The Glasgow boys erased nearly 18 points off the deficit to come within four against second-seeded Westran but ultimately ended the season with a 58-47 loss in the Class 2 District 7 semifinals on Wednesday.

Glasgow, seeded third, cruised past sixth-seeded Marceline 69-51 in the opening round on Monday to advance to the semis. The Jackets end the season with a final record of 18-9.

“We replaced a post player and a point guard and a kid who averaged 30 points a game last year, and we finished with the same record this year. That’s a testament to this team and how hard they work,” said longtime Glasgow coach Mick Cropp. “And we have a tough schedule. Our conference is tough. Our district is obviously tough. Our tournaments are tough. Winning 18 games is not easy. These kids have worked and worked and worked. I’m super proud of them, and I’m honored to be their coach.”

Down by 18 points after three quarters, Glasgow senior Zach Sayler stole Westran’s inbound pass to open the fourth quarter and sank a layup. Six seconds later, another steal turned into a layup for Sayler, sparking a 16-2 run that brought the Jackets within four points, 44-40 with 4:21 left to play.

“It all started with my senior, Zach Sayler, getting a couple of steals and a couple of layups right off the bat. And then we finally made some shots,” Cropp said.

The exciting run was the antidote to three quarters where the Jackets were out of sync against Westran’s size and pressure. Shots that normally fall for Glasgow caromed away from the rim, more often than not into the hands of a Hornet rebounder.

“We just didn’t make anything, especially in the first half,” Cropp said. “We missed some shots that we normally make, but this time of year is tough. It’s just different. The intensity is different. The urgency is different.

“They’ve got some size. They are strong and athletic. They’re skilled basketball players. They are a really good team. We just didn’t make enough shots tonight.”

Perhaps most shocking for the black-and-gold faithful was the scoreless first half by junior big man Jackson Meyer, who averaged 21 points a game heading into Wednesday’s semifinal.

“We knew if we got back in the game, he would score some buckets, and we would be right back in there. It took until the fourth quarter, but we got back in it,” Cropp said about his big junior.

Westran opened the game with a 3-point bucket from sophomore Cruze Haynes to touch off a slow seven-point run. By the end of the first quarter, Westran led just 10-5, a slow start for two usually high-scoring teams.

Westran’s size advantage and merciless defensive pressure took its toll on the Jackets in the second quarter, as the Hornets jumped ahead on runs of five and eight points on the way to a 25-14 halftime lead.

“We just didn’t play very well in the first half. Westran is good defensively. They’re solid. We just had to keep going,” Cropp said.

Meyer finally entered the scorebook in the third quarter, scoring the first basket of the second half. But Westran answered with seven straight points to pull ahead 32-16.

Meyer scored four points in the third quarter and six during the Jackets’ dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. But the margin proved to be too great. Leading by four midway through the final quarter, Westran rattled off five points, including three free throws from Haynes, as Glasgow junior Bronson Foster was forced to leave the game after committing his fifth foul.

The Jackets bookedned a Westran field goal with 3-pointers from senior Jackson Strodtman and Meyer to keep the game within reach with 1:53 left to play. But with time running out and a five-point lead, Westran was able to control the clock. The Hornets scored six points in 39 seconds to go back up by double digits with 1:05 left to play and clinch the win.

Sayler paced the Jackets in his final game in a Glasgow uniform with 11 points. Myer added 10, followed by nine points from Strodtman, eight from Foster, and seven from sophomore Kyler Kottman.

Haynes led all scorers with 16 points for the Hornets. Senior Cooper Harvey added 11, followed by nine from junior Hayden Chapman and eight from big senior Marshall Kitchen.

“I think there was a lot of pressure. They can do a lot of things defensively. And when you have the Kitchen kid sitting back there guarding the rim, it makes things difficult,” Cropp said after the game.

Glasgow bids farewell to four seniors, including Sayler, a three-year starter, Strodtman, Nathan Prentzler, and Finn Johnson.

“[Zach Sayler] started on the final-four team as a sophomore. For his first two years, he was kind of the unsung hero. He did the dirty work, guarded the best players, didn’t worry about scoring. This year, we wanted him to be a little more aggressive. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but you can’t win without. He does a lot of good things,” Cropp said.

Glasgow had to replace a point guard this season, a tall order for a team that plays such a demanding schedule. The job went to Jackson Strodtman, who Cropp said exceeded his expectations all season. “I was nervous about our point guard position coming into the season. He did a great job handling the ball. He got us into offense all season long. He shot the ball really well this year, and he guarded well.”

Off the bench were Prentzler and Johnson. Cropp said he was always comfortable subbing in the two seniors. “I could put those guys in there and know they would be good defensively. And they didn’t need to be out there for all the minutes. They were perfectly happy coming off the bench.

“Those seniors lead a group of 23 kids that we had on varsity and junior varsity this year. It was a dream every single day. This team was awesome. They worked hard. They listened. They executed the offense. They never got in trouble at school. Their grades are good. Their coaches’ dream, and I’m really going to miss them.”

Glasgow ends the season with 18 wins against nine losses. Westran stayed alive after suffering their second near-upset of the tournament. The Hornets allowed seventh-seeded Fayette to come back within one point in the opening round. They managed to stay alive in both games to advance to the championship against first-seeded Harrisburg on Friday.

The last time the two former Lewis & Clark Conference rivals met was in the title game of the Glasgow Tournament. Harrisburg won the decision 78-64. Friday’s winner will advance to the state sectionals against the District 8 champion on March 3.