BASKETBALL: Spartans fight off Falcons at 1A Regional
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Elverado hung around for all thirty-two minutes, but just couldn't get over the hump against the Waltonville Spartans. The Falcons never led in the game, but kept the game well within reach all night, falling short 54-46 at the Steeleville Class 1A Boys' Basketball Regional on Tuesday.
The Spartans threatened to pull away early at 19-12, but back-to-back three-pointers from Bryce Mathis sliced the lead down to a single point with 4:26 to go in the first half.
Waltonville came out strong in the second half and led 38-28 heading to the fourth quarter, but the Falcons closed to within six on two occasions before the Spartans made free throws to seal the victory.
Elverado's Casey Hicks led the Falcons with 13 points, Mathis added 11 (9 on three-pointers), Andrew Jeschke 8, Kyle Whittington 6, Wade Bowlin 4 and Dalton Porter and Kody Boyd 2. Jordan Hale led Waltonville with 20 points.
The Spartans advance into the Regional semi-finals on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. where they will meet top-seeded Sesser-Valier for the right to play in Friday's Championship.
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