Fulton boys basketball won its third tournament in as many tournaments this season and got a redemption victory against Blair Oaks, who beat the Hornets in the semifinals of the Class 4 District 9 Tournament last season.
Showing it's the better team this season, Class 4 No. 7, No. 1 seed Fulton beat No. 2 seed Blair Oaks 47-40 in the championship of the Harrisburg Varsity Tournament Saturday night at Harrisburg High School.
It was a methodical, physical defensive basketball game, with the least points the Hornets scored in a win this campaign. Fulton had a stronger defensive game than the defensive-minded Falcons team (allowed 51.3 points per game heading into the tournament), full of tough, state-champion football players.
Fulton recorded 21 rebounds and nine steals for the game, while Blair Oaks had 12 rebounds and nine steals. Not only did the Hornets do better at what the Falcons pride themselves in, but Fulton also showed improvement after its previous game went to double overtime, partly due to defensive struggles.
"The guys really executed, I thought, very, very well," Fulton coach Justin Gilmore said. "Allowed us to stop after stop after stop. Obviously, we couldn't put the ball in tonight a little bit most of the game. Our best defensive effort just sitting in, boxing out and communicating. We've been talking about. Finally, just the culmination tonight from this game, so it was good to see."
On the offensive side, Rowdy Gohring kept up his splendid play for the week. Rowdy knocked down four 3s while scoring a game-high 15 points. The third 3 Rowdy made was the most important.
On the final possession of the third quarter, Rowdy took a pass from older brother Walker Gohring, then knocked down a shot from the top of the key. After the basket, the Hornets led 37-34 and stayed in front for the rest of the game.
"Rowdy's one of the best shooters I've coached here at Fulton," Gilmore said. "Shooter's mentality, he can shoot them when he's open. That's why I love him. He made some big shots for us tonight.
"I thought his defensive effort is the best defensive effort he's had all year. He just keeps growing and growing; I'm glad he's on my team."
Jumping back to the beginning of the contest, it was still anyone's game for the first three quarters -- Fulton's largest lead through three quarters was seven points, while Blair Oaks's was a point.
In the first quarter, there were three lead changes and ties each. Colby Lancaster scored the game's first points on a layup after Fulton won the tip.
Then, the Falcons' all-state quarterback -- Dylan Hair -- tied it at 2-2 when he made a transition layup. But the Hornets' quarterback -- Walker, who's more of a basketball player --showed that by getting a steal and then running down the court for a fast-break layup.
Blair Oaks knotted it at 4-4 when Alec Wieber drained a floater. However, during that possession, Chase Schnieders -- one of the Falcons' better players -- left the game with an injury during that possession.
On Fulton's ensuing possession, Rowdy knocked down his first 3-pointer, putting the Hornets up 7-4. The Falcons evened it at 7-7 after Jaxon Marshall made a layup, then 1-of-2 free throws three drives later.
Fulton's supporting cast of Dusty Hagens and Ethan Milius responded. First, Hagens stole the ball on the defensive end, then Milius ran down the court and scored a layup.
After that play, Fulton led 9-7, the score after the first quarter.
The Hornets dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 12-8. Half of Fulton's points came from a Rowdy right corner 3 and a Milius three-point play that started with a transition layup from a Walker assist.
Fulton's passing in the quarter created buckets. And one of Fulton's bench players, Gabe DeFily, scored his only two points of the game from good team passing.
The Hornets starters provided all the offense in a back-and-fourth third quarter in which the teams combined for 35 points -- one less than they scored in the entire first half.
Blair Oaks started the offense with a 7-0 run, culminating in the Falcons taking the lead. Zach Henry gave Blair Oaks a 22-21 advantage after scoring a transition layup off a Hair rebound.
It didn't last long, as Henry fouled Lancaster, who scored a layup on Fulton's ensuing possession. Lancaster hit the and-1, which made it 24-22 Hornets.
Following that play, the Falcons went on a 5-3 run and regained the advantage. Henry sent Blair Oaks on top again, landing a mid-range jumper this time.
But just like last time, Lancaster responded for the Hornets, scoring a layup and putting Fulton up 29-28.
From there, Fulton outscored Blair Oaks 5-3 before the Falcons tied the game for the final time. To do that, Hair drained a 3, which made it 34-34. Then, after each team had two scoreless drives, Rowdy made the eventual game-deciding shot.
Fulton maintained the momentum in the fourth quarter, outscoring Blair Oaks 10-6. Early in the quarter, Rowdy capped off his 3-point clinic with a right corner 3 off a smooth pass from Walker. Rowdy's shot from deep put the score at 42-36 Fulton.
Blair Oaks only scored two points before Donovan Weigel made 2-of-2 free throws, which gave the Hornets an eight-point lead, 46-38.
Hair scored the Falcons' final bucket, as Fultons' stout defense thwarted a Blair Oaks comeback. Minutes later, another Hornets tournament title celebration unfolded as the Falcons scrambled into the locker room.
Along with Fulton's third tournament title, the Hornets earned a redemption victory against a team they could play in the district tournament this season.
Fulton's three tournament triumphs were made all the sweeter considering who those opponents were. The Hornets beat district opponents Blair Oaks and Southern Boone in their last two tournaments and conference rival Mexico in their first one of the campaign.
"Whether it's an ugly defensive slugfest like it was tonight or Thursday night when it was an overtime game," Gilmore said. "And we just couldn't get the lead late and making their free throws down the stretch. Or in the California Tournament and Montgomery, we played your rival at the Montgomery Tournament. We are not one-dimensional. We have a bunch of different guys that can get it done for us, and they can do it in different ways. None of those guys in the locker room care if it's from (No.) 0 or 30. They just want to win, and they love each other. They do a lot for each other. It's just a really fun team to coach."
To go along with the team achievement, Fulton's Walker, Weigel and Lancaster were named to the all-tournament team. Walker scored a career-high 38 points against Harrisburg in the semifinals; Lancaster was a huge inside scoring presence and rebounder; Weigel made some key blocks, defensive stops and timely free throws.
"They've been awesome for us all year," Gilmore said. "Our senior captains, our senior leaders. To have all three of them on the all-tournament team is pretty special. It's a testament to how much they work.
"And you look at all three of them; they're getting double-teamed, teams are giving so much attention. The fact they're doing the things they're doing for us it's just the kind of players they are. They don't do it just on the offense.
"They're gonna be the defensive guys that sit and guard and rebound and talk. And they lead the right way for us not gonna yell at anybody. They're gonna help them correct and couldn't ask for three better captains and three better leaders."
Up next, Fulton (15-3) plays its final nonconference game of the season, taking on Eldon (6-10) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Eldon. After that, the Hornets play five conference games (three home, two away) before going for the district title in a daunting Class 4 District 9 tournament.
"It's never easy to drive down to Eldon," Gilmore said. "We played in Eldon and packed that place. They have a really cool gym. So it'll be nice to have a week off here to rest of bodies after this long, long week. And to get sickness and injuries taken care of. We'll start preparing for Eldon next week and take a couple of easy days and rest our bodies. And get back at it, probably midweek next week."