(Nick Klaiber scored a game-high 23 points)

 

Unconventional opponents – Bloomington North and Covenant Christian – squared off in a frantic, back and forth game.

2A Covenant Christian had the last run to win 75-72.

 

There have been plenty of starts and stops to Bloomington North’s season. The Cougars have faced two and three-week breaks throughout the regular season. Against Covenant Christian, Bloomington North mirrored those ups and downs. After Nick Klaiber scored to put North ahead 4-2, Covenant Christian answered with eight consecutive points. Brock Buckley and Graham Shelton propelled the Warriors’ first run.

 

For the game, both teams pushed the pace. In the end, there were 73 possessions for each team. That is a fast pace for a 40-minute college game let alone a 32-minute high school contest. The action was fast and furious.

 

To end the first quarter, JaQualon Roberts and Tyree Rochell helped North score five points in a row for the 15-14 lead. Klaiber scored seven points in the opening period. The junior point guard was an efficient scorer for North throughout the game and, at different points, took over going to the basket.

 

North had leads of five and six points in the second quarter, but Covenant Christian kept bouncing back. Bryan Lomax and Buckley were the main contributors. Lomax had a strong first half but saved his best for down the stretch.

 

Turnovers were a problem for Bloomington North the entire game, but they derailed the Cougars in the third period. Lomax and Buckley helped convert those errors into points. Behind that pair, Covenant built a 50-43 lead midway through the third.

 

Trey Flatt and Isaac Vencel, the leading scorers for each team, were quiet to begin the game. That changed in the third as Flatt made his first three-pointer of the game, and Vencel found more success slashing to the basket.

 

Covenant Christian took a 54-51 lead to the fourth, but the game flipped in a hurry. Flatt picked up his fourth foul a minute into the final period. As he went to the bench, North blitzed the Warriors for a 10-0. During that stretch, Vencel scored six points.

 

With the Cougars on a run, Flatt reentered the game with four fouls. After missing from the block and thinking he was fouled, Flatt was tagged with his fifth and final four with five minutes remaining. It looked like a dagger as North was clicking on all cylinders.

 

After a timeout by Scott Flatt, Shelton connected on three. Over the next few possessions, Buckley scored twice, and Covenant Christian had new life. Suddenly, North was on their heels, and Covenant was surging even without its leading scorer on the floor.

 

Over four minutes, Covenant outscored North 13-0. Lomax scored six points during the run to help the Warriors grab a 70-63 lead.

 

With under a minute to play, Klaiber rushed the ball up the court for a layup. After Lomax split a pair of free throws, Klaiber repeated the process. It was a four-point game with 18.1 seconds. The Cougars fouled again, but Lomax cashed both free throws this time. With time winding down, Klaiber found Roberts open from the top of the key for a three-pointer.

 

Covenant Christian’s lead was down to three points. Facing full-court pressure, Covenant nearly turned the ball over, but Vencel was called for a foul before the steal. Tony Flatt sealed the game with two free throws.

 

Klaiber scored before the buzzer, but it was not enough. Covenant Christian walked away a 75-72 winner to finish the regular season 19-4. Bloomington North dropped to 11-3.

 

Lomax led CC with 20 points as he went 12-14 from the charity stripe. Buckley added 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists; Shelton scored 15 points. Flatt recorded nine points and five rebounds before fouling out. Tony Flatt contributed seven points and four rebounds.

 

Klaiber led all scorers with 23 points. Vencel added 17, and Roberts recorded 11 points and nine rebounds. Aaron Steinfeldt tallied eight points and 12 rebounds.

 

Bloomington North finished with 18 turnovers. Covenant Christian went 19-25 from the free-throw line to seal the win.