ELWOOD Easterns boys basketball team kept it a close game, but the Comets couldnt get over the hump as Elwood defeated Eastern 52-45 here Friday.

Jared Bourff and Dakin Updegraff formed a tough 1-2 punch for Elwood (8-8). Bourff had 24 points and Updegraff had 23.

Throughout the whole contest, we felt that we were two defensive stops from being in the lead, Eastern coach Mike Springer said. It seemed like every time we needed a stop, we just couldnt get it done. Give them credit, they had a good inside-outside game with Bourff and Updegraff. In the first half, they really cost us some trouble. The second half was Bourff on the block. He is a good player down there.

Two stops is what we needed, but we just couldnt come up with them. The kids played hard and they are working together. They trying to do things that I am asking to do.

The first quarter fetured seven lead changes. The Comets last lead was at the 1:49 left in the quarter where Noah Cope hit a jumper for a 15-13 lead. Updegraff then hit two 3-pointers to give the Panthers a 19-15 lead at the break.

The Comets stayed on the Panthers tails as Elwoods biggest lead over the first three quarters was eight points with 3:15 left in the third (35-27).

In the third quarter, Eastern couldnt stop Bourff has he scored 10 of Elwoods 12 points, but the Comets kept it close as Jacob Kinder hit two 3-pointers to cut the deficit to five 38-33 at the close of the quarter.

The fourth quarter was a little different for the Comet clan. Elwood slowly built up its lead to nine (48-39) with 1:09 left in the game. Eastern came back again on a 3-pointer by Chandler Buck and a three-point play by Braden Evans to cut the lead to four (49-45). Elwood responded with a three free throws for the final 52-45.

Every time we wanted to get a rhythm, they would change defenses on us, Springer added. Elwood ran a triangle and two and a box and one, and those are defenses that you dont see very often. Those little things that just didnt come up for us [Friday].

Kinder led Eastern (2-9) with 11 points. Cope added nine, and Tristen Moyers and Chandler Buck had eight points apiece.

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Comets unable to catch Elwood