WP to play Maxwell Thursday for RPAC

    The Wauneta-Palisade boys basketball team dropped its opening round RPAC tournament game Saturday to the No. 2 seed Dundy County Stratton.
    WP only trailed the Tigers, ranked fourth in Class D1, 2-4 with 4:30 to go in the first quarter. DCS scored 16 straight points before Jacksen Littrel nailed a three pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter.
    The Broncos had their best offensive quarter coming out of the halftime locker room. Grayden Sutherland, Littrel, Ashton Wheeler and Aden Acton made baskets for WP before Michael Duvel hit a buzzer beating three pointer with the shot coming at the end of the third quarter.
    Sutherland and Duvel led the Broncos with 11 points each in the 38-71 loss.
    Head Coach Joseph Frecks said the Broncos played well against one of the toughest D1 schools in the state.
    “DCS plays pressure defense as well as anyone in the state, and outside of the third quarter we felt like we handled the press well,” Frecks said.  
    Frecks also liked WP’s shooting percentage.
    The Broncos did have shots falling from behind the arc. Including the two buzzer beaters, WP made 6-13 three pointers.
    “Our shooting percentage was also very encouraging.  When we got good shots, we were able to make them at a high percentage. This will hopefully  build our confidence for the rest of the tournament and the year,” he said.
    WP also held a rebounding edge over the Tigers, 27-25.
    “I am proud of our boys and the effort that they continue to give and the fight they show in every game,” Frecks added.
    WP played Maxwell Tuesday night in Trenton.
    Frecks said Maxwell is a very big team and their size is definitely their strength.  
    WP played Maxwell Tuesday night in Trenton and lost the contest 30-53, ending the Broncos’ tournament appearance. More information will be included in next weeks paper.
    Maywood/Hayes Center and Dundy County Stratton won their second round games Tuesday and will face each other Thursday in Paxton with a berth in the RPAC championship game on the line.
    Maxwell moves on to face Wallace and Hitchcock County will take on Paxton Thursday, as well.

West Division
RPAC tournament results

First round Jan. 21 at Benkelman
Hitchcock Co. 56, Wallace 20
Paxton 49, Maxwell 30
DCS 71, WP 38
Second round, Jan. 24 at Trenton
MHC 45, Hitchcock County 35
Paxton 60, DCS 50
Maxwell 53, WP 30
Thursday, Jan. 27 at Paxton
Wallace vs Maxwell, 4:15 p.m.
Hitchcock Co. vs Paxton, 6 p.m. CT
West Division Championship
MHC vs DCS 7:45 p.m. CT
RPAC Consolation game—Jan. 28
2:30 p.m. CT at McCook
RPAC Championship—Jan. 28
6 p.m. CT at McCook