Staff writer
A victory in the third game of the Marion Classic gave the Peabody-Burns High School boys’ basketball team the fifth-place plaque for the tourney. In the opening round on Dec. 4, the squad lost to Marion, 80-42.
A 53-36 second-round loss to Remington on Thursday set up the consolation contest on Saturday where the team defeated Belle Plaine, 45-35. The Warriors now prepare for a three-game stretch at home prior to Christmas break.
Marion
Marion outscored PBHS 21-11 in the first quarter. Christian Gard led the quarter scoring for the Warriors with two 3-pointers. Tommy Morris added a trey and Hunter Pickens scored 2 points.
The PBHS offense struggled in the second frame with only 10 points. Morris and Pickens each had 4 and Seth Topham added a basket. Marion recorded 20 in the period and led 41-21 at the half.
The Marion offense continued to roll in the third with the addition of 19 points. PBHS added 12 in the quarter. Gard led with 5. Braxton Kyle got on the board with 4. Pickens had a 3-pointer. The PBHS Warriors trailed, 60-33, after three quarters.
The Marion offense remained steady with 20 points in the fourth quarter. PBHS had 9 points. Ryder Gonzalez got on the board with a three. Xavier Jabary, Topham, and Vince Newman each had 2 in the final period.
Gard, Morris, and Pickens tied for the team lead in points with 9 each.
Remington
Both offenses started slow in the first. PBHS held a slight edge, 11-10, at the end of the quarter. Pickens scored 5 points in the period, and Topham stroked in 4.
The Broncos’ offense had a big second quarter, adding 18. The Warriors added only 5 and trailed, 28-16, at the half. Pickens and Garret Schroeder had 2 each and Topham added a free throw.
The offensive struggles continued in the third quarter. Gard had 4 points. Topham added 2 and Schroeder hit a free throw. Remington led 39-23 at the end of the quarter.
Remington netted 14 points in the fourth and PBHS had 13. Pickens had 6 in the final period. Morris added a trey. Kyle and Topham each had 2.
Pickens was the leading scorer for Peabody with 13 points; Topham was second with 9.
Belle Plaine
PBHS outscored Belle Plaine 13-9 in the first quarter. Braxton Kyle led the first with 6 points. Gard added 5 and Morris had a 2-point basket.
A close second quarter provided a 3-point gap at halftime that favored the Warriors, 23-20. Gard had 4 points in the period. Morris, Kyle, and Topham each added 2.
The Warriors’ defense held Belle Plaine to 5 points in the third quarter. PBHS added 11 points and led 34-25 at the end of the quarter. Jabary led with 4. Gard had 3 and Morris and Topham each added a basket.
The Warriors were steady in the fourth, adding 11 points. Gard and Morris each had 3. Topham and Schroeder had 2 each. Kyle recorded a free throw. PBHS took the 45-35 victory.
Gard was the leading scorer with 15 points. Morris and Kyle tied with 9.