Zach Chastain (white) led Crane to their third place finish at Mizzou Arena
It took six quarters of action in the Show Me Showdown, but Crane senior Zach Chastain finally heated up in the third quarter to lead the Pirates to a 63-40 victory over the Canton Tigers in the Boys Class 2 third place game at Mizzou Arena.
Both team struggled getting started with the early morning tip. It took 2:45 before the first basket, but then Crane went on a 9-0 run. A three pointer by Canton with 2:45 left in the first quarter go them on the board. Crane led 14-6 after the first quarter.
Sam Sowell, the Pirates second leading rebounder, picked up his third foul early in the 2nd quarter. Canton went on 6-0 run to cut the lead to the two, but Dalton Hayes hit a three-pointer to put Crane back up by five at 17-12 with 4:15 to play. The Pirates finished on a 9-2 run to take a 23-14 lead at the break.
Both teams dealt with tired legs. Crane shot just 30% from the floor and Canton only 26% in the first 16 minutes.
Crane’s leading scorer Zach Chastain, who was held to just 13 points on 6 of 20 shooting in the semifinal game, sparked the Pirates in the 2nd half scoring 11 points in the third quarter as the lead extended to over 12 over the Tigers at 43-32 after the third.
Chastain led all scorers with 23 points.
Crane finishes the season 29-3, while Canton ends their year 26-6.
