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Last-second shot lifts Cadets over Comets, 63-61

Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City junior Bradley Andrews (No. 22) challenges a shot from Crestwood’s Shane Vokaty during Thursday’s Northeast Iowa Conference boys basketball game, which the Cadets won, 63-61.
Press photo by John Burbridge
Charles City junior Bradley Andrews (No. 22) challenges a shot from Crestwood’s Shane Vokaty during Thursday’s Northeast Iowa Conference boys basketball game, which the Cadets won, 63-61.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Carter Henry’s 3-point shot released just as the buzzer sounded lifted Crestwood past Charles City 63-61 in Northeast Iowa Conference boys basketball action Thursday night while snapping the Comets’ winning streak at seven.

Charles City led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, but a series of Charles City turnovers coupled with late clutch shooting by the Cadets enabled Crestwood to claw back.

A 3-pointer by Nathan Martinek pulled the Cadets within 2 (59-57) with 1:13 left in regulation before a trey by Zachary Lane put Crestwood up by 1 (61-60).

The Comets immediately answered when Jack Molstead’s underhanded circus shot in the lane regained the lead for Charles City.

With 16 seconds left in regulation, both teams were out of timeouts. But the Comets had several fouls to give before putting Crestwood in the bonus and used them to diminish the clock to 2.6 seconds remaining before Henry’s buzzer-beater.

Lane led all scorers with 29 points for Crestwood, which improved to 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the NEIC. The road victory also completed a regular-season sweep for the Cadets as they previously defeated Charles City in early December — also by 2 points.

Molstead had 23 points to lead the Comets (8-4, 5-3). He also assisted five 3-pointers from sophomore JJ Ritter, who scored a career-high 19 points.

Junior Bradley Andrews returned to the starting lineup and scored 13 for Charles City.

One of the early Molstead-to-Ritter-for-3 assists gave the Comets at 23-18 lead early in the second quarter. But Charles City was stymied with four turnovers in six possessions allowing the Cadets to go on a 7-0 run to momentarily take the lead before the Comets’ went into intermission ahead 29-27.

The game — like the girls varsity game between the two schools played in Cresco — was originally scheduled for Friday but moved up a night in anticipation of treacherous winter travel conditions.

In the girls varsity game, Crestwood jumped out to a 30-9 lead after the first quarter. The Comets held the Cadets to 37 points for the remainder of the game, but couldn’t catch them in a 67-37 final.

After falling to 0-13 and 0-8, the Comet girls are still looking for their first win. The Charles City junior varsity girls team picked up another victory with a 30-27 win over the Cadets.

Dani Stock led the jayvee Comets with a game-high 12 points.

CRESTWOOD 63, CHARLES CITY 61

Scoring By Quarters

CRESTWOOD 18 9 15 21 — 63

CHARLES CITY 20 9 23 9 – 61

CRESTWOOD — Zachary Lane 29, Carter Henry 8, Shane Vokaty 8, Jacob Andera 2, Nathan Martinec 12, Logan Albert 2, Jon Henry 2.

CHARLES CITY — Jack Molstead 23, JJ Ritter19, Colton Slinger 2, Bradley Andrews 12, Tait Arndt 4.

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