BAXTER — The Collins-Maxwell/Baxter boys’ basketball team did not take the lead until late in the third quarter but still found a way to win at home over North Polk on Friday night.
CMB got 14 points from Brady Stover, 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals from Bryce Kemp and Joey Nissen also put in 12 points to push CMB past the Comets, 56-50.
It was the third win in the past four games for CMB, which is now 6-8 overall after starting 0-5.
The Raiders also are 5-7 in Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play.
Seth Baalke finished with seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists for CMB, which shot 38 percent from the floor and hit only 15-of-28 from the foul line.
The biggest difference in the game was CMB’s ability to hit outside shots.
The Raiders were 7-of-14 from 3-point range, while North Polk made only 2-of-18.
CMB trailed 11-4 midway through the first and played from behind the rest of the first half. The Raiders were down 15-8 after one and 26-23 at halftime.
But the Raiders rallied in the second half.
Stover’s 3-pointer with 3:35 to go in the third tied the score at 32-all and then Kemp’s three-point play gave the Raiders their first lead at 35-34.
North Polk (5-8, 4-7) regained the lead heading into the fourth quarter, but a trey by Nissen helped CMB regain the lead, this time for good.
Nissen buried another trey with 5:10 to go to put the Raiders up six.
North Polk got back within two, but CMB held off its visitors after Baalke and Stover each hit a pair of freebies in the final 26 seconds.
GIRLS
North Polk 47,
CMB 46, OT
The CMB girls lost another close game after making just 16 of their 43 shots from the floor and only 8-of-16 from the foul line.
Lexi Breon finished with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, but North Polk won its second straight game and improved to 5-7 in conference play.
CMB (2-14, 2-11) got 11 points and seven rebounds from Bridget Hurley and 10 points and eight boards from Brianda Bane in the loss. Carter Larson pulled down nine rebounds, too.
The Raiders have lost seven of their 14 games by three points or less.
The Comets (7-8, 5-7) led 15-12 after one quarter, but the Raiders went into the locker room tied at halftime.
North Polk outscored CMB 9-8 in the third, but the Raiders forced overtime with a 9-8 margin in the fourth.
Both CMB squads travel to PCM on Tuesday and to South Hamilton on Friday. The girl-boy doubleheaders kick off at 6 p.m.