By Grant Barrett, Ad Astra Radio
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The McPherson High Boys Freshman Boys Basketball team competed in the Hutchinson Tournament, where they found themselves trailing early in the Championship against Maize, before coming out with a 58-49 win.
Four Bullpups scored in double figures, led by Paxton Ingles, who led McPherson with 17 points, and was a key contributor down low. The Bullpups found themselves trailing 11-8 after the first quarter, but fought to claim a 24-22 lead going into the half, as Kaizer Kanitz joined Ingles combining for 12 points in the quarter. Kanitz finished with 16 points in the game.
Maize would tie the game 33-33, going into the fourth quarter, but the Pups shot a perfect 5/5 in the fourth quarter. Cade Strathman led with 8 points in the final period, on his way to a 12 point night, while Cowen Huggard knocked down three from beyond the arc, finishing with 11 points, as the Pups would go on to win 58-49. “Our boys came out and battled for this one.” noted Coach Brandt Busse. “We did a great job defensively against Maize and kept them off the offensive glass. It was a great team effort.”
Busse concluded by saying, “I am extremely proud of these guys. They have really grown over the course of this season and continue to improve.”
The McPherson Freshman will return to action Friday in Towanda, as they’ll return to regular season action against the Circle Thunderbirds.
Scoring Summary:
P. Ingles 17 pts
K. Kanitz 16 pts
C. Strathman 12 pts
C. Huggard 11 pts
D. Cabezas 2 pts
