Ellsworth senior Lee Farrell prepares to shoot the ball in front of H-BC defender Drew Spykerboer during Monday’s boys’ basketball game in Ellsworth. Farrell and the Panthers won their ninth straight game by defeating the Patriots 72-66.By John RittenhouseTwo of Southwest Minnesota’s hottest boys’ basketball teams squared off in Ellsworth for the regular season finale for both teams Monday.Ellsworth and Hills-Beaver Creek, two friendly rivals that share football, track and golf programs, both had extended winning streaks on the line entering the game.It was Ellsworth, which rallied from a four-point deficit in the fourth quarter, that kept its momentum going by winning its ninth straight game with a 72-66 victory.Both teams will open South Section 3A Tournament play in Worthington Saturday. The 20-6 Panthers will play Southwest Star Concept or Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster at 2:30 p.m. H-BC, which had a seven-game winning streak snapped by EHS, will take an 18-8 record into an 11:30 a.m. clash against Adrian.Monday’s game against the Panthers and Patriots could have gone to either team as both squads sported leads in the second half.Ellsworth, which led 36-29 entering the third quarter, extended the difference to 10 points (42-32) when guard Tom Janssen turned a steal into a layup at the 5:44 mark of the period.Any thoughts of Ellsworth pulling away from the Patriots came to an end when H-BC put together a 21-11 run that ended with Tyler Bush nailing a three-point shot with one second remaining to knot the score at 53 at period’s end.After Ellsworth’s Lee Farrell scored the first two points of the fourth quarter, H-BC’s Zach Wysong drained back-to-back three-point shots to give the Patriots their first lead (59-55) since the first quarter.The game was tied at 61 with less than three minutes remaining when Ellsworth’s Curt Schilling connected for a pair of field goals to give the hosts a 65-61 lead with 1:09 left to play. H-BC closed within two points (65-63) when Bush converted a field goal with 58 seconds remaining, but the Panthers iced the win with a game-ending 7-3 spurt that ended with Adam Sieff sinking two free throws with four seconds left.The game’s first half was equally competitive.H-BC led 8-6 when the Panthers went on a 7-0 run that ended with Todd Alberty hitting a field goal at 2:58 to give EHS a 13-8 lead. H-BC’s Kale Wiertzema tied the game at 13 with a three-point shot at the 2:06 mark, but Schilling snapped a deadlock at 15 with a pair of field goals to give the Panthers a 19-15 edge at period’s end.The Patriots made some runs at EHS in the first 5:14 of the second quarter and they trailed by one point (27-26) when Wiertzema buried a three-point shot with 2:46 remaining. Ellsworth scored the next seven points and led 34-26 when Schilling scored with 58 seconds left. Wiertzema countered with a three for H-BC moments later, but Sieff hit a field goal for EHS with one second remaining to give the Panthers a 36-29 halftime advantage.Schilling led the Panthers with 32 points and 13 rebounds in the game. Alberty, who needed 23 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career, came up two counters short with his 21-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist effort. Sieff added 10 points and six assists to the winning cause.H-BC, which made 10 three-point shots in the game, received a 24-point, five-assist, three-steal effort from Bush. Wiertzema scored 19 points, collected seven rebounds and passed for five assists. Wysong nailed five threes and finished the game with 17 points. Trey Van Wyhe pulled down 10 rebounds for the Patriots.H-BC: Box scoreBush 6 2 6-9 24, Wysong 1 5 0-0 17, Wiertzema 5 3 0-2 19, Van Wyhe 2 0 0-2 4, Spykerboer 1 0 0-0 2, LeBoutillier 0 0 0-1 0.EllsworthCr.Schilling 13 1 3-3 32, Janssen 2 0 0-1 4, Co.Schilling 0 0 0-0 0, Sieff 4 0 2-2 10, Alberty 9 0 3-4 21, Herman 1 0 0-0 2, Klaassen 0 0 0-0 0, Farrell 1 0 1-2 3.Team statisticsH-BC: 25 of 58 field goals (43 percent), six of 14 free throws (43 percent), 21 rebounds, 21 turnovers.Ellsworth: 31 of 56 field goals (55 percent), nine of 12 free throws (75 percent), 27 rebounds, eight turnovers.
