CARBONDALE ? It was the only play Friday involving the top two scorers of the Tonganoxie-Santa Fe Trail boys’ basketball game.

The Chieftains’ Shane Howard was on a fast break, looking to put his team up six with 3:53 remaining in the game.

Santa Fe Trail’s Cameron Babb stole Tonganoxie’s momentum, swatting Howard’s layup away and sparking a late 14-0 run that propelled the Chargers to a 56-52 victory Friday at Santa Fe Trail.

“Anytime you get something like that, it helps you,” Babb said, “and I think it definitely helped us.”

Babb’s block secured him the title of game’s high scorer. His 23 points were two better than Howard, who finished with 21.

“He’s one of the top athletes in the state, with football, basketball and track,” Chargers coach Brian Luther said. “It was time for him to step up his senior year, and he has.”

Santa Fe Trail led early behind eight Babb points, but Howard and his 18 first-half points put Tongie up 29-23 at halftime.

The tide changed, though. Besides two late Chad Turner three-pointers, the last four minutes were dominated by Santa Fe Trail (7-7). Tonganoxie fell to 4-10 with their fifth straight loss.

“We followed the game plan in the second half and turned the corner on our season,” Luther said. “It paid off.”

Jacob Walker added 13 points for the Chieftains, who Tuesday will play Kansas City Piper. Santa Fe Trail plays host Tuesday to Mill Valley.

Santa Fe Trail girls 53, Tonganoxie 46

Santa Fe Trail coach Brenda Dahl wasn’t surprised her Chargers led by seven after the first quarter and by seven after the fourth quarter.

“We really flattened out,” Dahl said. “It was like bucket for bucket. Obviously, getting in foul trouble was part of it.”

The Chargers still earned the victory and improved to 11-3.

On what Dahl considered an off night, the Chargers’ Melissa Ball had one of her better games. The 6-foot-4 senior had 24 points — 15 in the first half — to lead all scorers.

“When she catches the ball near the basket,” Tongie coach Randy Kraft said, “she’s real hard to defend.”

Ball hit four of six free throws, including two in the closing minute that put the game out of reach.

“We started looking inside a lot,” Ball said. “I was confident in my shots, and they went in.”

The Chieftains (7-7) had plenty of chances to rally, but free-throw shooting was their weakness. Tongie converted on just 12 of 24 foul shots and never got close to the Chargers.

“Defensively, offensively, I have no problems,” Kraft said. “We just didn’t shoot the ball as well as I’d like.”

Alison Creek added 11 points for the Chargers, who will play five straight road games starting Tuesday at Ottawa.

Addie Heim and Madison Weller each had 10 points for Tonganoxie. The Chieftains travel Tuesday to Kansas City Piper.