The Coyotes’ boys’ basketball squad claimed the school’s second district title by vanquishing Kenwood 54-45 in the Class 4A District 13 championship game at Northwest High last night.

The game was closer than the final score indicated, however.

Starting the fourth quarter, the Coyotes held a slim four-point margin 36-31. Sophomore point guard Kameron Bowers took over the game in the final quarter, though, scoring eight of his team-high 17 points. He, along with sophomore Kamden Murray, who scored five in the quarter, accounted for 13 of the team’s 18 points in the fourth.

The Coyotes exploded out of the gate, outscoring the Knights 16-8 after the first quarter. Bowers drained a three-pointer at the buzzer, bringing the Coyote fans to their feet. The buzzer-beater was part of Bowers’ eight first-quarter points.

The Knights turned up the heat defensively in the second quarter, outscoring the Coyotes 13-9 to make the halftime score 25-21. The Knights’ Cam’ron Dowell almost outscored the entire Coyotes team with six points in the second.

The third quarter continued a see-saw battle, with the Knights actually claiming a one-point lead before the Coyotes took control for good. After the Coyotes staked a double-digit lead, the Knights were forced to foul. Free throws have been an adventure for the squad this season, but the Coyotes converted 9-of-12 free throws to keep the lead at a comfortable margin.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Coyotes were district champions for the first time in 13 years. They next move on to the region tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m., where they will face the Springfield Yellow Jackets, who finished fourth in District 13. The Coyotes defeated the Yellow Jackets 71-44 back on Feb. 9.

Box Score West Creek Kameron Bowers 17 points, Amaree Lafortune 13, Jayoni Harding 9, Kamden Murray 8, Damond Galbreath 4, Arinzee Chukumeka 2, Staevon Collier 1 (54)