Junior Jack Frazee goes up for a layup during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

Senior Reid Mitchell goes up for a layup during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

Junior Holden Edelman looks inside for a pass to junior Jack Frazee during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

Junior Jayton Meyer shoots from behind the arc during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

Senior Cole Menold drives inside during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

Junior Micah Lang looks for an open shot during the boys’ varsity game against Silver Lake on Friday, January 30.

A packed house, a top-five opponent and 40 minutes that still weren’t enough.

Sabetha boys’ basketball went toe-to-toe with Class 3A No. 4 Silver Lake on Friday, Jan. 30, pushing the Eagles to double overtime before falling 73-69 in a thriller that felt like postseason basketball in January.

The opening quarter was a grind, with both teams feeling each other out. Junior Micah Lang got Sabetha on the board first by cleaning up an offensive rebound and floating in a short putback. Senior Cole Menold attacked the baseline and kicked to junior Jayton Meyer, who swung it to Lang for a wide-open three against Silver Lake’s zone. Senior Charlie Lukert added a highlight with a sharp feed to a cutting Menold, but Silver Lake held a slim 9-7 edge after one.

The Bluejays flipped the script in the second quarter and started letting it fly. Menold drilled a three off a perfectly executed inbounds play, then repeatedly collapsed the zone with aggressive drives spraying kickouts to Lang for two triples and sophomore Kyson Wertenberger for three more, including one at the buzzer. Junior Jack Frazee added a bucket off a high-low look from Lang, and Menold capped the half at the line. Sabetha was rolling, taking a 31-24 lead into halftime.

“Our focus was first on the defensive side,” said senior Reid Mitchell. “Offensively, we just worked together as a team to get points on the board.”

Silver Lake answered like a ranked team should. The Eagles opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run and held Sabetha scoreless for nearly four minutes. Menold finally broke through with a strong drive, Mitchell finished through contact on the baseline, and Wertenberger went to work inside with a smooth post move and a pull-up fadeaway. Menold stayed in attack mode late, tying the game at 42-42 heading into the fourth.

The final quarter delivered nonstop energy. Wertenberger splashed another three, Frazee powered through contact for a bucket and then took a charge on the other end, and Menold kept pressuring the rim with drives and short pull-ups. Lang did a little of everything including an unreal double-spin into a dime for Lukert and a baseline spin into a soft jumper.

The biggest moment of regulation belonged to Mitchell, who went downhill with under 10 seconds left to tie the game at 55. Sabetha locked in defensively on Silver Lake’s final possession, sending the game to overtime.

Mitchell struck quickly in the first extra session in transition, and Sabetha refused to fold. Frazee delivered in the post late, then finished an and-one off an unbelievable pass from Lukert to force a second overtime.

From there, it turned into a free-throw battle. Silver Lake lived at the line knocking down a shocking 31 of 38 attempts on the night and eventually pulled away as Menold and Mitchell fouled out. The Eagles escaped with a 73-69 win, but not without a fight.

“We know we can play with anyone in our league,” Mitchell said. “When we get hot and lock in defensively, we’re pretty hard to beat.”

Lang finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Menold added 17 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Wertenberger also poured in 17.

“We had a great atmosphere for a battle between two good teams,” said Head Coach Josh Wertenberger. “It showed us what postseason basketball looks like and how important every possession is.”

The Bluejays will hit the road to face the Rossville Bulldogs on Friday, Feb. 6.