Blues edge Mavericks, advance to Zone IV final

It wasn't pretty, but the MCI Blues varsity basketball team earned a trip to the Zone IV finals on Tuesday night with a 69-67 overtime win over Morris.

It was the fifth time the teams met this season, with MCI winning the previous four matchups by an average of over 13 points.

The Morris Mavericks strong play early served as a stark reminder to the host Blues that the regular season means little when it comes to one-game playoffs. The Mavericks dominated the post in the opening 10 minutes, which gave them an early six point lead.

A strong full court press helped the Blues swing the momentum as the game nearned the half. The press helped MCI translate repeated Morris turnovers into easy points, which gave the Blues a 34-27 lead after two quarters.

Standout play from Morris' Daniel Jackman (25 points) in the paint helped Morris mount a second half comeback. The game swung back and forth throughout the fourth quarter, with the teams ending the game deadlocked at 60-60.

The close play continued in overtime, but MCI received a late basket from Shawn Franz that made the difference for the Blues.

Kieran Enns (19 points) and Nolan Kehler (17 points) led the Blues offensively. Shawn Franz led the Blues defensively and on the glass, collecting 15 rebounds to go with his 13 points.

MCI plays Carman in Game 1 of the Zone IV final on Thursday at 7:30PM in Carman. Game 2 will be played at MCI at 6:00p.m. on Tuesday, March 2.