IT WAS A DOUBLE HEADER OF HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS THE CODY BRONCS AND FILLIES WELCOMED BUFFALO TO THE SWEITZER GYMNASIUM.
LUKE TALICH DROPPED IN A CAREER HIGH 31 POINTS AS THE CODY BRONCS PICKED UP THE NON-CONFERENCE WIN SATURDAY VS. BUFFALO 64-56.
LUKE TALICH AFTER THE GAME ON WHAT WAS WORKING FOR HIM. “THE INTENSITY JUST STARTED HEATING UP, THE MOMENTUM CAME ON OUR SIDE AND I STARTED MAKING SHOTS AND THEN I JUST KEPT TAKING THEM AND THEY WENT IN,” TALICH SAID WITH A SMILE.
THE BISON HAD THE MOMENTUM GOING EARLY AS THEY LEAD FOR MUCH OF THE FIRST QUARTER. FOLLOWING A JACKSON DAVIS MADE THREE, BUFFALO’S HUNTER STONE WOULD BEAT THE BUZZER AND CONVERT THE AND ONE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THE BISON AHEAD AFTER ONE QUARTER, 14-11.
IT WAS MIDWAY THROUGH THE SECOND QUARTER WHERE THE BRONCS STARTED TO GRAB CONTROL OF THE BALL GAME. LUKE TALICH HAD NINE IN THE QUARTER AND THE BRONCS HELD ON FOR THE THREE POINT HALFTIME LEAD, 29-26.
THE START OF THE THIRD QUARTER IS WHERE THINGS STARTED TO PICK UP FOR TALICH. HE KNOCKED IN THE FIRST THREE POINTS OF THE QUARTER AND NEVER SLOWED DOWN SCORING 19 OF HIS 31 IN THE THIRD FRAME. HE DROPPED IN FOUR 3-POINTERS IN THE QUARTER AND AT THE END OF THREE THE BRONCS HAD BUILT A 51-40 LEAD.
BUFFALO’S HUNTER PETERSON TRIED TO BRING THE BISON BACK IN THE FINAL QUARTER DROPPING IN 10 OF HIS 18 IN THE QUARTER BUT THE BRONCS WERE TO MUCH AND HUNG ON FOR THE WIN.
LEADING THE WAY FOR THE BRONCS WAS LUKE TALICH WITH THE CAREER HIGH 31 POINTS. HE HAD FOUR MADE 3-POINTERS AND WAS 7-9 FROM THE FREE THROW LINE. COY NOVAKOVICH ADDED 12 FOR THE BRONCS WHO IMPROVE TO 5-7 ON THE SEASON AND HAS WON FIVE OF THEIR LAST SEVEN GAMES.
IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE DOUBLE HEADER TORRIE SCHUTZMAN AND KENNEDI NIEMANN COMBINED TO SCORE 24 POINTS, THE CODY FILLIES USED A 20 POINT FOURTH QUARTER TO SNAP A FOUR GAME LOSING STREAK AND CAME BACK TO KNOCK OFF BUFFALO 40-29.
THE FILLIES WOULD OPEN THE GAME STRONG LEADING 10-5 AFTER ONE QUARTER OF PLAY BUT THE LADY BISON FOUND THEIR RHYTHM IN THE SECOND QUARTER KNOCKING IN 14 POINTS AND THE FILLIES FOUND THEMSELVES DOWN AT THE HALF 19-15.
THE FILLIES CONTINUED TO PLAY STINGY DEFENSE AND THAT’S WHAT KEPT THEM IN THE BALL GAME. THE MOMENTUM BEGAN TO TURN LATE IN THE THIRD QUARTER WHEN TORRIE SCHUTZMAN CAME AWAY WITH THE STEAL, GOT THE SCORE AND CONVERTED THE AND ONE OPPORTUNITY.
THE FOURTH QUARTER BELONGED TO CODY. AFTER MANAGING JUST 10 POINTS IN THE SECOND AND THIRD QUARTERS COMBINED THE FILLIES WENT OFF FOR 20 IN THE FINAL FRAME. SCHUTZMAN SCORE 8 OF HER GAME HIGH 13 POINTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER. WHAT’S NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED IN THE WIN IS KENNEDI NIEMANN’S STIFLING DEFENSE ON THE LADY BISON’S TOP SCORER, JORDYN MCNAMEE. MCNAMEE HAD NINE POINTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND NIEMANN HELD HER TO JUST TWO IN THE SECOND HALF.
LEADING THE WAY FOR CODY WAS TORRIE SCHUTZMAN WITH 13 POINTS, KENNEDI NIEMANN ADDED 11 AND BRITTAN BOWER HAD 7.
WITH THE WIN THE CODY FILLIES IMPROVE TO 6-6 ON THE SEASON.
UP NEXT FOR CODY BASKETBALL IS FOUR IN A ROW VS. THE 4A SOUTHWEST. THEY WILL HOST STAR VALLEY AND JACKSON NEXT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH AND 8TH.
