The Becker boys basketball team is flummoxed.

After going 2-4 in their first six games of the season, the boys went on a tear, winning six in a row to improve to 8-4 by the middle of January. Now,  in the last week or so, the Bulldogs are in a little tail-spin, losing their third and fourth games in a row against St. Cloud Tech and Big Lake.

St. Cloud Tech 72, Becker 63

Last Saturday, the Bulldogs hosted the Tech Tigers and played valiantly, only to fall in the waning minutes of the game to the  2-15 Tigers. Tech got scoring from eight different players including 26 from Kytavion Norwood.

Becker was led by Cade Callahan, who tallied 13 points in the loss.

At halftime, the Bulldogs saw themselves down by just two when the horn sounded — 27-25. In the second half, Becker played right with the Tigers for most of the half, but just couldn’t get over the hump as they were out-scored 36-34.

Becker scoring: Cade Callahan 13, Nick Knute 11, Nick Mittelstaedt 10, Eric Seavert 8, Carter Hietala 8, Carter Callahan 7, Josh Fobbe 6.

Tech scoring: Norwood 26, Drake Jett 9, Joe Dolan 8, Devyn Yeager 8, Kalvon Harris 7, Pal Choul 7, Nate Trewick 5, Chris Schmidt 2.

Hornets 73, Bulldogs 65

Tuesday, the Bulldogs hosted the Hornets of Big Lake and were handed their eighth defeat.

Again, the Bulldogs hung in there in the first 18 minutes, scoring basket-for-basket with Big Lake and heading into the lockerroom down by 41-39. But Big Lake turned up the intensity in the second half, swarming the Bulldogs and causing numerous turnovers and suspect passes and shots. Big Lake’s Wyatt Windhorst was the catalyst as he scored 20 points to lead his team to the win.

Becker’s Nick Knute was stellar, making key shots from deep range and using his size to score from in-close. He finished with a game-high, 23 points.

Big Lake out-scored Becker in the final frame, 34-24.

Becker scoring: Knute 23, Cade Callahan 8, Nick Mittelstaedt 8, Seavert 7, Fobbe 6, Cam Fischer 5, Carter Callahan 3, Gabe Lindbom 3.

Big Lake scoring: Windhorst 20, Alec Morehead 15, Peyton McConville 13, Jack Iverson 13, Brady Josewski 8, Alexander Ombongi 3, Mitchell Spanier 2. 

Up Next

The Bulldogs took on Cambridge-Isanti Friday at home (full report on game will occur in next week’s Citizen-Tribune).

Monday, they host Rocori, then hit the road Friday to St. Francis for a 7:15 p.m. tip-off.