The McFarland High School boys' basketball team lost a close game against Elkhorn 49-46 after leading late in the fourth quarter. The Spartans trailed by 12 early in the fourth but went on a 14-0 run to take a brief 44-42 lead with 1:15 left. However, Elkhorn regained the lead and made some late free throws to secure the victory. It was McFarland's second straight loss, dropping their record to 6-3. Their next game is on the road against Whitewater.

1. Boys’ basketball loses after frantic end
Mike Klawitter/Thistle correspondent | Posted: Thursday, January 8, 2015 4:15 pm
What looked like a magical comeback for the McFarland High School boys’ basketball team had a
heartbreaking ending last Saturday in a home game against Elkhorn.
The Spartans trailed by 12 points early in the fourth quarter, recovered to take the lead – then saw it slip
away in the final seconds as the Elks prevailed 49-46. It was McFarland’s second loss in a row after a 52-
47 non-conference setback last week at Monona Grove to drop the team’s record to 6-3.
Elkhorn led 42-30 with 6:45 left in regulation before the Spartans began its rally. A circus lay-up by
Charlie Moore and two free throws each by Benjamin Rounds, Sean Chislom and Michael Medenblik cut
the lead to four with 2:50 remaining as Elkhorn missed a number of shots and committed some key
turnovers. McFarland tacked on six more points off layups by Chad Herbst, Chislom and Rounds to
finally overtake the Elks 44-42 with 1:15 left in the game.
But Elkhorn regained the lead 30 seconds later when Aaron Wales, who led all scorers with 24, sank a
three-point basket to end McFarland’s 14-0 run. On the Spartans’ next possession, Rounds drove to the
hoop but was whistled with an offensive foul, giving the ball back to Elkhorn.
Four free throws by the Elks and a lay-up by Rounds made it 49-46 with 8.7 seconds remaining. On
McFarland’s final possession, Chislom missed on two attempts from the three-point line as time ran out.
Herbst led McFarland with 14 points, eight of them in the first quarter when the Spartans held a 13-8
lead. Yet the Elks outscored McFarland 31-15 over the next two quarters to build a 39-28 cushion.
Rounds had 11 points and Chislom contributed eight.
Against Monona Grove, the Spartan offense got off to a slow start as the Silver Eagles led 18-4 after the
first quarter and 24-13 at the half. McFarland fought back to reduce the lead to four, but couldn’t get any
closer.
Chislom led the Spartans with 16 points, Herbst had nine, and Rounds and Zach Witt each had eight.
McFarland had a rough night at the free throw line, hitting just seven of 18 shots.
The Spartans are on the road Friday night at Whitewater.
Their next home game is Tuesday, Jan. 20 against Palmyra Eagle with tip-off scheduled for 7:15 p.m.