Bucs sweep East for season series

By Bob Kopp

BDR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Eleven days after spoiling Senior Night at East with a hard fought 56-52 win, the Bucs won again 65-55 and swept the season series.

The game was closer than the final score in a fiercely contested rematch with the superior officiating of crew chief Doug Juhlin monitoring fast and furious action within the parameters of exemplary sportsmanship.

Whenever Juhlin’s crew is on the court, knowledgeable fans know the evening will feature players and coaches at their best complemented by clear, consistent, and conclusive calls.

The Bucs bolted out of the blocks with one of their most impressive offensive displays of the season to take a 19-13 lead at the end of the first quarter behind all-conference-lock seniors Austin Revolinski and Will Morris who had six points apiece.  Morris led all scorers for the game with 21 points and Revolinski finished with 12.

The E-Rabs closed the gap 31-26 at the half with 21 of their points coming from downtown. Thirty of their final point total came from beyond the arc with senior Malachi Luster leading the way with four bombs to account for his 12 points.  Sophomore D1 prospect Chris Burnell led East with 15 points.

The Bucs took the lead at the end of the third, 46-45 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by junior Shawn Dean who finished with five points.

While senior Xavier Dent controlled the boards at both ends of the court like a vacuum and knocked down 10 points in the paint, the game went back and forth throughout most of the fourth until foul trouble caught up with the guests and Belvidere nailed down the victory from the charity stripe.

Seniors Joey Hernandez and Jacob Rodriguez hit clutch foul shots with little over a minute to play as the Bucs brought out the broom for the sweep.

Senior Nate Horton’s 10 points included his usual highlight cameos with Hernandez (five) and Rodriguez (two) completing the scoring for the hosts.