Defense was the key for the Sully Buttes Charger girls in game one of a doubleheader in Onida, as the Chargers pressured the Hitchcock-Tulare Lady Patriots into 21 turnovers en route to a 42-33 victory while the Charger boys stepped on the gas and cruised to a 68-47 win over the Patriots Thursday night.
In the first game the Chargers led 12-4 after one quarter, and 27-14 at the half. Senior Olivia Olson kept pestering the Lady Patriots into miscues, and low post players Payge Bakker and Scottlynn Kinney took care of business around the hoop with Bakker netting 12 and Kinney contributing six. Hitchcock Tulare outscored the Chargers in the second half 19-15, but couldn’t overcome their first half deficit.
Sully Buttes now ups their record to 6-7, while Hitchcock Tulare drops to 5-8. Cambree Hoekman scored 14 for the Lady Patriots.
The Charger boys took the court and from the tip the offensive pace was fast and furious for both teams. Playing in their second consecutive home game, Sully Buttes hit the gas in the second quarter after leading 11-5 after the first, and blew up for 31 points in the second leading 42-21 at the half. Nine made threes in the first half for the Chargers and four more in the second half put the game away for 8-3 Sully Buttes. Once again, junior Wesley Wittler led all scorers with 23 points, while Gavin Colson, back in the staring lineup after missing two games from the flu, and freshman Jett Yackley each added 12 points. The Patriots were led in scoring by Aiden Frankenstein and Devin Enander, both finishing with 13 points for 4-8 Hitchcock Tulare. The continuous clock was enacted in the fourth quarter.
The pace doesn’t slow down as Saturday afternoon the Chargers will host perennial powerhouse the Warner Monarchs. JV action starts at 12 noon, with the girls varsity game to start at 2:15 and the boys game to follow. Both games will be broadcast on Country 95.3FM, pierrecountry.com, and on YouTube at Country 95.3 sports, with DT Meyer on the call.
