Blair Oaks posts win against Osage

WARDSVILLE, Mo. - It was one of the stranger sights you'll ever see on a basketball court.

It wasn't the two free throws Blair Oaks' C.J. Closser shot midway through the second quarter.

Not even the two that came right after that.

No, it was the two that immediately followed that made things truly memorable, as the senior made a six-shot trip to the charity stripe Friday night.

The odd occurrence came as part of a 1-and-1 situation followed by four free throws awarded for a pair of School of the Osage technical fouls, and it was part of a surge that propelled Blair Oaks to an 88-59 victory.

Closser hit the first five freebies before the sixth one rimmed out, with those five part of a 19-point first half for the senior playing his final game at home on Senior Night.

"The guys came up to me and were like, "You couldn't make your sixth one?'" Closser said with a smile. "I was like, "Well, I'm standing out there alone shooting free throws, it was kind of awkward.' It was weird, for sure."

The free-throw bonanza was part of a 31-point second period for Blair Oaks, as the Falcons took a 20-17 lead after one quarter and turned it into a 51-34 advantage by halftime.

The first quarter went back and forth, with the Indians having an answer each time the Falcons tried to pull away. Most times, the answer was Hayden Drace, as the senior pumped in 12 points in the frame.

But the Falcons made an adjustment on him after that quarter, limiting him to seven points the rest of the way.

"We threw different guys at him ... and I thought the team did a better job as the game went along of guarding him," Blair Oaks coach Ryan Fick said. "Everybody was aware of where he was. If he cut, he didn't have any open cuts to the basket."

Closser was also hot in the quarter, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts.

"We've been dealing with a lot on injuries lately and we've gotten a lot of guys back, so it was nice to get the offense clicking," Closser said.

The Falcons stayed hot to start the second quarter, hitting their first six shots from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Not long after the Falcons finally missed, an Osage player was called for a foul while closely guarding Closser. Immediately after the play, he pushed Closser, earning the technical foul and drawing one for Osage coach Kevin Schnicker when he argued the call.

Blair Oaks took its biggest lead of the half not long after when Jordan Hair, another one of the Falcons' six seniors, made a layup to run the lead to 49-31 with 1:18 left in the first half.

"We had great balance in the first half," Fick said. "We had six 3s, but we also had 20 points in the paint. Any time you can get that balance, that's what you're looking for as a coach."

The Falcons added to their lead in a ragged third quarter that featured both teams taking quick shots that mostly came up empty. Blair Oaks outscored Osage 14-11 to head to the fourth quarter up 65-45.

"For a spell, we had some empty possessions where we shot quick," Fick said. "When the lead gets to what it was, sometimes kids lose a little bit of focus. We talked about that in a timeout and then we did a good job of coming back out and getting some solid possessions."

Blair Oaks' lead twice hit 32 in the fourth quarter, which featured a running clock for long stretches due to the mercy rule.

Closser racked up a game-high 24 points to pace the Falcons, while fellow senior Owen Luebbering had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

"We've had a lot of adversity this year as far as injuries and sickness," Fick said. "We had a game tonight where we had some pieces back, but then we were missing some pieces. You would like the luxury of having a couple games before districts where you would have all your pieces and work on some rotations, but we won't have that. So we'll go into districts next week and see what we see."

Drace ended up with 19 points to lead Osage (12-12), while Drake Gaines added 17.

Joining Closser, Hair and Luebbering in the pregame festivities for Senior Night were Garrett Kliethermes, Kellen Griep and James Bishop.

"You go into Senior Night as a coach not sure what to expect, because they're thinking about a lot of other things in additon to the game," Fick said. "You also fear that when you start a different combination, the focus might not be there, but I thought we did a good job.

"The seniors have been a big part of our program and are great kids on and off the floor. It was great to see them finish off an undefeated season at home, which is always a goal. We've played well at home all season - I think our guys did a good job of feeding off the student section and the energy they bring."

Blair Oaks (17-8) opens the Class 3 District 9 Tournament at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fatima against seventh-seeded Cuba.

"Getting a win going into districts gives us a extra confidence boost," Closser said. "We got the two seed, so we're just playing to get to the championship game and playing with no pressure. We're just going to go play fun basketball."

In the JV game, Blair Oaks posted a 48-46 win as Drew Boessen scored a layup as time expired.

Braydan Pritchett led the Falcons with 12 points, while Justin Cobb had 11 and Boessen added 10. Blair Oaks ends the season with a record of 20-2.

The Blair Oaks freshmen started the night by dropping a 42-40 decision in overtime. Trent Martin had 15 points for the Falcons (16-6).

On Thursday, the freshmen posted a 64-56 win at home against Jefferson City. Pritchett pumped in 31 points and Nolan Hair added 11.