Bulldog Basketball Update
Author: Gary Bauman, Townsend Middle School
Bulldog Basketball Update
Gary Bauman
Townsend Middle School
December 10
Townsend Boys vs Manhattan Christian Eagles
The Bulldogs opened with the defending state champion Manhattan Christian Eagles on Friday night in Churchill. The Bulldogs started out on fire, keeping pace through the first quarter, ending in a tie on the board, but the Eagles showed why they are one of the better teams in the state.
The Eagles, led by Mason Venema, who finished with the game high 25, made 14 of their next 16 attempts, whereas the Bulldogs made only 1 of their next 14. The Bulldogs lead by Ryedan Reed, 11, just couldn’t keep pace with the high-powered offense of the Eagles, falling 81 to 25 in the season opener.
Head coach, Tyler Patrick, said “The first games of the season are so important to us to see where your strengths are, and more importantly, what you have to work on to become a better team.” “Even though we got beat by Manhattan Christian, my assistants and I spoke highly about our production in the 1st quarter.”
Ryedan Reed 7
Trenton Hoveland 8
Deegan Mattson 8
Grady Erickson 2
Scoring By Quarter
Townsend: 13 15 24 25
Manhattan Christian: 13 41 64 81
December 11, 2023
Townsend Boys vs Gardiner Bruins
The Bulldogs got a much-improved performance against the Gardiner Bruins in the second game of the weekend. Led in scoring by Deegan Mattson, 14 and Ryedan Reed, 13, the Bulldogs got on the board with 7 straight points from junior Sawyer Horne who hit two circus shots and a three-pointer to give the Dogs an early lead. The defense was much improved this game as they kept the Bruins to 9 points in two quarters after switching defenses from man to zone, shutting down the hot hand of Parker Wyman, who finished the game with 26.
“We share the ball really well and our defense looks really hard to pass through at times,” said coach Tyler Patrick. “We know we have a lot to work on on the offensive side of things, the one thing I love about my team is they are not afraid to put in the hard work, and I believe we are going to have an amazing year.”
Scoring:
Deegan Mattson, 14
Ryedan Reed 13
Tavyn Anderson 9
Sawyer Horne 9
Grady Erickson 9
Kaden Richtmyer 2
Trenton Hoveland 2
Wyatt Roberson 2
Quarter Scoring
Townsend: 19 35 48 60
Gardiner: 12 18 21 47
December 8, 2023
Townsend Lady Dogs vs Manhattan Christian
The Townsend Bulldogs played their season opener Friday against the Manhattan Christian Eagles in Churchill. The Bulldogs started off cold, giving the Eagles a 15-point lead early in the game, but the Bulldogs kept the press on and fought hard all game.
The Bulldogs, led by senior, Ella Begger who finished with 12 points and 8 steals, held the Eagles to 1 point in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 5 going into halftime.
The Eagles came out big in the 3rd quarter with 17, extending the lead back to 13, led by Bella Triemstra, who finished with 17 on the night.
The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles 10-5 in the final quarter, but that was not going to be enough as they needed another 8 to complete the comeback, losing 36-44. “Our main focus this next week is to improve on some of the areas that led to our loss against Manhattan Christian,” said Coach David Lawson, who is excited about getting another week of practice before a 4-game home stretch heading into the Christmas break.
Scoring:
Ella Begger 12
Holly Newman 8
Emmalin Fischer 7
Cassidy Flynn 6
Kaitlyn Noyes 3
By Quarter:
Townsend: 5 16 26 36
Manhattan Christian: 20 21 39 44
December 11:
Townsend Lady Dogs vs Gardiner Bruins
The Townsend Lady Dogs wasted no time getting started against the Gardiner Bruins, getting out to a 26-2 run in the first quarter. The Bulldog’s press led to 17 steals causing 47 total turnovers on the night for the Bruins. The Bulldogs had hands in every passing lane during the press and made it very difficult to even get the ball across half-court in the 66-24 rout.
The Dogs were led by Senior Ella Begger and Sophomore Holly Newman in a game that saw every Bulldog in the scorebook. Coach Lawson was happy with the performance overall but knows that there is always room for improvement. “Our goals are to make improvements during each game through this upcoming stretch” as the Dogs start a 4-game homestand.
The next games will be all at home, Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Check the school website for times.
Scoring:
Ella Begger 11
Holly Newman 10
Kaitlyn Noyes 8
Jazel Ragen 8
Emmalin Fischer 8
Cassidy Flynn 7
Bryleigh Erickson 6
Taylor Cartwright 3
Abigail Wickens 2
Mishayla Lambott 2
Madelyn Schritz 1
Quarter Scoring:
Townsend: 26 40 58 66
Gardiner: 2 15 18 24
