The Ell-Saline Cardinals had their best three-point shooting night of the season on Tuesday, but a staunch Wichita-Classical team would be too much to handle, defeating Ell-Saline 68-52 on day two of the Moundridge 6-Team Tournament.

The Cardinals would hit four threes in the opening period, staying with the #8-ranked team in 1A-I, but in the second quarter, the Saints would flex their muscles defensively, allowing just three points from the Cardinals.

Classical played a tough 1-3-1 zone defense for much of the contest, limiting Ell-Saline’s ability to penetrate the paint and get open looks inside, but again their outside shooting would keep them alive. In the third quarter, the Cardinals would close the gap to as little as seven points, but that would be as close as they would get.

Classical would outscore the Cardinals 22-15 in the final period and hold off a comeback attempt, winning by 16 in the end.

Classical would be led in scoring by Carter Sinclair, who scored 28 points in the win. Jordy Dolloff would tally 16 points for the Saints, all of them in the second half, and Brett Buckingham tallied 13 for Classical as well.

Ell-Saline got the majority of its scoring from a red-hot Marshall Johnson, who hit eight three pointers and scored 29 of the Cardinals’ 52 points. Brogan Rowley and Garrison Zerger each scored nine points for Ell-Saline. Kade Wilson scored three and Joe Heichel scored two to round out Ell-Saline’s scoring.

In all, the Cardinals would make 14 three pointers, but would make just one non-three point shot, which did not come until midway through the fourth quarter.

Ell-Saline’s boys will play Friday at 4:3o PM on FM 104.9 for the final game of the Moundridge Tournament. Their opponent is to be determined.

Ell-Saline: 14 – 3 – 20 – 15 / 52

Classical: 17 – 15 – 14 – 22 / 68