Chipotle Nationals opening round: live updates, scores from No. 9 Wasatch Academy vs. No. 10 Link Academy
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Chipotle Nationals opening round: live updates, scores from No. 9 Wasatch Academy vs. No. 10 Link Academy originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
FISHERS, Indiana, April 1 — The No. 10 Link Academy [Branson, MO] Lions led for all but 25 seconds Wednesday night in a 69-62 win over the No. 9 Wasatch Academy [Mt. Pleasant, UT] Tigers.
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The game was first of nine contests being staged over a four day period as part of the Chipotle Nationals tournament at Hamilton Southeastern High School. No. 8 SPIRE Academy will take on No. 12 Archbishop Stepinac in the nightcap.
Link Academy set the pace early and maintained the lead for almost the entire evening. Two quick threes for a 6-0 lead set the stage for what would become the theme in the first half as the Lions connected on 7-of-12 attempts from long range. They entered the half with a 30-21 lead as Wasatch gave up a late flurry in the final two minutes before the break.
The Lions came out hot again in the second half, eventually extending their lead to 42-23 before Wasatch began to finally make some progress. The Tigers closed the third quarter on a 20-7 run to trim Link's lead back to 49-43 heading into the final eight minutes.
HOW TO WATCH: A complete guide to all of the action at The Chipotle Nationals
Wasatch opened the fourth quarter with a basket to make it 49-45, but that's as close as they would get as Link had an answer from there out. By the time the game had dwindled down to the three-minute mark, the Lions were leading by double digits again at 62-52, holding on down the stretch for the win.
Next up for Link Academy (26-4) is a date with the nation's No. 1 Dynamic Prep [Dallas, TX] which enters the Chipotle Nationals as the #2 seed. That game is set for 8 p.m. EST Thursday on ESPNU.
Wasatch Academy, meanwhile, concludes its season at 24-7
STREAM:Watch Link Academy vs. Wasatch Academy on the YouTube League Ready channel
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FINAL — Link Academy 69, Wasatch Academy 62
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9.2 seconds to play. Link headed to the line leading, 68-59, and on their way to the quarterfinals of the Chipotle Nationals.
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31.2 seconds to play, Link hits a couple of free throws to make it, 68-59.
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42.3to play, it's 66-59, Link.
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1:05 to play coming out of a timeout. Link leads, 66-57, but turns it over on a five-second call trying to inbound.
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Just over a minute to play, it's 66-57, Link.
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Two minutes to play, and it's 64-57, Link.
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Wasatch with a big three out of timeout to trim it to 62-55. They force a turnover, and they've got the ball again.
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After trimming Link's lead to four points early in the quarter, Wasatch suddenly finds itself back down by double digits. It's 62-52 with 3:03 to play.
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3:42 to play, and it's a two-possession game with Link leading 58-52.
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Halfway through the fourth quarter, it's 58-51, Link. Wasatch has given themselves a chance, but they've got to keep chipping away at this lead.
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Just under five to play, it's 56-47, Link.
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Under six to play, it's 54-47, Link.
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Just under four to play, and Wasatch has trimmed this down to 49-45.
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The final period is under way!
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END OF THIRD QUARTER — Link Academy 49, Wasatch Academy 43
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It's still a game headed to the final eight minutes.
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Thirty seconds to play, and a couple of quick baskets gets it down to 49-43. A 20-7 run by Wasatch.
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At the 1:19, Wasatch gets the deficit under 10 at 47-38.
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Under two to play, it's 47-36, Link.
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Just under 2:30, a three from Wasatch cuts it to 11 at 45-34.
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Just under three to play, Wasatch has got it back down to 13 at 44-31.
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Just under the five-minute mark, and Wasatch is in trouble, trailing 42-23.
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Timeout at the 5:51 mark, and Link has its biggest lead at 38-23.
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35-23, Link, at the six-minute mark.
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6:21 to play, it's 34-23 as Wasatch breaks the second-half ice.
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Inside seven minutes, and Link makes it 34-21 on a basket-plus-the-foul situation. They miss the free thrown, but they are building a commanding lead.
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Link quickly ups their lead to 11 at 32-21.
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The third quarter is under way!
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END OF SECOND QUARTER — Link Academy 30, Wasatch Academy 21
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The story so far is the long ball, and Link hit seven from long-distance. That's more than they average per game, so Wasatch will have to come up with some answers at the break.
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Inside a minute, Link has its biggest lead at 30-21.
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Timeout at the 1:21 mark as Link drains another long ball, to go back up by seven points at 28-21. It's been close all the way, but it's definitely felt like Wasatch chasing Link so far with the Lions setting the pace from the three-point line.
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Just over two to play, it's back to 25-21, Link.
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Under three to play before halftime, it's 23-21, Link.
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Just inside four minutes, it's 21-all in Fishers.
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Near the five-minute mark, Wasatch bangs home another three to make it 18-all, but it's raining threes on both ends and Link answers yet again to make it 21-18 at the 4:47 mark headed into a timeout.
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After a free throw made it 15-12 in favor of Link, Wasatch canned a triple of its own to even it at 15-all. But the pace is quickening around the six-minute mark, and Link hits its fifth three pointer of the game to go back up 18-15.
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Wasatch took its first lead on a three-pointer to make it 12-9, but Link answers with their fourth triple of the game to regain the lead at 14-12.
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The second quarter is under way!
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END OF FIRST QUARTER — Link Academy 11, Wasatch Academy 9
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The opening quarter is in the books, and it's been a defensive battle so far. It feels like two teams still feeling each other out.
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Wasatch trimmed it to 9-7 inside two minute, but a Link answer makes it 11-7.
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Under the three-minute mark, it's 9-5, Link.
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At the 4:10 mark, Link knocks down another trey, and it's 9-2, Lions.
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Inside five minutes, that early flurry of activity is all we've had. It's still 6-2, Link Academy.
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Link drills a couple of three-pointers to get the scoring started, and Wasatch comes up empty on its first possession before answering with a basket. Link out to the early 6-2 lead.
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They are under way in Indiana!
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Coming soon! Game time is set for 6 p.m. EST local!
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How can I watch Link Academy vs. Wasatch Academy?
- Date: 6 p.m. EST local, Wednesday, April 1
- STREAM:Watch Link Academy vs. Wasatch Academy on the YouTube League Ready channel