To say Garrett Kesterson and Ben Weinreis both know how to get buckets is akin to saying dogs know how to bark.
Some things just come natural.
While the duo certainly provided some offensive fireworks Tuesday night in a 69-59 thriller, it was a fourth-quarter defensive swarm from Fair Grove that finally allowed the Eagles to regain, stretch and hold onto the lead over Mid-Lakes Conference rival Ash Grove.
Down by as many as five in the first half, Fair Grove quickly found itself in an offensive shootout with the Pirates.
Fair Grove head coach Tim Brown was quick to point out the Pirates' execution and overall intensity throughout the game. Brown also lamented his own squad for failing to match that intensity, for the most part, beyond a fourth-quarter burst that finally saw the Eagles' transition attack take control of the contest.
"Luckily, we did that for a few possessions tonight," Brown said. "That was our plan coming out to start the game, but when you don't try, you can't play that way. Give their coach and their players a lot of credit, because they came into our environment and played a lot harder than us … they were just whipping us."
Kesterson led the way with a game-high 28 points for Fair Grove, including six 3-pointers.
Brown credited Kesterson's point total as a result of his team's unselfish nature.
"Our players do a really good job of finding him," Brown said. "They do a good job of finding him in transition, they do a good job finding him off offensive rebounds and he does a good job at getting his feet set. He's always been a good shooter, and I think he's the best shooter in Southwest Missouri with his feet set."
While Kesterson's outside game was on full display, Weinreis and Ash Grove took a different approach.
Weinreis finished with a team-high 25 points for the Pirates, repeatedly attacking the rim with aggressive, bullying drives through the paint. Working primarily from the elbows, the Ash Grove senior was able to find and exploit holes in the Eagle defense.
An 8-0 run from Weinreis in the second quarter helped push the Ash Grove lead to five; however, Kesterson would answer late with a 7-2 run of his own to tie the game at the half, 26-26.
Kesterson talked about his team's approach concerning Weinreis and the importance of dictating the pace.
"We knew we had to shut him down in order to shut them down," Kesterson said. "We just tried to speed up the tempo then, because we're a running team. We figured if we could shut them down and play defense for longer than what they wanted to, we would come out with a win."
Fair Grove's 28-point outburst in the fourth quarter helped stretch the lead to as many as 15, thanks to its full-court defensive pressure. Late turnovers from the Pirates helped spark the Fair Grove transition game. An 11-2 run midway through the quarter gave the Eagles enough breathing room to hold off the Ash Grove rally and seal the victory.
Kesterson was one of three Eagles to reach double figures. Evan Fullerton scored 17, and Kyle Cavanaugh added 10.
For Ash Grove and head coach Josh Reece, Tuesday's game was a missed opportunity to claim a signature win over an area heavyweight.
"We're just playing good basketball right now; good team basketball," Reece said. "When they decide to play, they can play with anybody. We kept getting good looks, and when they didn't fall for us, we were giving them second opportunities and put-backs. That's what killed us down the stretch, and it's hard to win games that way."
Fair Grove travels to Springfield Catholic on Friday, while Ash Grove (6-10) hosts Skyline the following Tuesday.
Fair Grove – 69, Ash Grove – 59
Fair Grove 17 9 15 28 — 69
Ash Grove 12 14 13 20 — 59
Fair Grove Scoring: Garrett Kesterson – 28, Evan Fullerton – 17, Kyle Cavanaugh – 10, Dalton Cloyd – 8, Mason Kesterson – 6
Ash Grove Scoring: Ben Weinreis – 25, Braden Trammell – 11, Paul Chavez – 9, Kalen Holt – 9, Jackson Bagley – 3, Spencer Eagleburger – 2
JV Score: Fair Grove – 78, Ash Grove – 55
