Bombers end Hilltoppers season
73-62
 [February 27, 2025]
The Argenta-Oreana Bombers beat the Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers
73-62 on Wednesday night in the semifinal round of the 2025 Class 1A
Boys Basketball Regionals.
The Hilltoppers season-ending loss came on their home court.
Mount Pulaski took an 8-1 lead early in the game but once the
Bombers caught fire they put points up on the board quickly and took
over the lead. As the first quarter was about to end, Aaron Kuznik
sank a three to give Mount Pulaski the edge, 20-18 the score.
Kuznik started the second quarter with a three to extend the lead to
23-18. Then it was Luke Martin with a three to stretch it to 26-18.
Mount Pulaski held the lead for most of the second quarter, with
Argenta-Oreana storming back to take a 35-33 lead at the half.
Mount Pulaski battled back to tie the score 37-37 a minute into the
third quarter. Eric Cooper even gave Mount Pulaski the one-point
lead at the free throw line. A minute later, Kuznik’s three made the
score 41-37. The Bombers went on a 13-0 run next that flipped the
lead in their favor in a big way. The Hilltoppers kept battling and
got a couple huge threes from Cooper and Martin to make the score
52-49. Mount Pulaski got one more bucket in the third quarter from
Beau Tschantz, a big offensive rebound for the putback, and that set
the third quarter score at 54-51, Bombers favor.
The fourth quarter was just as fast and furious as the previous
three and the crowd noise in the gym continued to elevate. Mount
Pulaski found themselves trailing 59-51 at the 6:50 mark after the
Bombers banked in a three-pointer.
There was no quit in the Hilltoppers though. This team is tough as
nails.
Again they were within reach when Franklin Wade stepped to the free
throw line to shoot for the technical foul called on a Bombers
player. Wade made 1-of-2 shots to trim the lead to 63-61 with just
under four minutes left in the game. Mount Pulaski really could’ve
used a basket as they took possession of the ball after the free
throws. Instead the Bombers stole the ball and scored. And that’s
when the wheels began to fall off.
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Mount Pulaski missed every field goal opportunity
the rest of the game, only managing one free throw down the stretch.
The Bomber’s ended the game on a 10-1 run and while the final score
was a pretty large margin of victory, the game really was close for
three and a half exciting quarters.
Four Hilltoppers placed in double-figures: Eric
Cooper (19), Aaron Kuznik (12), Franklin Wade (11) and Luke Martin
(10).
These players, along with Beau Tschantz, are all juniors, so look
out next season!
The Hilltoppers end the 2024-25 season with a 16-16 record.
Argenta-Oreana advances to the regional championship on Friday night
to play Salt Fork at 7:00 p.m.
Mount Pulaski 62
Cooper 19
Kuznik 12
Wade 11
Martin 10
Tschantz 8
Kretzinger 2
Argenta-Oreana 73
Gude 21
Logue 18
Hall 10
Brummett 8
Flowers 7
Oros 6
Parks 3
[Teena Lowery]
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