On Feb. 25, the Cardinal basketball team welcomed the Chaparral Roadrunners to compete in their final game before sub-state. Both the girls’ and boys’ games were very competitive, as the teams fought for higher placement in the sub-state bracket. It was especially close for the girls, who were tied 30-30 going into the last minute of the fourth quarter.

While the girls hoped for a possible win, they were soon discouraged as the Roadrunners scored a three-pointer with less than a minute to go, ending the game with a final score of 30-33. 

“We were pretty devastated, but we knew it wasn’t the most important game,” senior Kara Koester said.

Between the games, Conway hosted their second senior night of the year. All seniors in band, choir, Scholars Bowl, basketball, cheer and dance were recognized for their participation in these activities. This was a big opportunity for some, as they are not recognized often for their accomplishments. 

The boys game followed the senior recognition. They played one of their better games, taking the lead from the first quarter and ending the first half 25-17. By the end of the game, they kept the lead for a win of 43-27.

“It put us in a good spot going into sub-state,” senior Kyler Alloway said. 

  As the teams prepared for sub-state, both worked on improving their game and keeping the competition high.

“We’re just going to take it game by game and play by play and see where it goes,” Koester said.

Sub-state began on March 2 for the girls, who traveled to Sedan to play the Devils. However, with only seconds left in the game, the Devils scored, ending the girls’ season with another heartbreaking loss and a final score of 53-54. 

The boys play tonight at Garden Plain to fight the Owls. 

“[I hope to improve on] playing better as a team and shooting the ball better,” junior Zach Osner said.