Bridgeport ends Perkins County’s chance at state bid

by Becky Uehling

Grant tribune-sentinel

The Perkins County Plainsmen ended their season Tuesday, Feb. 21 with a loss to Bridgeport, 54-43, in the first action of subdistricts. The Plainsmen ended their year with a record of 12-12. 

It was again a game that came down to being pivotal from the free-throw line for each team, with the Plainsmen falling short. 

The first half Perkins County struggled to keep up with the Bulldogs, with Bridgeport out scoring the Plainsmen 13-9 in the first quarter and 11-5 in the second.

Sophomore Dawson Tjaden started the scoring for the Plainsmen in the first quarter, putting up the first two points for Perkins County, and then adding two more off a rebound later in the quarter. 

Also adding points in the first quarter were Blake Garner, Jackson Wykert, Landon Noyes and a free-throw by Ryder Potts. 

With the score sitting at 16-11, Wykert would start the scoring in the second quarter for the Plainsmen. However, the Bulldogs would answer back quickly adding four points to their side of the scoreboard and Plainsmen Head Coach Todd Kraus calling for a timeout. 

Two fouls by the Plainsmen would send the Bulldogs to the free-throw line on the next two possessions. However, Bridgeport would not be able to capitalize on the opportunities with the score remaining 20-11, Bridgeport. 

A Colton Kroeker assist to Tjaden would allow the Plainsmen to add two more points. However, the Bulldogs would add a field goal and two free-throws to their side before the half-time buzzer, giving them the lead, 24-14, as the two teams exited into the locker rooms.

The second half saw a fired-up Plainsmen team come back and begin to fight and whittle the score towards their favor. 

The force of the team, behind connected baskets from Wykert, Kroeker and Garner, would bring the score to within 10 points, Bridgeport leading at the end of the third quarter, 37-27. 

Possession and scoring would go back and forth between the two teams with just a few minutes left in play. That is when junior Nolan Foster would be fouled with Kraus calling another timeout. Foster would add another point to the Plainsmen side with the score again sitting at a spread of 10 points, 35-35, Bridgeport. 

An attempt by Bridgeport to shoot the ball was then blocked by Garner. Ryder Potts would then be fouled and, making his way to the free-throw line, dropped in two more points for the Plainsmen. Potts would then add another two with a field goal, the score sitting at 45-39, Bridgeport. 

On the next play, Garner put in two more points off of a rebound for the Plainsmen to get Perkins County to within just four points of the Bulldogs, with their head coach calling a timeout.

After the timeout, the Plainsmen struggled with fouls, sending the Bulldogs to the free-throw line a total of six times in the last minutes of play. Bridgeport would make 10 of their 12 free-throws, with the Plainsmen only contributing a fieldgoal within the same time period, sealing with win for Bridgeport.

For the Plainsmen, it was Wykert leading in points with 12, followed by Garner 8, and Potts 7, Tjaden 5, Noyes and Kroeker each with 4. 

For Bridgeport, it was Kolby Lussetto leading in points with 18. 

Bridgeport went on to lose to Howells-Dodge, 56-34, during a district game in Lexington on Monday, Feb. 27, ending their season.