The Pike Liberal Arts basketball season came to an end Wednesday night at the hands of Lee-Scott Academy.

The Patriot boys lost 58-39, while the girls came out on the losing end of a 56-25 decision at the hands of the Lady Warriors.

The boys’ team went toe-to-toe with the taller, more athletic Lee-Scott team, and managed to grab the lead midway through the second quarter.

Following back-to-back threes by Chandler Avant and a miss by the Warriors, Brian Adams tipped in a layup to give Pike a 23-21 lead. That lead would be the final one for the Patriots, as Lee-Scott would go on a 12-2 run to end the half and never look back.

“We got that lead, and then let them go on a run,” said Kennedy. “Before we could get it slowed down, they had already jumped up on us, and we had to fight from behind the rest of the game.

Pike would get no closer than 10 points the remainder of the game, and the Warriors kept their hot shooting up.

Chandler Avant led the Pats with 18 points, and Rush Hixon added seven more. In his final game in a Patriot uniform, Russ Thomas scored four.

Kennedy said that he can’t get upset at the outcome, because he says Lee-Scott is a “hoops school.” Both Pike Lib teams finished under five hundred on the season.

“Lee-Scott is a basketball school, and they take pride in that,” said Kennedy. “I started the first pre-school phys. Ed. progam there years ago, and we were playing basketball with trash cans. They are committed to the game, and that’s what it takes to be very successful.”

The Pike Girls fell behind early and never could get caught up, and fell hard to the Lady Warriors 56-25.

Kennedy felt at times the girls played well, while at others he said they seemed to struggle.

“It goes back to us not having the numbers we need,” said Kennedy. “We can’t work on game situations that much simply because we don’t have the players to do so. We are working hard and improving but just need some more bodies at times.”

The loss ends the seasons for both teams, but Kennedy said that the teams laid groundwork to build a program on. Only three seniors leave from both teams combined, and floor generals Ellie Barron and Katie Ward for the girls and Chandler Avant and Rush Hixon for the boys return for next season.

Kennedy says that this season was one of learning, and that now he sees more players stepping up and becoming leaders.

“We have one player stepping up now,” said Kennedy. “Going forward it will be fun to see a second, and third and fourth player realize their potential. We have great kids, and they always give it all they have.”