Four Hounds in double figures in Friday win

WASHINGTON, Ia. – The Fort Madison Bloodhound boys basketball team snapped a two-game losing streak including a heartbreaking loss to Southeast rival Keokuk on Wednesday night, with a 54-49 win over host Washington Friday night.
The Hounds had four players in double figures led by Hunter Cresswell with 16. Dayton Lamar and Carson Rashid each had 11 points in the win. Senior Leif Boeding added 10, all in the second half.
It was a nip-and-tuck game the whole way with the largest lead being just six points by Fort Madison with about a minute left in the third quarter. At five minutes left in the game, Washington cut the lead to just two points at 43-41 and then would tie the score with three minutes left at 47.
But the Bloodhounds went on a 7-2 run in the final two minutes highlighted by a Boeding 3-ball. Boeding had seven in the final period to help shore up the Southeast Conference win.
Washington’s Logan McDole had 11 to lead the Demons. Drew Conrad and Roman Roth each had 10 in the loss.
The Demons fall to 4-5 in conference play and 6-10 overall. Fort Madison is still one game back of conference front runners Keokuk and Mt. Pleasant who are knotted up at 7-2 at the top.
Keokuk got a big win over Mt. Pleasant Friday in a game head coach Zach Summers said one was of the best outings the Chiefs have given in his tenure. Keokuk downed Mt. Pleasant 57-38 at home with Jaxson Clark leading the way with 18 points.
“In my 16 years as an assistant coach and as a head coach tonight was the best defensive effort I have been a part of and coaching with the guys I was able to learn from that says alot about our effort tonight. Chase Eckland and Drew Campbell held one of the best players in 3A to 10 pts (37 pts the first time we played),” Summers said.
The win sets up a big night against Fort Madison in the Hound Dome where a win could give Keokuk its first conference championship in nine years.
The Hounds travel to Kahoka to take on Clark County Monday night, before the Keokuk clash on Friday night. They then host Muscatine Saturday afternoon and travel to Ottumwa on Tuesday to wrap up the regular season.