By MATT PIKE
The Benton Cardinal boys basketball team has advanced to the Class 4 District 16 championship game for a second year in a row, after beating the Lafayette Fighting Irish 67-22 in the final boys matchup ever between the two rival schools.
After both teams started slow missing shots, the Cardinals took control of the game and never looked back, leading by 10 points at the end of the first quarter, and extending that to a 24 point lead by halftime, leading 36-12. Lincoln Goodwin led the way through the first half, scoring 19 of his 21 points.
By the end of the third quarter, Benton pushed the lead to 32 points, leading 55-22, then playing stifling defense in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals did not allow Lafayette to score another point the rest of the way, outscoring the Irish 12-0 on way to the 67-22 victory.
The win brings to an end a longstanding rivalry, at least on the boys side, between the northside of St. Joseph and the southside of St. Joseph. In the series between the teams, the Fighting Irish have won 28 games, seven of those coming in the postseason, while the Cardinals have won six.
Head Coach Jared Boone says it may not be until next season that it feels real that this game won't be happening again.
"It was kind of fate, I've kind of been saying all year I figured it was going to be us and them playing whether it was this game, the championship game, or whatever," Boone tells reporters after the game. "I use the reference with my coaches and my wife it's kind of like Batman and Joker, we're just destined to be in each others way, it's going to be weird I think next season is when it's really going to hit there's no Benton and Lafayette game to look forward to on the schedule."
Goodwin led the Cardinals with 21 points while Jason Simmons added 13 points. Mach Mayom chipped in nine points for Benton. For Lafayette, Kamden Turner led with nine points and Jodell Redman added six points.
Benton will face Maryville in the Class 4 District 16 championship game on Saturday, after the Spoofhounds won a narrow game against Chillicothe 44-42. Tipoff will be at 3pm on Saturday at Benton High School.
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