The St. John’s Sauers eighth grade boys basketball team earned some hardware over the weekend after they won the Lutheran Invitational Tournament at Trinity Lutheran High School.

Sauers won three games en route to winning the tournament. Their first game came against Lutheran Central, and Sauers won 59-18.

Hudson Lang led the team in scoring with 21 points, Logan Schepman scored 14 points, Luke Schepman had 12 points, Isaac Darlage had three, Ross Bevers had three, Bode Brooks two, Cole Brooks two and Isaiah Markel two.

That advanced Sauers to the semifinal against Emmanuel St. Michael. It was a much closer game, but Sauers was able to prevail 29-25.

Lang once again led the team with 13 points, Bode Brooks scored six, Logan Schepman five, Luke Schepman three and Darlage two.

Sauers then battled Immanuel Lutheran in the championship game. It was another back-and-forth battle.

Sauers led 13-8 after the first quarter, then Immanuel was able to flip the script, outscoring Sauers 13-8 in the second quarter to tie the ballgame up at halftime.

Sauers won the third quarter 12-8 and the fourth quarter 11-10 to come away with the 44-39 victory to win the LIT.

Lang scored 22 points to lead the way, Darlage had nine, Luke Schepman seven, Bode Brooks five and Logan Schepman one.

Lang scored 56 points across the three games for an average of 18.7. He was named the Ken Roth MVP of the Lutheran Invitational Tournament.

The Middle School Lutheran State Basketball Tournament will take place Friday to Sunday. Sauers will play the winner of Wyneken (Decatur) and Our Shepherd (Avon) at 9:15 a.m. Saturday in Fort Wayne.