Bulldogs clip Falcons in tournament play
In a display of defensive force, the Bulldogs demolished the Houston Huffman Falcons 50-23 in an intense, opening-round game at the Burnet Basketball Classic Friday.
“We really got after it,” said Bulldog coach Roy Kiser. “Defensively, we played hard and were fundamentally sound.”
Putting pressure on the Falcons, Burnet held them without a point for nearly seven minutes in the first quarter. Two steals by John Melvin and one by Zakk Revelle, Ben Cardozo and David Sorrells and a swat by Tyson Denton opened the floodgates for quick strikes and an 11-4 first-period advantage.
Changing defenses in the second period from a zone, to man, to full-court pressure, the Bulldogs kept Huffman on their heels, off-balanced and that led to some heated action.
“The game got physical and our guys didn’t back down,” Kiser said. “They responded well and appropriately.”
Revelle piloted the second- quarter attack for Burnet with seven points. The senior guard was aided by Chaston Hall with two bonus points, and buckets by Sorrells and junior Stewart Berg. Weathering the Huffman charge, the Bulldogs carried a 25-13 lead into intermission.
Although a bit of a stalemate in the third quarter, Burnet’s Cardozo took over control of the boards while other Bulldogs flew to all the loose balls. Melvin and Tyler Scott victimized the Falcons with heists and Sorrells battled for a ricochet, forcing a tie-up and a turnover. By quarter’s end, Burnet extended their advantage, 33-17.
In the fourth quarter, every player on the roster had a hand in the 17-6 breakaway run. Garrett Wilkes connected on one from beyond the arch and an eight-foot jumper. Hall, who was a workhorse in the lane, had a putback, two bonus shots and delivered a shot while getting hacked.
Berg, the lanky 6-foot junior, had some spectacular moments; “flashes of brilliance” Kiser called them. Berg showed his leaping ability, quick hands and high-energy by ripping the ball away from several Huffman players, fearlessly hauling down boards, and always pursuing the ball.
Hall led the Bulldogs with 10 points followed by Revelle with nine and Denton with eight. Wilkes finished with five points while Cardozo, Sorrells and Berg all were credited with four. Melvin provided three points and Rowe had two.