Hornets’ run finishes N. Boone

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POPLAR GROVE – After playing its fourth game of the season against North Boone in an IHSA Class 2A North Boone Regional on Tuesday, Harvard’s boys basketball team is looking forward to a new challenge.

The fourth-seeded Hornets used a 9-1 run to close out the third quarter and defeat the Vikings, 45-36, to split the season series, 2-2. Harvard (9-18) will face No. 1 seed Genoa-Kingston (16-7) in a semifinal at 6 p.m. today.

The Hornets were scheduled to face the Cogs in early December, but the game twice was postponed because of snow.

“We just didn’t want our season to end today,” said senior forward Chase Blazier, who scored a game-high 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. “They had already beaten us twice, and we didn’t want to lose a third.”

Leading, 21-9, at halftime, the Hornets came out cold and missed their first five shots to start the third quarter. After North Boone (5-19) grabbed a brief two-point lead within the first three minutes, Blazier tied it with an easy layup after a steal by guard Colin Carpenter.

Guard John MacKenzie (five points) gave Harvard a spark late in the third quarter, hitting a three from the left baseline with 1:15 left, and assisting Timmy Linhart (eight points) on a 16-foot jumper as time expired. The Hornets led, 30-24, after three.

“John [MacKenzie] came off the bench in the third and provided us with some big plays,” Hornets coach Will Benson said. “I was shuffling guys in and out trying to get someone to knock down a three and stretch out the defense, and he came in and shot it with confidence.”

The Vikings cut it to 36-33 with 1:51 left to play, but Harvard collected three offensive rebounds on its next possession, and Zach Fiegel put back the third to push the lead to five. North Boone was forced to foul.

Sophomore guard Collin Nolen (nine points) knocked down 7 of 8 free throws in the final 38.4 seconds to preserve the win.