Taking down the top-ranked team in Class 4A, the Chanute Blue Comets boys upset No. 1 Baldwin, 67-58, on Tuesday night.
“It’s a huge game. Anytime you get to play the No. 1 team on your home court, it’s exciting,” Chanute head coach Devon Crabtree said. “It’s rare. It doesn’t happen very often. So the chance to compete was a lot of fun. The crowd showed up. It was a great atmosphere. The guys executed and did a great job.”
Leading wire-to-wire, the Blue Comets’ defense wreaked havoc on Baldwin.
“Defensively, we were really good,” Crabtree said. “We were switching ball screens and our guys did a great job of keeping guys in front. We were really, really good on that side. We limited second chances and rebounded well enough to take away those opportunities. And our bench guys gave us huge minutes when we had some foul trouble.”
Warrick Olson led Chanute with 21 points, 15 coming on five 3-pointers.
“He’s put a lot of time in the gym to earn those shots,” Crabtree said. “His teammates did a great job of executing to get him the ball where we needed him to get good looks. He’s a shot-maker. He’ll take some shots some people might question, but he’s earned those.”
Baldwin was without the services of Cooper Carr, widely regarded as one of the top players in the state, due to injury. Carr warmed up during halftime of the girls game, but didn’t dress.
“It affected the game, for sure,” Crabtree said. “He’s one of the best players in the state, if not the best, right now. It definitely made a difference. He can really defend and really find ways to score it. Our mindset didn’t change and without him, Baldwin is still a good team. But it still made a difference.”
Chanute’s offense was hot from outside, connecting on 11 treys. Outside shooting is a welcome part of the Blue Comets identity on offense.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that can shoot it,” Crabtree said. “We’ve got a few more that can fill it up from three that haven’t got going yet. We like shooting. It gives you opportunities for second chances with long rebounds, and we’re good at chasing those downs. We’re going to stick to that.”
Kobe Patterson scored 13 points for Chanute while Jalen Duncan added a dozen and Lawrence Chaney 10.
Baldwin’s Leo Schoenberger dropped a game-high 29 points in Carr’s absence.
“He can score from three levels and he’s tough to guard,” Crabtree said. “For his size, he’s gifted at getting to the paint and finishing. He’s great at getting in passing lanes. He was a tough guard, for sure.”
The win improved Chanute’s record to 2-1 overall.
Up next
Chanute hosts Arkansas City on Friday.
“After this win, it’s hard to not like where we’re at,” Crabtree said. “You feel pretty good about it. The important part of the Winfield loss was there was a lot to learn from. Our kids saw that and helped themselves by focusing on points of emphasis. Now, we’ve got a couple of tough games ahead of us. We’ll have to continue to do what we’re doing.”
