Plainsmen coming off losses heading into Holiday Tournament

Coach Shawn Cole and the Perkins County Plainsmen suffered three losses last week which takes their record to 2-4 this season. 

“Last week was one of the hardest of the year for us. Playing three teams that were undefeated starting the week.  These types of games can do two things to a team, tear them down and hurt their season or build them up, even with the losses. You try and take the positives out of each game and build on them.  There were lots of positives this week,” Cole said.

Paxton

The PC boys traveled to Paxton on Tuesday to take on the Tigers. 

The first quarter saw Paxton try to run away with the game, and they took the score to 17-10 over the Plainsmen in the first eight minutes. 

The Plainsmen turned it around in the second and took the game back, plus one, and went into halftime ahead, 27-26.

The tables turned once again in the third when Paxton was able to score 17 points while holding PC to just six. 

The Plainsmen made an attempt to tip the scales back to their favor once more in the final quarter of the game, but couldn’t make it happen and they ultimately lost to the Tigers 58-49.

Senior Spencer Ross was the game’s top scorer with 27 points and earned a double double for 10 rebounds and 12 field goals. 

Ogallala

PC hosted the 4-0 Ogallala Indians on Friday night.

Ogallala took an early lead over the Plainsmen and was up by 10 by the end of the first quarter when the score was 18-8.

Despite the Plainsmen offense putting up 10 points in the second, they allowed Ogallala to add 28 to their total, and going into halftime the score was 46-28, Ogallala. 

The Indians continued to run the game in the third where they held the Plainsmen to just nine points, while adding 24. Going into the final quarter, the Plainsmen were down by 33.

The final quarter of the game was the lowest scoring quarter, with Ogallala scoring 10, and PC putting up six. In the end, the Plainsmen lost by 47, 80-33 final. 

Junior Alex Patrick was the top scorer of the game with six two-point shots. He also had six rebounds. Freshman Hayden Foster followed with eight game points. 

“We did some good things early in this game.  I thought we handled the press the first quarter.  Then we got tired in the second and stopped cutting hard to the ball. Ogallala is a good team, with lots of depth,” Coach Cole said. 

Dundy County Stratton

The Plainsmen traveled to Dundy County Stratton to take on the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 15. 

A close battle kept the game within one point at the end of the first and tied at halftime. 

The scoreboard read 12-11 in Dundy County’s favor going into the second but Perkins County was able to put one more on the board than their opponent in the second for a 24-24 tie at halftime. 

Eighteen points went up for the Plainsmen in the third, 12 of them coming from Ross, and Perkins County took the lead at the end of the third 42-37. 

A hard fought game till the very end, and with baskets only from the free-throw line for PC, the lead slipped away in the fourth and Dundy County took the win 52-49.

Ross, with 24 points, was the Plainsmen’s top scorer, and in second was Patrick with 16. 

Cole said, “We played good enough to win the game but came out a few points short.  We made some mental mistakes down the stretch of the game that cost us.

Next action

The Perkins County Plainsmen will play in the Booster Club’s Holiday Tournament this week, Dec. 20 and 21. PC is set to play Wallace in the first round at 3 p.m.

A generous donor has come forward and in memory of the late Alan Poppe, will pay for the admission of any student who would like to attend the Holiday Tournament.