By Fred Kroner
It took an undefeated team to end the season for the winningest seventh-grade boys’ basketball team in Mahomet-Seymour history.
On Monday (Jan. 30), Rochester improved to 26-0 by overpowering the Bulldogs, 61-23, in the sectional championship game at M-S.
Jackson Golden led the Bulldogs with 10 points.
The team’s other points came from Konner Fisher (four points), Collin Whooley (three points), Tristen Adams (two points), Preston Clark (two points) and Bradley Jones (two points).
M-S ends the season with a 24-3 record. The Bulldogs had an eight-game winning streak snapped in the sectionals.
Rochester shot into a lead of 21-8 after one quarter and 35-16 at halftime.
On Friday (Jan. 27), M-S earned a victory in the regional championship game at home over Danville North Ridge, 49-31.
Golden hit a team-high 20 points. He scored all 11 first-quarter points for the Bulldogs, who carried an 11-6 lead into the second period.
Fisher hit 15 points and Adams added 12 points. Adams and Fisher both netted 10 fourth-quarter points.
Beedy scored the team’s other two points.
M-S took a 29-18 lead into the final quarter.
Golden (15 games) was one of five Bulldogs who led – or shared the team-lead – in scoring this season. Fisher led eight times, Adams led four times and Luke Buh and Levi Lunney each led once.
Seven players had games where they scored at least nine points: Adams, Camden Beedy, Buh, Clark, Fisher, Golden, and Jones.
Among players with at least 10 attempts, the most accurate M-S free throw shooter was Clark. He hit 18-of-19 for the season (94.7 percent).
Other team leaders from the line were Fisher (68.9 percent), Beedy (60 percent), Adams (58.3 percent), Golden (56.3 percent), and Buh (52.9 percent).
Most adept at getting to the free throw line were Golden (64 attempts) and Adams (60 attempts).
The team’s top individual scoring performance was by Adams (22 points vs. Champaign Jefferson). Golden had a 20-point outing (against Danville North Ridge).
The team’s top-scoring effort was 59 points against Jefferson.
Eleven squad members hit three-point shots during the season. The leaders were Fisher (37) and Clark (17).
Other teammates with three-pointers were Adams, Brennan Bailey, Beedy, Golden, Jones, Lunney, Jude McWilliams, Jackson Tieffel, and Whooley.
The team’s roster also included Preston Branson, Atticus Bohm, and Alexander Spurlock.
Coach Jon Adkins’ Bulldogs opened the season with 11 consecutive wins and finished 16-1 in games played at home.
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The third-seeded M-S eighth-grade team needed overtime to get past sixth-seeded Urbana, 43-37, in a quarterfinal-round IESA Class 4A regional game in Mahomet.
The Bulldogs netted 4 of 4 free throws in OT, two apiece by Parker Henry and Paxson O’Malley.
Henry hit a team-high 15 points. Bryson Tiefenthaler added 10 points. O’Malley ended with seven points while Coy Benway (six points) and Landon Busch (five points) were other key offensive contributors.
M-S trailed, 18-16, at halftime, but had pulled into a 35-35 deadlock after regulation.
M-S has a 17-8 overall record.
