The undefeated fourth- and fifth-grade Horned Frogs looked to extend their five-game winning streak Dec. 6 while taking on the Wildcats at the East Lawrence Center.

While the Wildcats put up a fight by playing tenacious defense, the Horned Frogs got just enough offense from their guards to defeat the Wildcats 20-17.

“The Wildcats put a lot of pressure on us late in the game, but we handled it real well in the end,” said Horned Frog head coach Keith Loneker.

It also helped that Horned Frog guard Miles Stevens was unstoppable on the evening. Stevens scored the Horned Frogs’ first four points of the night and led with a team-high 12 points. Stevens couldn’t seem to miss, hitting from outside and using an aggressive style of play to attack the basket.

Despite the quick Horned Frog start, the Wildcats used strong defense and exceptional play at the guard position to stay within striking distance. Anthony Bonner provided the scoring for the Wildcats, recording a game-high 13 points. Bonner flashed a nasty crossover and a quick first step, leaving his defender a couple steps behind on each drive to the basket. Bonner also forced the Horned Frogs to respect him from outside, nailing a running jumper and hitting a deep three to pull the Wildcats within three points with 45 seconds remaining in the game.

As overwhelming as Bonner’s offensive play was, it was the second-quarter defense that had the Wildcats thinking of a victory. Weston Hack’s hard-nosed defense at the point slowed the Horned Frog penetration and held them scoreless in the second quarter.

“We played well enough on defense to have won this game, but we just couldn’t seem to hit our shot,” said Wildcat head coach Sebastian Bonner.

The Wildcats also received additional support from forward Wyatt Ohse. With minutes to play, Ohse had a knack for finding the right spots coming down with a couple of rebounds and giving the Wildcats another chance on offense.

However, the Horned Frogs were able to hit a couple of crucial shots with time winding down to secure the win. Playmaking guard Triston Garber put the nail in the coffin after hitting a long-range shot to give the Horned Frogs a five-point lead.

The Horned Frogs were able to rely on strong play near the basket as center Bryce Montes de Oca once again turned in another fantastic performance. Montes de Oca took advantage of his size and good footwork to establish an offensive presence near the hoop and clean up on the boards to protect the Horned Frogs’ unbeaten streak.