Owls conclude regular season with loss to Dragons

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Yes, Seymour’s boys basketball team lost again on Friday night. Yes, their losing streak now stands at 12 straight games.

And, yes, the final score — 93-58 to Class 3A No. 7-ranked Silver Creek — isn’t the prettiest thing you’ll see today.

But something funny happened during the fourth quarter of another long game for the Owls.

They played really good basketball.

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During the final eight minutes of the 2018-19 season, Seymour made free throws, connected on 3-point shots, drove with purpose to the basket and finished at the rim.

In a season filled with offensive struggles, the Owls (3-19) scored 26 points in the final period of the game and ended with a season-high 58 points. They finished 10-for-10 from the foul line during those eight minutes and 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

In fact, the Owls were a perfect 6-for-6 from the field.

“It was a good note to end on,” Seymour head coach Tyler Phillips said. “Our seniors played hard. Before the game, I told them to go play like they have nothing to lose. With that kind of effort and determination, we can play with anyone. In fact, I told them after the game, I’m going to need that same effort on Monday morning.”

Seniors Jack Roberts and Elijah Corwin seemed to have the most fun, playing loose and finding success on the offensive end of the court.

Roberts finished with a team-high 14 points, while Corwin ended with 10 points bolstered by 2-for-3 shooting from behind the 3-point line.

Fellow senior Payton Reasoner also hit two 3-pointers and scored eight points.

Asked to described his experience during a difficult season, Reasoner said, “It’s definitely been tough but it’s better when you’re close with your teammates.”

As for getting to experience Senior night, Reasoner said the fun extended beyond the basketball team.

“It was great,” he said. “It was really cool to get recognized after all of the hard work we’ve put in over four years. It was also cool to see the band and cheerleaders get recognized. They make our home games so much better.”

Seymour’s fourth senior, point guard R.J. Kleber, played with his characteristic grit in the face of a withering Silver Creek press and finished with two points.

Asked to reflect on his seniors this season, Phillips said, “When you’re faced with adversity, that’s when your characters comes out. Our seniors never quit, they continued to lead. They did everything we asked of them. This group of kids, especially the seniors, deserved a lot better than this season. To their credit, they never quit.”

Silver Creek never warmed to the festive Senior Night vibe, of course. The Dragons (19-3) were relentless in the first half, scoring 33 first-quarter points and 50 by the halftime buzzer.

Blessed with a seemingly never-ending supply of height and outside shooting ability, Silver Creek ended the night with 12 3-pointers, 32 points in the paint and a healthy 31-16 rebounding advantage.

The Dragons held a 73-32 lead after three periods, before Seymour won the fourth quarter by a 26-20 margin.

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