BY ADAM COULTER
Salina Post Contributor
Sacred Heart took on Sterling on Saturday afternoon in the consolation game of the 2A boys state tournament. After trailing for much of the first half and a back-and-forth third quarter, the Knights reclaimed the lead in the final period for good and held on for a 58-51 win to take third place.
In a game that saw the score tied eight times and the lead change hands on 11 occasions, Blake Smith came off the bench for the Black Bears to score six first-quarter points as Sterling led 15-13 after the opening eight minutes of the game.
Each team only managed seven points apiece in the second quarter as the Knights remained down by two with the score 22-20 at halftime. Max Ehrlich led the Knights with eight first-half points, but his best was yet to come.
By the end of the third quarter, seven Sacred Heart players had scored, including all five starters. Still, the Knights trailed by two points at the end of every quarter to that point.
Heading into the fourth quarter looking up at a 39-37 deficit, Ehrlich hit 13 free throws to lead the Knights to the 58-51 win. The senior finished with 23 points. Evan Bogart added 13 while Michael Matteucci scored eight points.
The Knights outscored the Black Bears 20-3 from the free throw line in the game and went 19-for-21 in the second half for a 90.5% average.
Sacred Heart finishes its season with a 22-4 record as seven seniors for the Knights played their final game winning with the third place trophy.