MANKATO &045; Back in November, coach Travis Olson and the United South Central boys’ basketball team had high hopes, but a 1-6 start left the Rebels scrambling to get back to the .500 mark the rest of the season.

The playoffs offered an opportunity for redemption, and they did not let it slip away.

Seeded fifth in the Sub-Section 2AA East tournament, the Rebels pulled off a pair of upsets before falling 56-50 to Hayfield in the championship game at Minnesota State-Mankato Monday night. It ended their season two wins away from the state tournament.

&uot;The kids played hard,&uot; said Olson. &uot;They left their hearts on the floor. It just didn’t work out tonight.&uot;

But despite the loss, the season ended on a positive note because of the strong playoff run.

&uot;We had high expectations for these kids, and they battled some tough times,&uot; said Olson. &uot;They fought back and never lost sight of the fact they could be a pretty good basketball team.&uot;

The Rebels kept Monday’s game close with the same style they used to knock off top-seeded Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in the semifinals &045; tough defense, rebounding and hustle.

Hayfield led 12-11 at the end of the first quarter, and threatened to pull away with a 20-12 lead and the ball with 5:01 remaining in the second, but the Rebels pulled within 26-24 at halftime.

The Rebels started strong in the third, hitting a pair of quick lay-ups to take a 28-26 lead. A three-point basket by Nate Pederson made it 31-26.

That’s when the Rebels went cold and Hayfield got hot, going on a 13-2 run for a 39-33 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Rebels missed some easy shots as Hayfield extended the run to 17-2, making it 43-33 with 5:30 left to play. The Vikings went into a delay offense, forcing the Rebels to foul and sealing their fate as Hayfield made 13 of 16 free throws in the final period.

Free throws turned out to be the difference in the game as the Vikings were 18-for-24 while USC was 7-for-11.

Ben Wetzell led the Rebels with 18 points, followed by Brandon Haugh with nine, Chris Vondracek eight and Ryan Treptow six.

Tyler Kramer, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, scored 22 for Hayfield.

Hayfield, the No. 2 seed in the sub-section, improved its record at 14-13. The Vikings play Friday for the Section 2AA championship and state tournament berth.

The Rebels, who finished 11-15, graduate six seniors in Wetzell, Vondracek, Treptow, Justin Youngblom, Scott Halvorson and Justin Knutson.