COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo (KOAA) — In a game with ten lead changes, Lewis Palmer (6-5) was able to pull away from No. 8 Air Academy (8-3) late in the fourth quarter for a 56-48 win on the road.
The Rangers were led by Jonas Miller with 22 points, while Brody Winnett (12) and Kaden Mai (13) combined for 25 points in the effort for Air Academy.
Winnett scored the first 5 points for the Kadets as he got them rolling into a 9-4 lead. But by the end of the quarter, Lewis Palmer trailed by just two with the score being 11-9.
The Rangers started the second quarter with an 11-0 run, sparked by a made jumper from Bryce Lowe. Miller then ran off 6 points of his own with an and-one layup and a three-pointer. Ethan Edgin capped off the run with another Ranger’s triple, making it 20-11.
Air Academy quickly began to storm back.
Cooper Markley hit two shots from beyond the arc in the span of three possessions, cutting the deficit down to 24-21. With a minute to play in the half, Winnett added another one from distance to even the ball game at 26, leaving it tied there going into the half.
The third quarter was as tight as they come. Both teams were trading baskets, resulting in 8 of the game's 10 lead changes coming within this span. Levi Wyman and Jack Breeding carried the load for the Kadets, combining for 11 of the team’s 15 points in the quarter.
Lewis Palmer got hot from outside in the third quarter, with all 15 of their points coming from distance. Devin VanderMeer hit two from beyond the arc while Nolan VanderMeer, Jonas Miller, and Lincoln Meschuk all added one each. The game was deadlocked at 41 heading into the final frame.
Rangers stayed hot as Ian Mindrup got the quarter started with another three-pointer.
Matching that on the other end was Kaden Mai as he lost his defender and knocked down a triple to even the score at 44. Shortly after, Mindrup came back with another one from deep and gave LP a lead they would never give back to Air Academy. Miller followed up with a backdoor layup and two free throws to give Lewis Palmer a 51-44 lead.
The Kadets were able to get back within 3 after a short jumper from Mai and a steal by Noah Molascon, leading to a fast break layup for Wyman. But with only a minute to go, Air Academy ran out of time as Lewis Palmer put the game away at the free-throw line.
The two teams will meet for a second time this season on February 4 at Lewis Palmer.
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