Tuesday night, the Becker boys basketball team traveled to Cambridge-Isanti for a Mississippi 8 Conference matchup and came away with an impressive defensive performance in a 65-42 victory. 

With the win, Becker extends its record to 9-6 so far with three regular season games left in the season.

Coach Josh Ihrke’s team has had some great offensive performances this year, but on Tuesday it was the team’s defense that made the difference.

“Tonight we came out and played a great game defensively,” said Ihrke.  “It was a complete effort on this end which allowed us to have a significant advantage on the rebounding side of the game.”

By limiting the Bluejackets’ second chance opportunities, Becker was able to make do with a balanced scoring effort as nine different Bulldogs scored in the game.

“Offensively, Eric Seavert had a great night attacking the middle of their matchup zone,” added Ihrke.  “He continues to lead us and helped facilitate a great effort tonight.”

For the season, Seavert leads the team offensively by averaging 15.5 points per game, while Brady Paumen (13.2) and Nick Knute (12.8) are close behind.

“Nick Knute added good minutes,” said Ihrke.  “It was great to see how balanced the scoring was throughout the game.”

Against the Bluejackets it was a pair of Bulldogs who ended up in double figures as Seavert poured in 16 points, while Knute added 15.

One statistic in particular underscored Ihrke’s praise of his team’s defense, as Becker had a decided advantage at the free throw line. The Bulldogs hit all nine of their attempts, while holding Cambridge-Isanti to a 2-for-2 performance. Anytime a team can hold its opponent to just two free throw attempts for the game, it’s a good indication of a strong team defensive effort.

With three games remaining in the regular season, Ihrke is hopeful that his team’s offensive and defensive performances can mesh together to make the Bulldogs a team no one wants to face in the postseason.

“A number of guys had good games and that is what it will take to make a push in the postseason,” added the coach.

Becker was scheduled to travel to St. Francis Thursday night and then will wait a week for its next game, a March 11 matchup at home against the Big Lake Hornets.  The two teams met in Big Lake at the end of January with Becker coming out on top 83-78 in a high scoring affair.

Scoring: Alex Weiss 2, Nick Berglund 7, Julius Hendricks 4, Knute 15, Hayden Harmoning 7, Seavert 16, Palmen 7, Carter Callahan 2 and Landen Goebel 5.