BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT
SUAMICO – With its 20th Fox River Classic Conference victory in a row, the Bay Port boys’ basketball team knows they will get opponent’s best each game.
Despite starting a bit slow, the Pirates (4-0 overall, 2-0 FRCC) turned it on after halftime in a 78-52 victory over the Sheboygan North Golden Raiders (1-4, 0-3) Dec. 12 at Bay Port High School.
Senior Cade Johnson poured in 18 points, while Cordell Tinch and Deland Phillips added 15 and 11 respectively. All 15 players saw action and all but two scored.
“We did start a little slow but then we got into our rhythm and pulled away,” said Bay Port coach Nate Rykal. “We have to bring it each game because we know that we are going to get the other team’s best effort. They want to knock us off that pedestal. I thought Cade played a really good game. He bounced back a little bit from the (Sheboygan) South game.”
Johnson added five rebounds, four assists and four steals. He also had a pair of dunks and even got called for a technical for hanging on the rim.
“I thought I played pretty well,” said Johnson. “I made a few shots and did some other good things. I really don’t think I should have gotten the technical for hanging on the rim because I was just protecting myself from falling. You saw on the second dunk that I didn’t hang and ended up falling.”
Tinch also added two thunderous dunks to go along with his five assists, two blocks and three steals.
Things were close early on with the Pirates clinging to a 15-13 lead, but Bay Port then outscored North 26-11 the rest of the first half to lead 41-24 at the break. Senior reserve guard Danny King nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer for the Pirates.
After intermission Bay Port subbed freely and led by as many as 28.
“I still think we can play a ton better,” added Rykal. “I’ve said it in earlier games as well but we need to shoot the ball better, and make sure we play with intensity every game.”
The Pirates shot 49 percent from the floor overall (29-of-60) but just 15-of-24 from the free-throw line (63 percent).
Bay Port forced 32 North turnovers and committed 13 of its own. Those Golden Raiders’ turnovers led to 39 points for the Pirates, who also had a whopping 60-20 scoring advantage in the paint.
Bay Port is next in action Friday, Dec. 15, when they host Manitowoc Lincoln (1-4, 1-1) in another FRCC matchup.
Notes: according to a wissports.net story it is expected that Stevens Point’s Joey Hauser will miss the rest of the season after undergoing ankle surgery. Hauser, a Marquette University recruit, injured his ankle in a 2016 Level 3 football playoff game against the Pirates. The Panthers are the three-time defending state champs. Bay Port beat Point 76-66 Dec. 1.
Box score
North: 24, 28 – 52
Bay Port: 41, 37 – 78
BP: Tinch 15, Phillips 11, Johnson 18, Nagel 4, Plumb 6, Plummer 2, King 4, Melchoir 2, Salem 3, Mooren 5, Schroeder 4, LaMue 2, Kozak 2.