WASHINGTON — If close counted in anything but horseshoes and hand grenades, Cullen’s VanLeer’s Owensville Dutchmen would have had better results during last week’s St. Francis Borgia Thanksgiving Boys Basketball Tournament.

After seeing a double-digit lead disappear in first-round action last Tuesday against Jackson, VanLeer’s Dutchmen bounced back on Black Friday with a 52-48 consolation semifinal win over Union earning them a shot at consolation hardware Saturday afternoon against Washington’s Blue Jays.

Trailing the vast majority of the game, Owensville got to within three points on a Chase Crosby bucket with 6.3 ticks left making it 41-38 before a pair of Jaden Grosse free throws gave the Blue Jays a 43-38 lead.

Trying to pull his best Reggie Miller impersonation, Crosby canned a 3-pointer with 1.1 left further trimming the Blue Jay lead to 43-41.

Unable to get a quick steal and shot attempt, a second-half comeback attempt by the orange and black came up just short.

Doing all of his damage in the second half, Crosby led the Dutchmen with a team-high 11 points and three steals.

Adding six points each was the orange and black trio of Zaiden Gates, Eli Graham and Brady Watson.

Gates and Graham each grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

Jansen Loeb and Keigan Glaser each added five points while Brandon Graham capped the scoring against Washington with four points.

In addition to his six points, Eli Graham also dished out a team-high four assists.

Grosse led the Blue Jays with a game-high 18 points.

Owensville briefly led 2-0 on an Eli Graham basket with 7:25 for the opening quarter before Washington ended the first eight minutes on an 18-5 run.

On Black Friday against Union, the orange and black trailed 16-6 after one quarter before a 22-3 run over the second and third quarters helped Owensville get their second notch in the win column by a final score of 52-48.

Shooting 7-21 from the free-throw line against Jackson, Owensville did a complete turnaround against Union shooting 14-18 from the charity stripe helping them hold off a late Wildcat charge.

Held to two first-half points, Crosby picked up his offensive output netting 12 of his game-high 14 points in the second half.

Joining Crosby in double figures against Union were Jansen Loeb with 12 points and Eli Graham with 10 points.

Going 6-6 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, Glaser nearly made it a quartet of double-digit Dutchmen finishing with nine points.

Watson added four points while Brandon Graham finished with two points.

Gates rounded out the scoring with a second-quarter free throw for one point while also grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.

Cannon Brown and Hayden Parmenter each led Union with 12 points apiece.

Leading by as much as 13 at 30-17 last Tuesday against Jackson, Owensville could not overcome a 7-21 effort from the free-throw line before falling just short of a first-round upset.

Eli Graham and Loeb led the Dutchmen with 12 points each.

All of Loeb’s points came from beyond the 3-point arc.

Adding nine points each for the orange and black against the Indians were Glaser, Crosby and Gates.

Brandon Graham and his brother Eli each pulled down four rebounds against Jackson to lead OHS on the glass.

Watson and Brandon Graham rounded out the Owensville scoring against Jackson with two points apiece.

Kole Deck led the Indians with a game-high 31 points.

Hosting Fatima’s Comets last night (Tuesday), Owensville will return to action on Friday, Dec. 6 in a road tripleheader against Salem’s Tigers in Dent County.

OHS will then get another shot at Washington’s Blue Jays on Monday, Dec. 9 when WHS visits Gasconade County for a JV and varsity doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m.