By Candie Fix
Bulldogs top Merino by 3 in 1A battle
Share
Tweet
February 19, 2020
Herald photo by Candie Fix
HAXTUN BULLDOG #14 Isaac Andersen lays one up and in during the first half of the Bulldogs match up with Wiggins in the final home game this season. Andersen led his team in rebounds against the Tigers, pulling down six.
With just one regular season game left on the schedule, the Haxtun Bulldog basketball team sits at 7-11 overall and 3-4 in league play, according to MaxPreps.
The Bulldogs are set to face off with top-ranked 2A team Yuma this Friday on the road before heading into District play next week.
Haxtun saw two tough teams this past week as they etched out a three-point road win over Merino Friday night and battled in a tough, physical match up with Wiggins on Friday in the final home game of the season.
The Bulldogs topped Merino 46-43 on Thursday for a big, league victory. Junior Ryan Tempel led the team in both scoring and rebounding. He pulled down 15 rebounds while putting up 14 points.
The following night, Haxtun hosted Wiggins for the final game on the Bulldogs' home court this year. The Tigers claimed an early 22-19 advantage after the first quarter of play but the Bulldogs outscored the visiting team by one to keep it tight at half time.
A cold third quarter by the home team put a damper on their score as Wiggins widened the scoring gap by eight. In the final, Haxtun battled to get back in but fell short at the horn, suffering a 60-41 loss.
For the second night, Tempel led Haxtun in points with 11 against Wiggins. Isaac Andersen brought down six rebounds, the team high.
"Last week we played two teams that are very good competitors," Head Coach Bryce Bivins said this week. "Upsetting Merino was a definite highlight of the week and that's because of defense. We were forcing turnovers and not allowing penetration to the inside."
Herald photo by Candie Fix
SENIOR Clayton Stephens takes the ball up the court as he drives past a Wiggins defender.
This week, Haxtun will be on the road as the Bulldogs make their way to Yuma Friday night to take on the Yuma Indians, a team that MaxPreps lists as 15-2 overall and 6-0 in league play.
"Yuma is number three in 2A, I want the kids to be in the correct spots and not get frustrated," Bivins said of this week's contest. "They are going to have to play fast and handle the ball to capitalize against Yuma's 3-2 zone that that they will play."
Next will brings on the District Tournament for the Bulldogs. Game times and locations will be determined once all regular season games are finished this weekend.
"We will take one game at a time," said Bivins. "Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make Regionals, therefore we must remain focused on each competitor we lay and not get too ahead of ourselves."
Reader Comments(0)