Staff writer
The Peabody-Burns High School Warriors basketball team competed Friday in front of the homecoming crowd but came up short with a loss to Goessel, 56-49. The team also played Monday against Remington and Tuesday against Little River. Their next game is Friday at Moundridge.
Storm Pickens opened the game with 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. The Bluebirds came back to score 4, but Hiebert cut the Bluebird lead to 1, 4-3, two minutes into the quarter. Officials controlled the remainder of the quarter with lots of whistles. Hiebert and Derek Price each added 2-point baskets, but Goessel added 1, 4 from the line, a trey and two baskets. Austin Savage cut into the Goessel lead with a 2-point basket with 40 seconds left in the period. Goessel added one more free throw and PBHS trailed, 19-9, at the end of the first quarter.
Price opened the second quarter with a 2-point basket. The Bluebirds answered with a 2. Savage shot a trey and Goessel added a 2. Price got a 2 but Goessel added two free throws. Hiebert got a 2 but then the Bluebirds added a 2-point basket and two free throws. With 4 minutes left in the second period, Goessel led, 29-18. Another Bluebird free throw was followed by a trey from Savage and a 2-point basket from Hiebert. Three more trips to the line for Goessel netted 3 points. Hiebert narrowed the gap, 33-26, with a trey to end the half.
PBHS offense exploded in the third quarter. Jacob Gillet closed the gap to 3 early with two free throws and a 2-point basket. Savage then tied the game with a trey. Savage also had the go-ahead points with another 3. Hiebert followed with a free throw and Price added a 2. PBHS led, 39-33, with 2:45 left in the period. The Bluebirds got on the board with a basket but Hiebert made 2 from the line. Savage added his fifth trey in the contest and the Warriors were up, 46-39, with one minute left in the third. The Bluebirds had one more 2-point basket in the quarter, but PBHS led 46-39 at the buzzer.
The Bluebirds came back early in the fourth with two free throws and a basket to cut the PBHS lead to 3, 46-43. Price added a basket and a charity shot but the Bluebirds echoed. With three minutes left in the contest, the Warriors still had the 3-point edge, 49-46. Goessel tied the game with a basket and a free throw and with one minute left in the game took the lead with a trey, 52-49. PBHS sent three to the bench in the last minutes of the contest with five fouls each. The Bluebirds added 4 from the line and defeated the Warriors, 56-49.
Brody Kyle led the defense with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Price had 7.
Scoring
Savage, 19; Hiebert, 12; Price, 11; Gillet, 4; Storm Pickens, 3.