Staff writer
The Peabody-Burns High School Warriors basketball team opened the Cougar Classic with a big win Jan. 17. The team defeated Centre, 53-27, in first round action. Friday action didn’t finish as well as the team lost to Hope, 45-26, in the second round. Saturday third-round action also ended in defeat for the Warriors with a loss to White City, 55-40.
PBHS 53, Centre 27
The Warriors owned the first quarter, jumping out to a 13-0 lead in the first five minutes of the contest.
Matt Hiebert opened the scoring with a trey, followed by a basket from Hunter Pickens. Hiebert and Pickens each scored again. Brody Kyle got on the board with a shot, and Hiebert added another basket. Centre scored a trey and a basket late in the quarter, Austin Savage finished the period with a trey to give PBHS the 16-5 edge at the end of the first quarter.
Savage opened with two quick baskets early in the second. Centre added a free throw, as did Seth Topham. The Cougars found the basket twice before the Warriors went on a run with baskets from Hiebert and Wes Shaw and a basket and free throw from Christian Gard. With 13 seconds left in the period, Centre added two points from the line. The Warriors led, 28-12, at halftime.
The Cougars’ offense opened the early minutes of the third quarter with seven points, trading baskets with PBHS shooters Hiebert, Pickens, and Savage. With four minutes left in the quarter, PBHS led, 35-19. Topham, Savage, Pickens, and Hiebert combined for a Warrior run of nine points before Centre got another basket with less than a minute to play. Pickens and Hiebert finished the period with a basket each. PBHS led, 48-21, at the end of three quarters.
A Hiebert trey gave the Warriors additional leverage early in the fourth quarter, and the game was finished with a continuous clock. Hiebert scored once more before the final buzzer. The Warriors took the first round victory, 53-27.
Hiebert, 20; Savage, 12; Pickens, 11; Topham, 3; Gard, 3; Shaw, 2; Kyle, 2
Hope 45, PBHS 26
Two minutes passed in the game before Hope put up points with 3 from the line. They followed with a 2-point basket and led 5-0 with five minutes on the clock. Pickens got a 2 for PBHS, but Hope also scored a 2. Pickens scored 5 more the period, but Hope led by six, 13-7, at the end of the quarter.
The Warriors’ offense struggled with missed shots and bad passes. Hiebert added 3 in the second. Shaw scored 2. Hope led, 22-12, at halftime.
Hiebert added two baskets in the third for the only PBHS offense. Hope scored 20. PBHS trailed, 32-16, at the end of the period.
PBHS scoring picked up in the fourth with 5 from Savage, 2 from Pickens, 2 from Gard and 1 from Topham. Hope added 13. PBHS lost to Hope in the second round, 45-26.
Scoring
Pickens, 9; Hiebert, 7; Savage, 5; Gard, 2; Shaw, 2; Topham, 1
White City 55, PBHS 40
Both offenses were cold in the early minutes of the contest. White City scored 8 and PBHS had 6 at the end of the first quarter. Savage led with 4 in the first. Hiebert had 2.
The Huskies outscored the Warriors 19-9 in the second quarter. Savage and Pickens had 4 each. Topham added a free throw. PBHS trailed, 27-15, at halftime.
Second-half offense was better, but White City remained in front for the remainder of the contest. Hiebert led the second half with 8 points. Pickens added 7. Savage had 4, and Lucas Larsen added 3. Kyle had 2, and Topham contributed a free throw. PBHS was defeated by White City, 55-40.
Scoring
Savage, 12; Pickens, 11; Hiebert, 10; Larsen, 3; Kyle, 2; Topham, 2