Mike McBride thought his Bobcats would turn the corner after the holiday break. After Saturday's win over No. 13 Liberty North, the BLHS coach certainly was correct.

The Bobcats outlasted Liberty North, 50-42, in the fourth game of the 810 Varsity Showcase, Session I on Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

"We're young and had some learning early this year, but felt we have come together and understand how to play as a team the last three weeks," said McBride, as BLHS has opened since the holidays with a 3-0 start.

The two teams were in a grind early, as Basehor built a 16-10 lead in the first quarter, but  Liberty North run knotted the score at the end of the first quarter. Both teams hit a four-minute scoreless drought before Basehor went on a 7-0 surge after consecutive Jacob Coleman three-pointers. Coleman netted a game-high 19 points.

But the Eagles closed the half with a bucket from Jalen Perry and a conventional three-point play to draw to 26-23 at intermission.

Liberty North opened the half with its own 7-0 run, after a Macaleb Hughes trifecta, a Tyson Cathy driving left hook and a Perry lay-in to lead 30-26. But after yet another three from Coleman, it was Connor Younger's turn for back-to-back three's for the Bobcats, his second from the right baseline to take a 35-32 lead. Younger finished with 10 for Basehor, which drained 10 three's in the contest.

Robbie Hanson pulled Liberty North to 35-34 after a shot on the block, but from there, Basehor didn't look back. A Tucker Johnson bomb on the baseline to open the fourth put BLHS up 40-35.

The Bobcats never scored from the floor, but didn't have to, as the Bobcats hit four free throws to get up 44-36, with 4:05 left. Hanson connected from the top of the key from long range to pull the Eagles to tosses from Kobe Sifford of Basehor. Hanson led Liberty North with 12.

Another Hanson three closed the gap to 46-42 with 1:32 remaining, but the Eagles didn't hit another shot while the Bobcats wrapped the game with four more free throw to seal the 50-42 win.