The Hillcrest Academy Ravens traveled to Wheatland on Tuesday for their Class 1A Region 5 Semifinal against the Calamus-Wheatland Warriors. Unfortunately, the Ravens fell just short of pulling off the win on the road, losing 48-46 and falling just short of a trip to the region championship.

The game got off to a frenetic pace in the first, with both teams playing aggressive defense and looking to push the tempo on offense. While that pace led to a lot of steals and turnovers, it didn’t necessarily lead to too many baskets, with Hillcrest leading 12-11 after the first. Hillcrest built up a six-point lead in the second, but Calamus-Wheatland erased it quickly leading the two teams to trade baskets all the way to the break. The Ravens and Warriors headed to halftime tied at 25-25.

The Ravens got off to a slow start in the second half, letting Calamus-Wheatland take a six-point lead, but Hillcrest fought right back, eventually claiming another lead. However, the pendulum swung back the other way, and the game headed into the fourth with Calamus-Wheatland on top, 37-36.

In the final quarter, it seemed like Hillcrest would finally seal the deal. A couple of huge defensive plays set the Ravens up with a four-point lead with a couple of minutes to go. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes down the stretch gave the Warriors a few more chances, and they’d convert, with Warrior senior and leading scorer Chase Klatt scoring the decisive bucket with under a minute left in the game. Hillcrest had two opportunities to reclaim the lead, but a turnover forced the Ravens to foul. Calamus-Wheatland pushed their lead to two with a split trip at the line, but a desperation three at the buzzer from Kale Bailey was blocked by Klatt, allowing the Warriors to pick up the win.

Head coach Stephen Bender spoke to KCII after the game, he says when you’re playing a good team like the Warriors, one or two big plays can mean the whole game. “They did what they had to. Give them credit, they’re a good team, that’s why they’re 23-2 or whatever they are now, and why they’ve beaten a lot of teams by a lot of points. It’s one of those games where we try to tell kids, every possession matters because it can come down to one basket and that’s what it ended up coming down to tonight. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of it.”

Kale Bailey led all Raven scorers with 17. Rowan Miller finished his high school career with a 10-point performance. The Warriors were led by Klatt’s 18. Hillcrest finishes its season at 20-5. Calamus-Wheatland improves to 23-2 and will face Burlington Notre Dame at Iowa City High later this week.