Alec Nagel (25) scored 15 points in the Pirates’ 62-48 win over Green Bay Preble Feb. 9.
BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT
SUAMICO – On STINGCANCER night at Bay Port High School, the boys’ basketball team did its part by beating Green Bay Preble 62-48 in a Fox River Classic Conference game Feb. 9.
The Pirates (15-3 overall, 13-2 FRCC) jumped out to a 17-2 lead, only to see the Hornets (3-16, 2-13) claw their way back to a 30-21 deficit at the break.
“We probably got a little too relaxed,” said Bay Port head coach Nate Rykal about letting Preble back in the game. “They got after it – give them a lot of credit for hanging in there and making some shots. We didn’t shoot it particularly well. We didn’t turn them over enough – they only had 11 turnovers. We need to play with a little more intensity, but every now and again you’re going to have a game like this.”
Cordell Tinch, who scored 10 points in the first 13 minutes of the game for Bay Port, went down with an ankle injury at the 4:30 mark of the first half and didn’t return. Tinch could be seen icing his left ankle on the Pirates’ bench for the rest of the game. Two of Tinch’s points came on his 26th dunk of the season.
“Cordell should be fine,” Rykal said. “He stepped on somebody’s foot and it’s pretty swollen. He was off to a good start, too. He really worked on his outside shot this past offseason and it’s starting to show now.”
Preble employed a slow-it-down offense for most of the game, taking 60-90 seconds off the clock on each possession before taking a shot.
“Their first possession of the second half they took a minute off the clock and then hit a three,” Rykal added. “That’s probably what they need to do to have a chance. It was good strategy by them.”
The Hornets actually got to within five points early in the second half (32-27), but the Pirates outscored Preble 30-21 the rest of the way.
Alec Nagel had a strong game for Bay Port, as he scored 15 points on a trio of three-pointers. Deland Phillips, Cade Johnson and Jack Plumb all scored nine points, while Plumb added eight rebounds.
Camden Wall and Bryan Boockmeier scored 17 and, 15 points respectively for the Hornets.
Bay Port will travel to Ashwaubenon (3-16, 3-12) Tuesday, Feb. 13, before hosting second-place Pulaski (15-3, 12-3) Friday, Feb. 16, in a game that will most likely decide the conference championship.
Box score
Preble: 21, 27 – 48
Bay Port: 30, 32 – 62
P: Wall 17, Nicklaus 3, Boockmeier 15, Watermolen 4, Carwardine 9; 3-pt: Wall 1, Nicklaus 1, Boockmeier 3, Carwardine 3; FG: 18-43 (42%); FT: 4-5 (80%).
BP: Tinch 10, Phillips 9, Johnson 9, Nagel 15, Plumb 9, King 3, Melchior 2, Schroeder 5; 3-pt: Tinch 2, Nagel 3, King 1, Schroeder 1; FG: 21-46 (46%); FT: 13-16 (81%).
