The gym was rocking, momentum was on St. Aloysius’ side. Elliott Bexley had just drilled a 3-pointer to close the third quarter and Kameron Reed dropped in a hustle putback of a missed shot to start the fourth , giving the Flashes a comfy six-point lead.

And then… nothing.

The Flashes’ shooting turned icy cold and the party stopped. The only thing missing was a screeching record. They hit one shot from the field in the last six minutes, a 3-pointer by Ben Welp that only prolonged the inevitable. When the nightmarish quarter was over, St. Al had been outscored by 20 points and was on the wrong end of a 73-57 score against Loyd Star.

“We didn’t take care of the ball. They lost focus for a half-second, and to win games like that, you have to focus all four quarters,” St. Al coach Delvin Thompson said. “I told them to run our spread offense, and I think they took that to mean they could relax. That’s my mistake.”

St. Al stormed back from an early 10-point deficit to pull even late in the first half, and took the lead toward the end of the third quarter. Bexley scored seven of his team-high 23 points in the period, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded.

Reed’s layup in the opening minute gave St. Al (1-8) a 50-44 lead, and they seemed to finally be taking control of a close game. Loyd Star (4-4), however, snatched the momentum right back.

A quick 6-0 spurt tied the game again, and Terion Williams hit a pair of 3-pointers to give the Hornets a 57-50 lead with 3½ minutes to go. They scored another six points before Welp’s 3-pointer stopped the bleeding and made it 63-53, but it was only a temporary reprieve.

St. Al tried to foul and extend the game, and Loyd Star knocked down most of its free throws. The Hornets were 13-for-19 from the line in the fourth quarter, and 28-for-36 in the game. Caleb Yarborough made seven free throws in the fourth quarter — accounting for all of his points — while Hunter Hooge went 12-of-13 in the game.

Hooge scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half to lead Loyd Star and Williams finished with 17 .

Welp scored 12 points and Reed grabbed 13 rebounds for St. Al, which was trying to win its second straight game but game up short.

“As long as they’re working hard, I’m all right,” Thompson said, trying to stay upbeat despite the Flashes’ struggles this season. “I’ve been seeing it in practice. The overall attitude is positive. I can’t be mad because they’re playing hard.”