Two boys basketball teams who are very familiar with one another met on the court Tuesday night in Big Lake, with the Becker Bulldogs using a significant advantage at the free throw line en route to a 83-78 win over the Hornets.

There were few surprises in the opening 18 minutes, as the teams played an even stanza with Becker leading 35-34 going into halftime.  However, both teams came out of the locker room with an improved scoring effort, including at the free throw line, where Becker ended up with a 10 point advantage in the game.  Personal fouls were basically even in the game, with the Hornets committing 20 to Becker’s 21.  However, the Bulldogs were more aggressive in securing trips to the line and converted on 28-35 free throws to Big Lake’s 17-25 performance.

Becker had an amazing 31 free throw attempts after halftime, including a 7-for-9 effort from Alex Weiss.

The close game was not something that surprised Becker head coach Josh Ihrke, as he expected a hard fought battle.

“It is always fun to hear the guys talk about the skills of the players from Big Lake,” said Ihrke.  “They have played each other so many times and know each other so well that they know the strengths and weaknesses of each player on the other team without me describing them at all.”

Junior Eric Seavert agreed with his coach, noting the extra excitement that comes with playing the long-time rival.

“Everyone knows how big this rivalry is and we all look forward to this matchup every year,” said Seavert. “Because of this we are full of energy as soon as we get off the bus so it is crucial to stay poised and control our emotions when we step on the court.”

Seavert certainly was poised, as he was a shooting force for Becker and scored a game high 29 points,  hitting six three-pointers total, four in the second half. 

“I was feeling great, I was able to get into a good rhythm early which resulted in a quick start,” said Seavert.  “My teammates were able to recognize that and continued to feed me and we were able to keep that momentum going for the rest of the game.”

Nick Berglund chipped in 15 points for the Bulldogs, who had a total of four players in double figures.

For the Hornets, 6’6” senior forward Jack Iverson led the way with 21 points, while classmate Wyatt Windhorst collected 14.  The Hornets also had four players in double figures.

Becker scoring: Weiss 13, Berglund 15, Nick Knute 10, Hayden Harmoning 8, Seavert 29, Brady Paumen 8.

Big Lake scoring: Tre Gordy 5, Kyle Segner 3, Windhorst 14, Mitchell Spanier 4, Will Boeckman 5, Mitchell Hill 10, Johnathon O’Brien 12, Tyler Gagnon 1, Iverson 21.

Fall to Tigers

Last Friday, the Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season to Mississippi 8 Conference favorite Princeton, 81-72.

Becker had a better shooting percentage than the Tigers, and rebounding was nearly even.  However,  the Bulldogs committed 30 turnovers which led to a 30-12 deficit in transition points and led to the Tiger win.

Scoring: Weiss 6, Berglund 7, Knute 17, Harmoning 8, Seavert 13, Paumen 17, Goebel 4.