The Becker boys basketball team was firing on all cylinders last Friday in a 97-40 win over North Branch.  It was “Youth Night” in the gym, and the ‘Dogs used that home court to their advantage, rolling to a 32-8 lead. 

“We had a season-high 32 assists and only six turnovers, which as a coach is a joy to see,” said Head Coach Cory Nuest. “When players enjoy sharing the basketball, and play really hard on defense, fans love watching that.

One big difference in the game was rebounding, despite the Vikings having an overall size advantage.

“We have our program standards that we have identified as keys to being successful, we call them the BIG 7, and of them is ‘Rebound like a DAWG’,” Nuest said. “Our boys certainly did that tonight.”

While the boys were dominating on the court, they also recognized members of the 20,000 Shot Club, a foundational piece of the Bulldogs’ long-term success.

“The Shot Club is the backbone of our success at the varsity level,” Nuest said. “Every one of our current players put in that time when they were younger, and that time makes it possible to enjoy success at the varsity level.  I’m really grateful for our youth basketball program - our board is top notch, and I’m thankful for all of our volunteer youth coaches who not only coach basketball, but use it as a way to impact the youth in our community.”

Stats: Troy Nuest: 21 pts, seven rebounds, nine assists, eight steals; Owen Reinking: 14 points, four rebounds, three assists; Nathan Weiss: 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists; Bryce Paumen: nine points, three rebounds; Isiah Boyer: eight points, four rebounds, eight assists; Saul Kreft: eight points, two rebounds; Owen Westin: seven points, three rebounds; Tucker Becker: five points; Nolan Burau: four points, three rebounds.

Cardinals

Thursday night, Becker fell on the road to the #8 ranked team in state, Willmar, by a score of 70-62.

Becker wasted no time asserting itself, jumping out to a 17–6 lead early in the game, before Willmar adjusted by switching to its 3-2 zone defense, which slowed Becker’s offensive rhythm and forced tougher possessions. The Cardinals steadily chipped away and pulled within two points by halftime.

The Cardinals went on a run in the second half and took a 14 point lead, but the ‘Dogs showed composure and were able to get within three points before taking the loss.

“It was a fun high school basketball atmosphere with quality basketball and a great crowd,” said Nuest. “Losing is never fun, but I was proud of our guys’ battle back on the road. We definitely got better, and this game will help us continue to grow and improve with the goal of staying present each day and to be better today than we were yesterday.”

Stats: Isiah Boyer: 15 points, six rebounds, four assists; Nathan Weiss: 11 points, five assists; Troy Nuest: 15 points, four rebounds, five assists, four steals; Bryce Paumen: 13 points, nine rebounds; Nolan Burau: six points, five rebounds.