photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Sy Thomas dribbles the ball in Eudora's quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

SALINA — Eudora boys basketball’s season ended on Wednesday with an 80-67 state quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek in Salina.

The Cardinals came in as the eighth seed in the state tournament, meaning their first-round match was against an undefeated No. 1 seed in Rock Creek.

“When we play older, mature guards, they just understand the game of basketball, and we struggle with that sometimes,” Eudora coach Tyler Cleveland said. “If you notice their team, the ball always moves. It never sticks, and they pass and cut.

“They’re a fun team to watch. That’s what we’re striving to do.”

Eudora started hot in the paint, which helped the Cardinals take an early lead. The Mustangs scored the first bucket of the game, but Eudora junior Ryan Osburn got a put-back for the first Eudora bucket, and sophomore Cash Schneider got a free throw. Osburn scored again on a second-chance point to give Eudora an early 5-2 lead.

Rock Creek went on a run to take the lead, and the Mustangs held it for the remainder of the game. Led by senior guard Ethan Tonsor, the Mustangs were able to attack the Cardinals by moving the ball around quickly and finding open space.

The Mustangs finished the quarter outscoring the Cardinals and taking a 26-15 lead into the second quarter. For both teams, the majority of the points came in the paint, and both teams were able to get to the foul line often.

“We did feel that we had some quickness advantage, especially with (sophomore) Sy Thomas,” Cleveland said of the Cardinals getting to the rim and getting free throws. “He was able to get to the line. I wish we would’ve attacked more off the swing instead of going one-on-four.”

Thomas got the second quarter rolling with a free throw to cut the Rock Creek lead to 10. The Mustangs and the Cardinals continued to trade shots through the rest of the second quarter, with the Mustangs holding an 11-point lead going into halftime.

Rock Creek started the second half with a layup, but Thomas hit three 3s for the Cardinals to put the team right back in the mix. Led by Thomas, the Cardinals cut the Mustangs’ lead to seven points going into the final quarter.

“He’s a gamer,” Cleveland said of Thomas’s hot start. “He comes out and when he hits one or two, the goal gets wider for him… that’s what we needed him to do at that point.”

The momentum didn’t last long with Eudora, as the Mustangs pushed their lead back up to double digits early in the fourth quarter and maintained that edge throughout the remainder of the contest.

The Cardinals continued to score, but they couldn’t stop the Mustangs from getting to the rim on the other end. Rock Creek scored 29 points in the final quarter, ensuring that Eudora would be unable to pull off the upset. By the end, the Mustangs won 80-67.

Eudora couldn’t pull off the upset, but the Cardinals came close to doing so for the third time in the playoffs. After entering the postseason with the 13th seed, the Cardinals upset No. 4 Santa Fe Trail and No. 5 Chanute in the substate bracket. Cleveland credited the team’s tough schedule for preparing the Cardinals to compete against some of the best teams in the state.

“I’m really proud of that,” Cleveland said. “Not many teams being 11-11 make the state tournament, so I’m proud of what they accomplished.”

Thomas finished the game with 24 points, while Schneider and Osburn both had 14 points in the game. Those three will be among a strong group of returners for the Cardinals.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora junior Caden Dunback looks for options in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora senior Julian Oatis passes into the paint in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Cash Schneider drives into the paint in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora senior Cage Crabill passes the ball in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora junior Ryan Osburn dribbles the ball in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora freshman Hunter Hurtig passes the ball in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora sophomore Cash Schneider takes a breath before shooting a free throw in Eudora’s quarterfinal loss to Rock Creek on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Salina.