The Beggs Golden Demon varsity basketball team overcame a 9-point halftime deficit to capture the Class 3A, Area II, District 2 championship Saturday night with a thrilling 51-50 victory over the Luther Lions at the Beggs Event Center.

The narrow win puts the Demons just three wins away from a spot in the state basketball championships for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2021. The next obstacle on the Beggs gentlemen’s postseason journey will be the 16th-ranked Kansas Comets, whom the Demons will meet Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket of the Class 3A, Area II, regional tournament at the Beggs Event Center.

A win over Kansas will put the Beggs squad into Saturday’s regional championship game at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s winner’s bracket game in Adair between fourth-ranked Cascia Hall and Salina, while a loss to the Comets will drop the Demons into Friday’s consolation semifinal round at 2:30 p.m. in Beggs against the winner of Thursday’s loser’s bracket game in Adair between Adair and Commerce.

In Saturday’s district championship meeting with Luther, the visitors led 14-11 after one and 30-21 at halftime.

The Demons began their second-half comeback with a 17-10 advantage in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to two, 40-38, with eight minutes remaining in regulation.

In the final frame, the Beggs gentlemen outscored the Lions 13-10 to walk away with the thrilling 51-50 decision and the district championship.

The top scorer for the Demons in the narrow win was Ezrah Anderson, who finished with a team-best 18 points. Anderson was joined in double figures by Jaxon Remington with 12, while Jaylen Williams just missed double-digit scoring for Beggs with nine points.

Other Demon scorers against Luther were Dakota Hudson with six, Brayden King four, and Jordan Wesley two.

— Class 3A District Tournament Beggs 51, Luther 50

Luther: 14 – 16 – 10 – 10 (50) Beggs: 11 – 10 – 17 – 13 (51) Beggs Scoring: Ezrah Anderson 18, Jaxon Remington 12, Jaylen Williams 9, Dakota Hudson 6, Brayden King 4, Jordan Wesley 2.