable, Pittman and Brent Turpyn connecting once each and Letta knocking down two.
A pair of free throws by Christian Ranke put the Cadets up by 11 points, but the Warriors defense held Hilton to three trips to the free throw line over the final 101 seconds while they went on a 16-4 run to close the Cadets lead to one point with 12 seconds remaining.
Schroeder’s Brandan Gartland, who finished with 36 points, stole the ball after Hilton was trapped in the corner off the inbounds and drove to the net. The lay-up was good with a foul. Gartland made the free throw to make it 73-71 Schroeder before a Cadets shot from just inside the midcourt stripe missed at the buzzer.
Letta finished with a team-high 23 points while Pittman added 16. Turpyn had eight points, Tah-Jae Hill six and Ranke five as the Cadets fell to 5-15. They were seeded 13 in Class AA and were to travel to fourth-seed Bishop Kearney in the first round of the Section V playoffs.
