Last Tuesday, the Becker Bulldogs went on the road and had a huge first half en route to defeating a solid Willmar team, 67-55.  The win kept the Bulldogs undefeated on the season and also earned them some statewide recognition as they entered this week ranked #10 in the state in Class AAA basketball.

Becker had a huge first half, taking a 34-16 lead into halftime, and Coach Josh Ihrke felt his team had great balance and effort.

“In Willmar, it was our most balanced game of the season, as we played well on both ends of the floor for a majority of the game,” said Ihrke.  “We had five guys in double figures and played consistently throughout the game.”

The Bulldogs showed extremely good balance on the offensive end of the floor, as Eric Seavert led the team with 14 points.  Joining him in double figures were Brady Paumen and Julias Hendricks (12), and Nick Berglund and Alex Weiss (10). Other Becker scorers included Hayden Harmoning (six) and Ryan Bengtson (three).

The second half saw the host Cardinals mount an impressive rally, but the Bulldogs did enough to maintain the lead and move their record to 5-0 on the season.

“We continue to improve defensively and Alex Weiss had his best game of the season on the offensive end,” Ihrke said. “Alex has been steady on both ends of the floor and put together a great game with 10 points and six rebounds.”

For the game, Becker shot over 52% from the field, while holding the Cardinals under 40% in their shooting efforts.

Becker’s inside presence was also better, as the Bulldogs held a 34-20 advantage in points in the paint. The Bulldogs also protected the rim well, earning six blocked shots, while their ball control was excellent as they committed just 11 turnovers.

This week, the Bulldogs were scheduled to participate in the Granite City Classic, taking on Hutchinson in a Wednesday afternoon game at St. Cloud Apollo before a Thursday matchup with the Rockford Rockets held at SCSU.  Check back next week for results from the games, the first in several years where the Bulldogs will be defending a state ranking.