Just short overcoming a five-point halftime deficit, the C boys fell to host Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 45-42 on Tuesday.
With seven seconds left, the Clippers had a chance to tie, but the Knights deflected their three-point attempt to seal the win.
They end their season with a 14-7 record. Their five losses over the last eight games were all against competitive non-conference teams and all on the road.
Miles Tomaszewski put in the first two baskets for the Clippers, but they went on a dry spell after that, and the Knights took a 16-4 lead.
A Luke Heldberg basket put the Clippers back on track, and, using a balanced offense, they outscored the Knights 12-7 up to the break for a 23-18 halftime score.
Pounding the ball inside, the Knights scored the first six points of the second half. But Carsyn Ryg (above) went to work with a pair of layups, the second after a Heldberg handoff, and with a Wyatt Krenik triple, they trimmed their shortage to seven.
After Krenik floated in a bucket, Kiptyn Coon ran in a layup and put in a pair of foul shots, and Heldberg dropped in a turnaround jumper, the Clippers were within three, 36-33, but the Knights responded with a three.
Later, Ryg and Heldberg scored, and the Clippers were within three, 42-39 with a minute and a half left. From there, Coon put in a free shot, and Heldberg sunk two free shots, but adding a two-point basket and a free throw, the Knights kept up before the Clippers’ last chance for a tie.
With two baskets in the first half and three in the second, Ryg led the effort with 10 points. Krenik had a basket in the first half and a three, a two and a freebie in the second for eight points. With a basket and five free throws, Coon had seven points. Only playing in the first half, Tomaszewski had four points. Up from the eighth-grade team, Jake Mueller made a first-half basket. Also eighth graders, Jack Mons made two free shots in the first half while Tony Hollerich made one free throw.
The Clippers could have won the game from the foul line but were 11 of 20 there. They put in one three. The Knights put in four triples and half of their 10 free throws.
