Getting over the hump is what the North Callaway boys need to do this week in districts.

North Callaway Senior Night Photo Gallery

The Thunderbirds made their Senior Night game on Thursday exciting by cutting Class 3 No. 10 Bowling Green’s lead to six points in the fourth quarter but eventually lost 57-46 to their Eastern Missouri Conference foe. 

Bowling Green’s Jace Eskew had the biggest night for a senior or any player by finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five 3-pointers in North Callaway’s return to the court after the winter weather canceled most school days during the week.

Head coach Matt Miller said North Callaway (9-15, 4-5 EMO) showed good resiliency in its second game against the Bobcats (20-4, 9-1 EMO) this season, following a 65-52 loss in the Bowling Green Tournament. The Thunderbirds trailed by as much as 15 points before shaving the margin to six largely because of eight fourth-quarter points by Austin Brown, but that scoring was inconsistent during the night.

“We couldn’t score early on,” Miller said. “I don’t know if it was time off and not being in the gym because of the weather, but shots we’re used to making weren’t going tonight. We were getting good looks, and they weren’t falling. They were getting good looks, and we were making them.”

Brown stole the ball twice before scoring at the other end and knocked down one of his four 3-pointers to help North Callaway draw closer. He led with 16 points and three steals, and seniors Caleb Sheets had nine points, seven steals and three 3-pointers and CJ Cunningham had six points. 

Oliver Niemeyer had the second-best rebounding game with eight boards, and one of them proved costly. Niemeyer put back a miss that turned into a 3-point play and a double-digit lead that North Callaway couldn’t shrink again. The Thunderbirds were outrebounded 28-17.

“They’re a big, strong and physical team,” Miller said. “They dominated on the boards tonight, and they had an answer every time we fought back.”

North Callaway had no answer for Eskew, whom Miller referred to as the second-best player in the conference behind all-time Montgomery County scoring leader Clayton Parker. Eskew welcomed contact inside and under the rim on rebounds but also was effective from long range.

“You try to throw a lot white jerseys at him. Every time he puts the ball on the floor, you just want him to see a blur of white,” Miller said. “He’s so good and so talented and he shoots it so well that you think you’re right there, then he shoots it over the top of you.”

Miller said his four seniors led the comeback effort on Thursday and have been doing well leading the team this season. Sheets, Cunningham, Clayton Moore and Levi Drake were recognized between varsity games along with seniors for the Ladybirds and cheerleaders.

Going into the season, North Callaway knew many players had to fill bigger roles in the past. Despite not having as much collective starting varsity experience this season, Miller said those seniors are “four really good dudes.”

“They’re going to come to work with that same enthusiasm and same smiles on their faces,” Miller said. “Whether they lost by 30 or won by 30 or had a heartbreaking loss, they’re going to come to practice the next day with great attitudes. That’s going to not just bode well for them in sports and in basketball but in life.”

North Callaway opens the Class 3 District 7 tournament at South Callaway at 7:30 p.m. today against Missouri Military Academy (11-12), hoping to extend its season. However this week and this season ends, Miller said these Thunderbirds have almost always been in games.

“That’s been all year where we’ve been competitive for most stretches against really good teams but just couldn’t get over that hump and beat those good teams,” Miller said. “It was two times against Bowling Green, and we were down single digits against Montgomery County on the road, and they’re the second-ranked team in the state.”