When you walk into a gym for a championship game, you hope for a good, competitive game.  The MSHSAA Class 3 District 14 Title game at historic Interscholastic League Fieldhouse did not disappoint.  Barstow and Hogan Prep stood toe-to-toe and delivered blows for 32 minutes.  It was a game that featured 11 lead changes and 9 ties before Barstow overcame the Rams, 71-64, to take the crown.

     The first quarter started as an all-out track meet as both teams traded buckets throughout the entire quarter where a Jacob Gilyard three with :04 left staked the Knights to a 20-18 lead after one.  The second started with a couple of Barstow buckets before Hogan answered with a 9-0 run with back to back 3’s.  Both teams traded buckets late in the half and Hogan Prep saw themselves up 32-30 at the break.

     Hogan did a solid job in the first half of frustrating and holding Shea Rush, and Jeriah Horne in check.  It was Barstow’s Gilyard who kept the Knights close with key drives and a couple big 3’s.  Hogan was much more balanced in the first half lead by 9 points from Jailen Jones. 

     The third quarter was like a heavyweight slugfest complete with dunks, a technical and two big runs by both squads.  Hogan came out and took it right at Barstow with a 7-0 run to put themselves up 39-30 and eventually lead 41-31.  A couple free throws and then a breakaway tomahawk dunk by Rush got Barstow within six and then it got a little chippy.  Hogan Prep’s Daron Davis was called for a technical and Barstow promptly had trimmed the lead to four.  The Rams regained their swagger though, and were able to push it back to 48-39. 

The Knights answered the bell with a 10-2 run to end the quarter tied at 52, again lead by  Gilyard, who netted 10 third-quarter points.

      The fourth quarter started with both teams trading buckets and ties until North Carolina bound Shea Rush took over, dominating the boards on both ends and making smooth moves inside on offense with six fourth-quarter points.  He lead an 8-0 run late in the fourth to put a tied game out of reach at 68-60. 

     In a district that boasted 80+ wins from its top four seeds, Barstow and Hogan Prep delivered one of those instant classics where everyone will say they were at 10 years from now.