Bulldogs Finish 4th At District Tournament
Author: Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter
Bulldogs Finish 4th At District Tournament Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter Broadwater basketball season came to an end at the Southern 5B District tournament last week, and although the losses were heartbreaking, both showed immense growth throughout the season.
The Bulldogs kicked off their district run in a face-off against the Whitehall Trojans.
Scoring was sparse in the first period and Whitehall took the lead, 10-3. The Trojans continued to outscore the Bulldogs in the second 9-7, ending the second half with the Bulldogs down 10-19.
Shots started falling in the third for the Bulldogs, and a run of 17-9 left the Bulldogs down by one, 27-28.
Entering the fourth period, both teams stayed neck-and-neck. In the end, Whitehall maintained their one-point lead and claimed the win, 41-40.
Next up for the Bulldogs was the Big Timber Sheepherders in a loser-out match, and it was another close one.
The Bulldogs didn’t wait to bust out the gates this time and led the Sheepherders 15-9 by the end of the first period. Eager to stay in the tournament, the Sheepherders outscored the Bulldogs and earned a one-point lead, 20-21.
In the third, the Sheepherders continued to land more than the Bulldogs, but the deficit only grew to three-points.
Both teams entered what could be the final quarter of their season with the Bulldogs down, 32-35. The fourth quarter was a low-scoring one, and the Bulldogs inched forward just enough to move on in the tournament 40-39.
Playing for the chance to move onto the Divisional Tournament in Billings, the Bulldogs faced Jefferson’s Panthers in a competitive match-up.
The Bulldogs started off slow again, scoring only eight points to the Panthers’ 14. The second period picked up in pace, but the Panthers kept their lead. Although the Bulldogs entered the second half of the game down 22-39, they were eager to make up the lost ground.
Their efforts kept the points deficit the same, but it wasn’t until the fourth period that the Bulldogs would finally outscore the Panthers 18-17. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to put the Bulldogs ahead and their tournament run ended in a fourth place finish, 59-75.
Ryan Racht led the Bulldogs in points with 42 points scored throughout the tournament, followed by Jesus Garcia with 36 and Ryedan Reed 19. Sawyer Horne scored 18 points at districts, Deegan Mattson 12, Camden Ferguson four and Eric Eichinger 2. Both Peyton Toney and Grady Erickson scored three points each.
Lady Bulldogs
The Lady Bulldogs district run opened with a match against the Three Forks Wolves for one last dog fight.
Both teams started off slow in the first quarter with the Wolves scoring eight points and the Bulldogs five. After shaking their tournament nerves, both teams gained intensity and the Lady Bulldogs took the lead, 22-21.
The third quarter started much like the first, and the Lady Bulldogs only added two points to their lead, 28-25. The Lady Bulldogs continued to land more shots than the Wolves and claimed their first district tournament win 44-39.
Next up were the Big Timber Sheepherders. The Sheepherders wasted no time building a lead over the Lady Bulldogs, scoring 20 points to Broadwater’s six in the first quarter.
Points were more even in the second, but the Lady Bulldogs still finished the first half of the game down 17-39.
In the third quarter, the Lady Bulldogs weren’t able to get the ball in the hoop and the Sheepherders extended their lead to 58-17. In the final quarter, the Sheepherders added another six points to the Lady Bulldogs’ one. Final: 64-18, Big Timber.
The Lady Bulldogs quickly shook off their loss and prepared to face the Whitehall Trojans in a loser out match the next morning.
In the first quarter, the Lady Bulldogs outscored the Trojans 10-7 and continued to do so in the second 11-9. By the end of the first half, the Lady Bulldogs had established five point lead, 21-16 — which would prove handy later in the game.
The Trojans came back in the third quarter with vengeance and scored 21 points to the Lady Bulldogs’ 15. This put the Trojans up by one point, 37-36.
With only one quarter left in either the Lady Bulldogs’ or the Trojans season, and the game still open for anyone to claim, both teams set to work. In the end, the Lady Bulldogs were able to sink three more points than the Trojans, giving them the win, 55-52.
The Lady Bulldogs’ next match, against the Jefferson Panthers’, would determine whether their season came to an end or extended for one more week. Unfortunately, the number two seed Panthers were able to out score the Lady Bulldogs in all four quarters. The Panthers claimed the win, and the extended season, 58-24.
Ella Begger led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring with 37 points throughout the district tournament, followed by Emily Bird with 31. Next came Holly Newman with 28, Kaitlyn Noyes with 13, Briannah Williams with 12, Emmalin Fischer 11, Cassidy Flynn six and Madelyn Schritz three. Best of luck to the Bulldog athletes and coaches moving into their spring season. Check back next week for the season stats wrap up!
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PhotoCredit: Kelly Morris
Image 1 Caption: Deegan Mattson
Image 2 Caption: Brianna Williams
