Bulldog boys drop season finale to Durand-Arkansaw
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by Joel DeWitt
Sports Correspondent
DURAND – Heading into the season finale on February 22, the Boyceville boys’ basketball team was looking to lock up sole possession of fourth place and even their record at 7-7 in conference play with a win. The problem was they faced first-place Durand-Arkansaw.
The Panthers come into action boosting a 19-4 overall record and needed a win to guarantee sole possession of the Dunn-St. Croix crown. While Boyceville held Durand-Arkansaw to a season conference low of 53 points, they couldn’t muster enough offensive production and fell 53-40.
Although the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Panthers 42-28, they only went 14-for-60 from the field on the night, including 5-for-26 from behind the three-point line.
Boyceville managed to keep the game tight throughout the first half. Three pointers from Carson Roemhild and Nick Olson kept the Panther defense honest, while Grant Kaiser scored six points in the opening frame as the Bulldogs managed only 16 points in the first 18 minutes.
Fortunately, the Bulldogs defense was up to the task. The Panthers managed only eight field goals before halftime to take a slim 21-16 advantage into the intermission.
The rims loosened for both teams in the second half. Caden Wold extended the floor with a pair of three pointers, and Kaiser added an additional nine points to keep his team close with the Panthers.
However, the conference leading Panthers were too tough on the night. Parker Almsed scored 13 of his game high 21 point in the second half to help his squad secure the 53-40 win and grab the outright conference title.
The loss drops Boyceville’s record to even on the year at 11-11 and leaves them tied with Colfax for fourth place in conference at 6-8.
Kaiser posted a double-double on the night scoring 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting, including a trey, and had 12 boards. Devin Halama led his team with 13 rebounds and was three points short of double digits in scoring with 7.
Boyceville, seeded twelfth, travels to Chippewa Falls on February 27 to take on sixth seeded McDonell Central in regional quarterfinal action of the WIAA Division 4 basketball tournament. The winner moves on to Friday’s semifinal in Spring Valley against the third-seeded Cardinals who had an opening-round bye.