The Pender Boys Basketball Team fell 56-18 at home to BRLD Friday night in the regular season finale before losing 41-38 to Wynot in the D2-4 Sub-District Semifinals from Wisner-Pilger Tuesday night.
The Wolverines led the Pendragons 20-0 at the end of one. BRLD won the 2nd quarter 16-11 to take a 36-11 lead into the locker room.
The Wolverines blanked Pender 15-0 in the 3rd quarter to extend their lead to 51-11 at the end of three.
The Pendragons won the 4th quarter 7-5.
Tough end to the season for Pender.
The Pendragons conclude their year at 5-18.
It was definitely a struggle this year for Pender, but it was the first year for Head Coach Mitch Mailloux and the Pendragons are still trying to adapt and adjust to trying to create a culture of winning.
I think the Pendragons did well at times this year, but Pender has a lot of work to do to get things turned around.
The Pendragons were really young this year too as they say goodbye to just two seniors in Austin Roth and Larry McManigal.
Pender brings back the likes of Caleb Trimble, Nathan Breitbarth, Dylan Vogt, Spencer Rabbass, Jaxon Maise, and Lucas Timm.
The Pendragons will have a good nucleus of seniors next year and need to make some strides.
I think next year is critical for Pender.
The Pendragons need to see improvement, and have to show that they are on the rise and improving and getting better.
Pender wants to change the culture and fortunes of their program so the Pendragons need to really get after things this offseason.
Pender has to instill a tremendous work ethic within themselves and the returning players and newcomers need to get up this summer and go hard at it in the weightroom and on the court.
It has to be an offseason of dedication and hard work on the court.
The Pendragons have to develop and mold themselves between now and November.
Pender had a tough season, but it can get better.
The Pendragons just have to work hard and go out there and make it happen this offseason.
Pender has to play the game as much as possible, and shoot as often as possible at the school or at the Community Center.
Pender has a nice, brand new Community Center and the kids should be in that thing everyday if they can.
The Pender Girls lost 54-34 to Fremont Bergan in the D1-1 Sub-District Final at West Point-Beemer Thursday night, but qualified for Sub-State.
The Pendragons (16-11) battle Cambridge (16-8) in the D1-7 District Final from Grand Island Northwest Friday night.
The Trojans beat power Dundy County-Stratton 49-34 in the D1-11 Sub-District Final from McCook Thursday night.
This figures and ought to be a very interesting game.
Cambridge started the year just 2-6, but is 14-2 in their last 16 games.
The tough schedule the Pendragons play though would leave you to believe that they can win.
Of course Pender made a second half run themselves, winning 9 in a row at one point and taking 4th in the conference tournament.
Head Coach Luke Hoffman says the EHC is well represented in Sub-State. "Everyone knows that the EHC is a strong conference and it showed again this year. Even though our team wanted to win a few more of those conference games, all of the teams we lost to in the conference are in Sub-State Finals themselves."
Hoffman adds the Trojans are well rounded. "Cambridge is a solid team. You wouldn't be a solid team and make it this far. They have a fantastic guard that has been seen on film scoring at will. Cambridge has a couple athletic six foot posts inside that we will have to play solid defense on. The team is well coached and they know their strengths and weaknesses and try to maximize and minimize those. I like the matchup and think there are opportunities for us to press their other guards & posts while we keep track of where their scorer is on the floor."
The Pendragons aren't the tallest team, and they've stumbled down the stretch in recent games.
I think Pender is going to have to get after it with their guards and create turnovers if they want to win.
Hoffman says making state would be a big deal. "If you ask every kid in Nebraska that played basketball this year, they probably would want to go to state. Hopefully some history repeats itself from 2017 and the few years prior when Pender made it to state on a wildcard every year. It would be a good accomplishment for these girls and something they have set their eyes on from the beginning of the year."
Hopefully the Pendragons can get the job done. I am really pulling for them and hope they can win.
Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. at GINW.
No comments:
Post a Comment