By Matt Browning 

The Haven boys basketball were selected as the Visit Wichita Team of the month, after the Wildcats won the Adolph Rupp Invitational in Halstead. Six of the eight teams that participated in the Adolph Rupp had winning records.

“We knew the Rupp had several very good teams and that we would have to play well to win any games,” Haven coach Lonnie Paramore said. “We always have a goal of winning at least two games in a tournament and we believed we were capable of playing with any team in the tournament.”

The Wildcats defeated Winfield in the first round, Garden Plain in the semifinals and Cheney in the finals.

“Every year the Rupp has a loaded field,” Paramore said. “It’s always difficult to win one game so to win the championship was very rewarding.”

Haven led for most of the championship game, until Cheney started to chip away late in the fourth quarter. However, Zach Jacques hit a clutch three-pointer with under a minute remaining to seal the victory.

“Zane’s three in the last minute of the championship game was a huge basket for us,” Paramore said. “Cheney had cut into our lead and we began to get a little passive and his three was a big shot for our confidence in finishing out the game.”

Photos by Dale Stelz