Chargers' season ends with loss to Hearne

The opponent is fast and likes to run, but so does Keene. That's a wash.
The opponent can shoot, but so can Keene. That's a wash.
The opponent is tall, but Keene is short. That's a problem.
And that was the difference, as a taller Hearne squad dominated the backboards on both ends of the floor Tuesday night, ending Keene's season with a 53-37 loss in a bi-district playoff game at West High School.
Hearne's lightning quickness also presented a challenge, as the Chargers were forced to move the ball faster than usual or work extra hard on the dribble to find an open look, and when they did, about one look and one shot was all they got.
And most of the time, the ball didn't fall as Keene was held to single digits in the second, third and fourth quarters.
It was a frustrating finish for senior starters Alik Aaron (two points), Moses Thomas (three tallies) and Brandon Brown (10 points), as the Chargers trailed 18-11 at the end of the first quarter and never could catch up.
Keene (21-11 overall, 10-4 in District 15-2A) opened the third quarter with junior Manuel Gonzalez (18 points) hitting two of his four 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, trimming Hearne's lead to 27-25 to the screaming delight of about 150 Chargers supporters who made the 54-mile drive down I-35W.
But Keene went cold and the fans went silent as the Chargers scored only three more points in the quarter and Hearne pulled away to lead by as many as 17 (47-30) with 4:10 left in the game.
Brown and junior Ira Jenkins (four points) managed to grab offensive rebounds midway through the fourth quarter that led to points, but even Gonzalez's final 3-pointer with less than 2 minutes left managed only to cut the lead to 15.
Keene coach Jason Hill cleared the bench with 30 seconds left, giving seniors Alex Lanki and Jonathan Lati a chance to play.
 Keene's 21-win season is the ninth time in his 10 years as head coach, and eighth consecutive season that Hill has won at least 20 games.