Edmunds County Tribune -

The Ipswich boys' basketball varsity dropped a highly-contested 57-55 Lake Region Conference verdict to Leola/Frederick on Senior Night Friday, Feb. 28 in the Tiger Den.

That closed out their regular-season schedule at 11-9 and would send them to Potter County to visit the Battlers in a Region 2B 4 vs. 5 seed showdown, hosted by the higher seed in Gettysburg on Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. The results weren't available as of our newspaper deadline, but that advancer will play in one of the two 7 p.m. Region 2B bracket championships on Friday, March 6 at the home of the higher seed. Both the bracket championship survivors will earn a spot in the SoDak 16 scheduled for March 10 around the state, which will determine the eight entrants to this year's State B in Aberdeen on March 19-21.

Ipswich had the opportunity for a final possession against the Titans, but their D defended it well resulting in a Tiger miss at the buzzer. How it got to that juncture of the contest was that Ipswich's Josh McQuarie had connected on a trey attempt that knotted the game at 53 with the shot clock winding down. But the visitors countered with a quick basket of their own, only to foul the Tigers' Ty Kadlec and he calmly sank both free throws to even the game at 55 apiece. But the Titans got a huge offensive rebound put-back for what would prove to be the game-winner.

Ipswich had trailed 21-17 after a quarter and by only three points, 36-33 at intermission. And the Tigers put together a productive third quarter for a 45-42 edge with a quarter to play. But the visitors rallied down the stretch to salvage their victory.

The game was that close. The Titans' largest lead was by eight points very early in the game and Ipswich's biggest lead was by seven points at one juncture of the third quarter. The lead changed hands nine different occasions.

Ipswich was led in scoring by McQuarie with 21 points that included a trio of treys. And that was game-high as well, by the way. Next was Will Kadlec with 12 points that included a lone trey and Ty Kadlec finished with 10 points, featuring a pair of three-balls. Jordan Richardt tallied eight points, including two treys as well. But only one other Tiger scored –Ethan Gilbert with four points.

Leola/Frederick landed seven players into its scorebook, paced by Isaac Sumption with 14 points, followed by Spencer Hoffman with 12 points and Josh Hoffman with 11 points. That team shot 21-55 from the floor including eight treys and was 7-15 in free throw tries. Ipswich countered with a 19-45 floor-shooting evening including those eight treys of its own and ended up 9-16 in free throw opportunities.

Leola/Frederick and Ipswich both totaled 34 rebounds. The Tigers were led by Ty Kadlec with six retrieves. Ipswich sustained 13 turnovers; L-F, 10. The Tigers came away with five steals, led by Ty Kadlec's three.