BOSCOBEL - It was a closely fought game, but the Boscobel boys’ basketball team took the win when they traveled to Riverdale last Friday.
The Bulldogs trailed the Chieftains by a single point at the end of the first half. They were able to turn the tables on their hosts, converting multiple missed shots by the Chieftains into rebounds and points.
“We had eleven turnovers, to their 15,” noted Coach Levi Esters. “The boys listened to the coaches and fought through adversity to turn the game around.”
The Bulldogs finished off the second half with an eight-point lead to win, 52-44.
Leading in scoring was Ryan Latham with 18 points, followed by Dallas Marks and Hunter Reynolds with nine apiece.
Vs. DeSoto
The boys took down the DeSoto Pirates on Monday night by a score of 53-42.
The Bulldogs, who field a more experienced, older team, outmatched the Pirates. Boscobel was able to convert on a number of missed shots, as well as profiting by free throw attempts offered up by their visitors.
Ryan Latham, Tommy Monroe, and Dallas Marks supplied two points each from the free throw line, scoring six out of eight attempts in the first half. Adding to that, Hunter Reynolds, Latham and Marks were all able to bring in three-point shots from the outside to bump up the scoring. As a result, the Bulldogs hit an early lead, heading into the half 26-20.
The Pirates were able to regroup and cover the outside court more thoroughly. But the Bulldogs brought that to their advantage and increased their scoring from closer in, to outscore DeSoto, 27-22.
“That was very much our game plan as coaches and the boys did a good job of execution,” said Esters.
Leading in scoring was Latham with 16 points, followed by Reynolds and Marks with nine each, and Treston Davidson with six.
The Bulldogs head into the final game of the regular season with a conference record of 4-9 and 11-10 overall.
Wrapping up the season
In their final home game of the regular season, the Bulldogs will host conference rival Cuba City on Monday, Feb. 25. Varsity play begins at 7:30 p.m.
The coach predicts that it will be a tough match with the Cubans, but feels it will help build momentum as they head into the playoffs the following week.
WIAA regional competition starts on Tuesday, March 1. Boscobel will host Luther for the first game in regional competition at 7 p.m. in the Boscobel High School gymnasium.
“Luther is from the Coulee valley region and is basically a Division 3 team,” Esters noted.
The coach said the team is looking forward to the game. The winner of that match will head to Cochrane-Fountain City on Friday March 4. The Pirates ended their season as the top ranked team in the Dairyland – small standings conference.
