Blackhawks' season comes to end in overtime thriller

If the Cheney High boys basketball team never sees Nick Drynan again, that will likely be too soon.

The 6-foot-1-inch West Valley senior point guard poured in 69 points in two games last week against the Blackhawks, leading the Eagles to a 76-57 win on Feb. 5 and a tight, 76-74 overtime victory on Feb. 8 in District 7 play that ended Cheney’s season.

Six straight points by Jackson Kaiser and a 3-pointer by Drynan propelled the Eagles to an early 9-2 lead in loser-out, opening round action at University High School Friday. Cheney battled back, however, going on a 8-0 run to take a 16-14 lead early in the second quarter on Jake Berman’s 3. Neither team managed more than a four-point lead from there, with a Drynan bucket putting West Valley up 35-31 at the intermission.

The Eagles once again stretched a lead to seven early in the third quarter, twice in fact, and again back came Cheney. A pair of free throws early in the fourth tied the score at 51, and it was tied twice more before West Valley managed a five-point margin at 60-55, and again at 62-57.

Kaiden Custer brought Cheney within one with a pair of free throws and a 3, and a Devin Cook layin and, after being fouled by Drynan, free throw that gave the Blackhawks the lead once again at 65-64.

Drynan’s 3 gave West Valley a 67-65 lead with 1:07 to play, but Cook’s drive to the hoop tied the score at 67 and the game eventually went to overtime.

Neither team found the hoop in the extra four minutes until a Drynan 2 with 1:46 to go. The Eagles eventually went up by four with 37 seconds, and despite pulling within two at 73-71 on Camden VerStrate’s runner with 18 seconds remaining, Cheney could get no closer, with Berman’s 3 at the buzzer establishing the final score.

Cook’s 23 points led Cheney, with VerStrate adding 18 and Berman 17. Drynan led all scorers with 39, with his teammate the 6-6 Kaiser the only other Eagle in double figures with 18.

Drynan scored 30 points earlier in the week in the regular-season finale for both teams in Cheney as West Valley built an early seven-point lead they would never relinquish. Custer led the Blackhawks in scoring with 20 points, with VerStrate adding 16 and Cook 11.

Cheney ends its season at 6-6 in Great Northern League action, fourth place in the league. The Blackhawks lost their final three games to finish the season at 11-10 overall.

Cheney loses five seniors to graduation: Cook, VerStrate, Nick and Jack Berman and Thomas Baycroft — accounting for much of their scoring punch this season. The Blackhawks should return four juniors and a pair of sophomores next season.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.