Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Baldwin’s Cooper Carr scores 19 points as the Bulldogs hold off Eudora late in a boys basketball game on Jan. 9 at Baldwin Junior High School. This is a photo of Carr from the team’s game against Coffeyville Field Kindley on Jan. 3.
BALDWIN CITY — Cooper Carr’s dazzling all-around performance propelled the Baldwin Bulldogs to a 59-56 victory over archrival Eudora Cardinals Friday night.
Carr, who recently committed to Northwest Missouri State, poured in 17 of his team-high 19 points over the final 16 minutes of regulation, including a knifing lay-in with 22 seconds remaining to put the Bulldogs in front for good.
“The rivalry against Eudora has been a hard-fought battle my whole career,” Carr said. “So we knew coming in that it was going to be a dog fight and that we had to play hard for all 32 minutes.”
Carr added that the victory should boost the team’s confidence moving forward.
“We love playing against tough competition and are never going to shy away from the moment,” Carr said. “And to get to where we want to be at the end of the season, we’re going to have to win games against teams like that.”
The final play was designed for senior forward Leo Schoenberger as the primary scoring option.
“Eudora played it well, but we always have two options for everything we do,” Carr said. “We knew that if the play for Leo wasn’t there, I was going to put my head down and go try to get a bucket — and that’s exactly what I did.”
As good as Carr was, Cardinals’ backcourt duo Sy Thomas and Cash Schneider were equally impressive as they carried the offensive load throughout the evening.
But with time ticking down, and in need of a game-tying 3-pointer, Thomas nearly turned the ball over near halfcourt. He then regrouped and launched a cross-court pass over the outstretched arms of Schneider and into the bleachers, sealing the Cardinals’ fate.
After opening their season with consecutive losses, the Bulldogs have since reeled off seven consecutive victories. The heartbreaking Frontier League loss, meanwhile, moves Eudora to 3-5 overall
Trailing 47-40, the Cardinals opened the final frame on a quick 5-0 run — capped by a Schneider triple from the right wing. Nursing a 49-47 lead, Schoenberger converted a bucket from under the rim while absorbing hard contact, but was off-target on the free throw.
The seesaw battle continued as the teams exchanged buckets over the final two minutes, including another Schneider 3-pointer. Senior guard Julian Oatis converted a key bucket with 1:20 remaining, knotting it at 56.
Back in possession and with time winding down, Carr bulldozed into the lane and misfired on a hotly contested shot, but was able to corral the rebound and score on the putback while also drawing contact. Carr converted the traditional 3-point play to put the Bulldogs up 59-56 — followed by the final turnover on the other end.
Eudora led 14-11 at the conclusion of the opening frame, and after falling behind in the second quarter, regained a 28-27 lead via Thomas’ 3-pointer just before the halftime horn.
Baldwin head coach Donald Blanchat said that his squad was “stagnant” offensively in the first half.
“Nobody was moving,” he said, “It was just one-on-one matchups.”
But that would quickly change in the second half.
After being held to just two points in the first half, Carr detonated in the third quarter as the Bulldogs opened the frame on a 14-1 blitz to go on top 41-29. The extended run included back-to-back triples from Ethan Smasal and Colton Collum, and was capped by a Carr basket from close range.
Carr poured in 12 points in the third quarter but also picked up his third foul with 5:33 showing on the clock. Faced with a critical decision, Blanchat chose to only briefly sit the star guard, and the decision paid dividends.
Carr was unsurprised as he said Blanchat trusted him not to pick up his fourth foul.
“He knows I can be smart when I do get into foul trouble,” Carr said.
Trailing by 12, Eudora responded with a 6-0 spurt punctuated by Thomas’ no-look pass to Keelyn Duncan for the fastbreak layup. Late in the third quarter, freshman Hunter Hurtig’s traditional 3-point play cut Baldwin’s advantage to 43-38.
After a Baldwin turnover, Carr prevented the Cardinals from further slicing into the deficit with a highlight reel swat of Thomas at the rim. He said the perfectly-timed block was a product of having squared off against Thomas many times during his high school career. On the play, Thomas darted into the lane while deploying a Euro step.
“It’s his favorite move,” Carr said. “It’s a great move, but I saw it coming.”
Blanchat added that he made a key defensive adjustment in the second half, matching up the 6-foot-5 Schoenberger on Thomas because of his length. The move seemed to be successful as Thomas was held to eight points after scorching the net for 14 of his game-high 22 points in the first half.
Carr concluded the contest with a team-high 19 points, as the sparkling all-around effort also included five rebounds, three steals, and a block. Schoenberger chipped in 14 points, Collum nine, and Jackson Wheeler, eight.
In addition to Thomas’ offensive outburst — Schneider added 14 points, and Oatis 13 for Eudora.
Baldwin (7-2) resumes league play Tuesday with a home contest against Ottawa. Eudora returns to the hardwood Jan. 16, hosting Bonner Springs in another Frontier League matchup.
