CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
THORNDALE — Kaden Kovar hit a baseline lay-up with 4.3 seconds on the clock to give the Thorndale Bulldogs (23-3 overall, 6-0 District 27-2A) a 53-51 win over the Thrall Tigers (21-3, 4-2) Friday night.
“It was a great game, by two good teams,” said Thrall Coach Charles Tindol. “I think we played well enough to win, but just didn’t.”
The game was a battle from the onset. Thrall raced out to an 8-0 lead behind Ethan Dahl’s two jumpers in the lane and Dawson Meiske’s four points. Thorndale rallied behind Kovar, who scored seven of his game-high 19 points in the opening period. Thorndale grabbed a one-point lead with under a minute to play in the quarter, but Dahl finished off the first-quarter scoring with another short jumper that put the Tigers up 15-14 after one.
It was Thrall’s outside shooting that helped them keep the lead at the half. Payton Gilmore, Breken Proctor and Dahl each hit from behind the threepoint arch in the second quarter, and the Tigers outscored the Bulldogs 15-13 in the second and held a 30-27 lead at the half.
The teams continued to trade blows in the third period as the Tigers held a 43-39 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Proctor scored seven in the third for the Tigers, but Kale Meaders counted with seven for Thorndale.
The score went back and forth throughout the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs rode Kovar’s hot hand, and held the lead late until Meiske’s secondchance shot tied the score at 51 with less than a minute to play. Thorndale brought the ball down and got the ball in Kovar’s hands. Kovar drove left and down the baseline for the layup and the lead.
Thrall had one final shot. Bringing the ball in at midcourt, the Tigers set up quickly, and when Gilmore found himself open at the top left corner, it appeared the Tigers might be destined to knock off the Bulldogs. But, the ball bounced off the rim and into the waiting hands of a Bulldog defender as the final buzzer sounded.
While Kovar led all scorers with 19, the Tigers were led by Proctor, who finished the night with 17. Meiske added 12 points with 17 rebounds and Dahl finished with 11 points for the Tigers.
Despite the loss, Tindol was upbeat and optimistic about the Tigers’ future. “This was probably one of my favorite games to be a part of,” he said. “I’m looking forward to playing them, hopefully, two more times.”
