Broncos lose two games

    The Wauneta-Palisade boys basketball team lost back-to-back games Friday and Saturday to Perkins County (7-5) and Garden County (8-2).
    Neither team lit up the scoreboard during the game’s first six minutes. WP led 5-4 with three minutes left in the first quarter., but trailed 5-10 at the end of the quarter.
    The game finished as a 26-49  WP loss.
    Broncos’ Head Coach Joseph Frecks said it was a hard-fought game.  
    “We started off strong in the first quarter by hitting a couple of shots, but after that even though we worked hard and got open shots we were unable to put them in,” Frecks said, going on to say his team played excellent defense in three out of the four quarters.  
    Frecks said Perkins County’s 16 point third quarter was WP’s downfall and where PCS was able to gain separation.
    “The boys played extremely hard and I am proud of their effort against a really good and physical team. We handled their intense man-to-man defense well,” Frecks said.
    Grayson Sutherland led the Broncos with nine points.
    WP outrebounded PCS 34-24.
    Saturday night was another challenging game.
    Ashton Wheeler and Jacksen Littrel combined to score WP’s 14 first quarter points.
    Holding a 14-12 lead, the Broncos only made one field goal in the second quarter.
    Helped by two third quarter three-pointers, WP pulled to within one point, 31-32, in the third quarter.
    Michael Duvel and Littrel tried to keep WP in the game, combining to score the Broncos’ 10 fourth quarter points,. WP held a four point lead in the fourth quarter but the Broncos lost the game 41-43.
    Littrel led WP with 16 points.
    Frecks said was proud of WP’s defensive effort, pointing out the Broncos held Garden County to 12 points under their season average and to their second lowest point total of the year.  
    “We are really becoming a strong defensive team, and I am excited to see the confidence that is coming with that defensive growth,” Frecks added.
    “Even though we didn’t get the win, I was very happy with how the boys handled some end-of-game situations. That experience will pay off sometime down the road when we are in a similar situation,” he said.
Up next
    The Broncos will host Paxton (8-3) Thursday. Frecks said Paxton is an excellent team with above average athleticism.
    “They will be quite a test for us that we look forward to. Then we start RPAC with Dundy County Stratton. They have been on a really strong run of good basketball, but we have improved a lot since we played them, last, too and we look forward to challenging them again,” he added.
    WP’s game with DCS will be Saturday in Benkelman.
    Hitchcock County will host second round games Tuesday and teams will travel to Paxton Friday, before Saturday’s consolation and championship games at MCC.