Boyceville boys drop trio of games; remain winless

Playing three games in a four-day span is a difficult undertaking for any team particularly one struggling for a win.

But that is just the situation the Boyceville boys’ basketball squad found itself in this past week.

After a ten-day break, the Bulldogs bookended a pair of home contests against Elk Mound on Friday, January 8 and St. Croix Central on Monday, January 11 around a long road trip to Stanley-Boyd on Saturday, January 9. The road game was part of a double header with the girls team.

Although Boyceville was unable to pick up its first win of the season, the Bulldogs did come close in Monday’s game with St. Croix Central. The Panthers sank a basket as the game buzzer sounded to give them a 49-47 win over the Bulldogs.

It was Boyceville’s tenth loss of the season and in as many games and came on the heals of Friday’s 68-53 set back to Elk Mound and the following day’s 61-43 loss at Stanley-Boyd.

St. Croix Central

Monday’s (January 11) non-conference home game with St. Croix Central looked like it was headed to overtime tied at 47 after what appeared to be the Panthers’ final shot bounced off the rim.

Or at least that is what Boyceville believed.

Instead a Central player tracked down the rebound and put up a 15-foot baseline jumper that went through the hoop as the horn sounded on yet another Bulldogs’ loss, 49-47.

It spoiled a 23-point, 15-rebound effort by sophomore center Luke Knutdson.

Knudtson scored 12 of his game high in the first half as Boyceville went to the intermission with a 25 to 18 advantage.

Knutdson stayed hot in the second half, netting another 11 points including his second three of the game.

But it was not enough to overcome the Panthers’ resurgent second-half offense. St. Croix nailed five of its seven three-point shots in the latter half and outscored the Bulldogs 31 to 22 after the half for the two-point win.

Micadin Kahl and Bryce Boda collaborated for 10 points each in the loss.

Fuzzy Lathe led eight Panthers in scoring with 11 points.

Stanley-Boyd

The Bulldogs trailed by just four points, 28-24, after the first half of play Saturday, January 9 in Stanley.

But the Orioles outscored the Bulldogs 33-14 in the final 18 minutes to secure a 61-43 win.

Bryce Boda and Luke Knutdson scored seven point each in the first half for the Bulldogs who also got baskets from Cooper Boesl, Hunter Anderson, Buddy Hanestad and Micadin Kahl.

But Boyceville struggled from its offensive set in the second half.

Knutdson sank a trey and two of four free throws to lead the Bulldogs with 12 points. Boda added just one hoop to finish with nine  as did Boesl to finish with six. Anderson and Kahl tallied five points each.

Brady Booth led the Orioles and all scorers with 17 points. Brandon Herrick had 12 and Seth Hause finished with ten points for Stanley-Boyd.

Elk Mound

Boyceville hit seven three-point shots, four by Micadin Kahl, who led the Bulldogs with 16 points and got another dozen from Luke Knutdson but it was not enough to overcome the visiting Elk Mound Mounders Friday, January 8.

That’s because the Mounders’ uptempo style yielded several shooting opportunities including from long range where they canned eight of their own treys to take a 68-53 win in Dunn-St. Croix boys’ action at the Dog House.

11 Mounders cracked the scoring column including three in double digits. Dane Lew, who tallied four of Elk Mound’s three-pointers, finished with 12 points as did Ben Lambele. Dylan Black added 11 points on a pair of threes.

Kahl had ten first-half points and Knutdson added six as the Bulldogs trailed 37-23 at the half.

But four treys – two each by Black and Brandon Bohl – to open the second half helped stretch the Mounders lead to nearly 30 points.

Hunter Anderson kept the Bulldogs in the game with a pair of baskets and a three-point shot in the early portion of the second half.

Boyceville tried to rally late in the contest, hitting four of its seven threes in the final four minutes of play but it was too little, too late as Elk Mound rolled to the 15-point victory.