Staff photo by Ari Selvey Madelia’s Hayden Jones soars for a dunk during a Tomahawk-Valley Conference crossover boys basketball game against Sleepy Eye Saturday at Bethany Lutheran College.

MANKATO — Shooting and defense led Madelia to an 13-point comeback over Sleepy Eye in a Tomahawk-Valley Conference crossover boys basketball game Saturday at Bethany Lutheran College as the Blackhawks earned a 76-72 victory.

Madelia found itself down 55-42 in the second half but pulled it together for the win late.

“Coach VanHee just told us one possession at a time, and that’s what we did,” Madelia’s Hayden Jones said. “Good defense, go down, get a shot, get a bucket, go back down and play great defense again. Just kept working, forced turnovers, helped create a lot of energy for us.”

Madelia head coach Jeff VanHee said that mantra of one possession at a time has been at the forefront of Madelia’s entire season this year.

“We had to get stops,” he said. “Our motto all year has been one possession at a time. That’s really our program motto, is one possession at a time. Just win the possession, do your best, compete, compete, compete on that possession, defense, compete, compete, compete for that possession. And we did. We competed for every possession, we executed on offense, knocked some shots down.”

Jones was at the forefront of the Madelia offense, scoring 28 points on eight 3-pointers while dishing out five assists. Kaydon Firchau had 21 points and eight assists, while Josiah DeMaris added 16 points. The entire team made 16 3-pointers, something the team has been able to rely upon all season.

“It makes us all threats,” Jones said. “As soon as we get it to Kyle [Pietsch] down low — tonight wasn’t his night because he had the big matchup down low. But just kicking it out, knocking big-time shots is so huge.”

Sleepy Eye was led by Landon Wendinger with 25 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocks, while Brayden Hederscheidt had 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Eric Lozano and Robert Romberg each had 13 points for the Indians.

Sleepy Eye took a 7-3 lead early on a layup from Wendinger, but a 3-pointer from Firschau tied the game at 9. The teams battled close for the entirety of the first half, with neither team gaining much of a lead. A timeout by Sleepy Eye with 6:48 left in the half saw the Blackhawks with a 24-22 lead, which Sleepy Eye promptly tied with a layup from Romberg. Wendinger threw down a dunk late in the half to give Sleepy Eye a 37-35, but Madelia tied it before half with a layup from Tate Becker.

Sleepy Eye took control early in the first, going up 51-40 after a layup from Heiderscheidt, Sleepy Eye extended that lead out to 55-42 on a layup from Lozano, forcing a Madelia timeout with 11:02 to play.

After the teams traded layups, Jones started the comeback with a 3-pointer. Wendinger scored on a layup, which Becker matched on the other end of the court. Madelia chipped away at the lead before going on a 13-0 run, sparked by a pair of free throws from Firchau and finished by a 3-pointer from DeMaris, to go up 69-65.

Sleepy Eye fought to get back into the game, but one final 3-pointer from Firschau sealed the comeback and the victory for Madelia.