Broncos avenge loss to Warriors at tourney

    The Wauneta-Palisade boys’ basketball team picked up their second win of the season last week, and got a little bit of revenge in the process.
    Playing in the Arapahoe Holiday Tournament, the Broncos lost their first round game to Blue Hill 35-65 Dec. 27.
    Blue Hill lit up WP in the first half, scoring 45 points.
    Laiden Lawler scored the Broncos’ only points in the first quarter and totaled two of WP’s three first half field goals.
    Grayden Sutherland hit WP’s other field goal and Kyle Jutten and Grant Walker combined to make 3-4 free throws.
    Robert Hanna started the Broncos’ off with a two-point field goal to start the second half. Lawler followed with back-to-back threes.
    Aidan Kennicutt added a basket and Walker two free throws to help WP stay even with Blue Hill, 12-13, in the third quarter.
    Kennicutt continued to have a hot hand for WP, scoring the Broncos’ first five points in the fourth quarter. Michael Duvel added a three pointer and Jacksen Littrel and Jutten hit field goals. Free throws by Sutherland and Littrel rounded out WP scoring in the loss.
    Lawler led the Broncos with 10 points. All 10 Broncos suited up played four quarters.
    After a 23-44 loss to Arapahoe in the Cattle Trail Tournament Dec. 10, WP was looking for revenge in the teams’ consolation matchup.
    Three free throws by Hanna got WP on the board and Jutten hit the Bronco’s only field goal of the first quarter. WP trailed 5-7 at the end of the game’s first eight minutes.
    After a free throw by Walker, Sutherland made his first basket of the game. Hanna added a field goal and three free throws by Littrel kept WP within one point, 13-14, with two minutes left in the half. Two more baskets by Sutherland gave WP a 17-14 lead, but Arapahoe closed out the half with four straight points to take a one-point advantage.
    The third quarter proved to be the difference in the game. The Broncos’ defense held Arapahoe scoreless, while their offense added 10 points to the board. Hanna scored three  quickly and gave WP a 20-18 lead. With 3:30 left in the third, Lawler added a three pointer and Sutherland once more closed out the quarter with two baskets to give WP a 27-18 lead.
    After an Arapahoe basket, Kennicutt kept WP’s lead at nine points. Fouls started to accumulate as the fourth quarter progressed and both teams went to the charity stripe often.
    The Warriors sent WP to the line 14 times in the game’s final five minutes. From there the Broncos traded four free throws with five Arapahoe baskets and four successful free throws.
    With two minutes left in the game WP’s lead had shrunk to 32-30. With 31 seconds left the Broncos led 34-33.
    Walker made one free throw with 15 seconds left, to give WP a 35-33 lead and the Warriors only made 1-2 free throws with seven seconds left to give the Broncos a one-point win.
    Sutherland led WP with 10 points. Hanna finished with eight points.
Up next
    The Broncos will be in Trenton to take on 4-4 Hitchcock County Friday.
    On Saturday, Southwest (3-5) will come to Wauneta.