Bulldog boys beat Beavers, take Wolves in overtime
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
THE BULLDOGS’ Owen Rydel looked to score during a January 5th home basketball game versus Elmwood/Plum City. Boyceville won 73-64 in overtime. —photo by Jacob Maes Photography
by Joel DeWitt
Sports Correspondent
Heading into the new year, the Boyceville boys’ basketball team’s future appeared to be trending down. Losers of five straight after back-to-back loses to Elk Mound, things looked bleak for the purple and white.
However, a trip to Minnesota for a game against Webster on December 29 appears to have been the salve to heal the Bulldogs wounds. The win at Target Center propelled Boyceville to a three game win streak to even their record at 6-6 on the year.
Boyceville began 2024 hosting Augusta on January 2 and poured in 78 points on the night as they routed the Beavers 78-37.
Three nights later the Bulldogs welcomed Elmwood/Plum City to the doghouse and secured their first conference victory of the season as they held off a Wolves second-half rally to force overtime and win 73-64.
Boyceville resumed action on January 8 hosting Chetek-Weyerhaeuser. The game was not complete in time for this edition.
They will then travel west on highway 170 for the season’s first matchup with rival Glenwood City (7-4, 2-2) with tipoff at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, January 11.
Augusta
While the Bulldogs hung 78 points on the Beavers, they accomplished that feat through volume and not accuracy. Boyceville was only 40 percent shooting from the field on the night, however they managed to dominate the interior and pulled down 52 rebounds to offset their inaccuracy.
Three-pointers were crucial to the Bulldogs effort on the evening as they put in seven in the first half. Nick Olson drained five 3-pointers in the opening half to pace his team with 17 points before intermission.
Devin Halama added 11 points in the first half as Boyceville jumped out to a 45-26 advantage at intermission.
THREE-POINT SHOT — Boyceville senior Caden Wold let fly with a three-point shot attempt during a Januaruy 5 home game against Elmwood/Plum City. Wold netted a pair of threes and 14 points in the Bulldogs’ overtime win. —photo by Jacob Maes Photography
While the Bulldogs cooled down from beyond the arc in the second period, the Boyceville defense stepped up. They held Augusta to only 11 points past intermission.
Caden Wold’s 12 points in the second half helped the Bulldogs secure the 78-37 victory.
Boyceville boosted three players in double figures with Olson leading the way with 19 points including going 5-9 from beyond the arc. Both Halama and Wold added 15 apiece.
Grant Kaiser led the way on the boards with ten on the night. Owen Rydel pulled down nine, as Peter Wheeldon and Halama had eight and seven, respectively.
Elmwood/Plum City
Similar to their contest against Augusta, the Bulldogs relied heavily on the 3-point game to stay in the game. Unlike that game, Kaiser’s inside presence was critical down the stretch to secure the win.
Five 3-pointers in the first half, two apiece by Olson and Halama and one by Wold, paced the Bulldog offense as Boyceville went into halftime trailing the Wolves 30-24.
The Bulldogs pulled out to the 43-37 lead midway through the second half behind three 3-pointers and three buckets from Kaiser. Kaiser was crucial down the stretch as he’d add eight points to help hold off a hot shooting Blake Allen and knot the score at the end of regulation at 61 apiece.
Boyceville dominated the overtime period outscoring the Wolves 12-3, thanks in large part to a Halama 3-pointer and the squad going 5-8 from the free-throw line to secure the 73-64 win.
Kaiser led four Bulldogs in double-digit scoring putting in 20 on the evening. Halama pitched in 18, while Olson and Wold added 14 each. To go along with his 18 points, Halama also grabbed a team high 12 rebounds.