"We're out for a little bit of revenge," promised guard Aaron Patton before the game. "We need to get out and get them for what happened last night." The General and the rest of the team made good on that promise, picking up the intensity as the game progressed and responding every time the Rockets made a run.
The Bluejays struggled early as they were chucking up quick shots instead of running the offense and West Nodaway took an early lead as Brent Barnett hit a 3-pointer to make it 5-2. The referees were making it harder on them by calling a three seconds call on Northeast, but letting Rocket players camp out in the lane with no calls. Colby Wiederholt got the Bluejays untracked with a shot in the paint and then Kevin Stoll found Bryce Farnan on the left baseline; Aaron Patton got a steal and drive to make it 8-5 with 3:48 left. Bryce Farnan, who was doing too much leaning on people, picked up his second foul, but Kevin Stoll's free throws and a Colby Wiederholt steal off the half court trap that led to an Aaron Patton layup made it 12-7. But with Farnan out, Heath Harris began sealing inside at will, hitting some free throws to cut it to 12-10 after one.
Farnan came back in at the start of the second and West Nodaway chucked up an ill-advised 3-pointer that led to a Wiederholt coast to coast layup on the other end. Farnan got a putback and then leaned over a Rocket player, reached well over his back, got another putback, and somehow did not pick up his third foul as Northeast led 18-10 at the 6:30 mark. Harris got a putback and Barnett hit another 3-pointer to make it 18-15, but West Nodaway could not catch Northeast as Farnan hit a pair of free throws and then got a steal and hit another pair of free throws. West Nodaway closed to within 26-23 behind a fast break from Harris with 19 seconds, but then Farnan got a third chance putback and drew the foul. He missed the ensuing free throw, but then Colby Wiederholt grabbed the putback and put it back in as Northeast was really starting to take control of the offensive glass at that point.
Farnan continued to dominate the offensive glass, getting another pair of free throws and then connecting from the left baseline to make it 34-23 with 7:15 left. But then he picked up his third foul and West Nodaway fought back in his absence to come to within two. Heath Harris hit a pair of free throws, Northeast had a defensive lapse similar to last game when nobody was back on defense and Kolby Marriott was alone for a layup, and Landon Wood slipped behind the defense and got a backdoor layup. Colby Wiederholt got a putback to make it 36-29, but Brandon Whittington hit a 3-pointer to counter. Farnan came back in, but Heath Harris stepped around him to make it a two-point game.
West Nodaway got a stop on the other end and threw it into Harris again, hoping for a similar result and a tie, but Kevin Stoll helped perfectly on the play and knocked the ball out of Harris' hands to Aaron Patton, whose layup swung the momentum back to Northeast. The Bluejays got another stop and then Bryce Farnan threw a long outlet to Colby Wiederholt for a layup. Wiederholt then stripped the post and on the ensuing possession, Clayton Judd was left unguarded and hit a long outside shot to make it 42-34. Judd, who had been benched and chewed out by Coach Madden in the first half, turned around and played some of his best ball of the year in the second half. Kevin Stoll, who had been missing 3-pointers all year, all of a sudden hit one from the top of the key and then Farnan hit from inside. Colby Wiederholt beat the defense down the floor and turned it into a free throw and then Patton got a driving layup with five seconds left to make it 50-34 after three.
Farnan threw another long outlet pass to Colby Wiederholt for a layup to make it 52-34, but then West Nodaway put on a press and Northeast started panicking against it, throwing it away and giving the Rockets a chance to make a game of it. Heath Harris hit a free throw after Farnan's 4th foul and missed the second, but Marriott was there for the board; Landon Wood hit from the high post following a steal off the press to make it 52-39 . But then Clayton Judd showed himself to be the steady hand that Coach Madden wanted all year as he beat the press, went to the basket, and turned it into two free throws.
The Bluejays continued to struggle, only managing a free throw over the next few minutes as they started rushing shots again; Landon Wood hit a couple of free throws and got a putback and Heath Harris scored from inside as West Nodaway came to within 55-45 with 3:31 left. But then Clayton Judd was there again for the Bluejays, crashing the boards and getting a putback; Bryce Farnan followed with his automatic jumper from the left baseline to make it 59-45. Brandon Whittington's free throws cut it to 12, and then a mixup ended well for Northeast. Bryce Farnan told Kevin Stoll to "pull up"; Stoll, thinking Farnan had told him to "put it up," threw a desperation heave from three quarters court that hit off the backboard. But Stoll showed his trademark hustle by tearing down the court, grabbing the ensuing carom, and hitting the wide open Colby Wiederholt for a layup; following a stop on defense, Northeast ran the clock from just under a minute left to 9 seconds before Bryce Farnan hit a free throw for the final score.
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