Bearcat boys had two wins and one loss during full week of action

By Josie Steen
Another full week accompanied the Bearcat boys’ basketball team this week. Monday, Feb. 3 the Bearcats took on the Badger/Greenbush-Middle River Gators, losing a difficult battle in double overtime, 47-50. The Bearcats took a high victory against the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies Thursday, Feb. 6, winning 48-23. Saturday, Feb. 8, the Beartcats’ game at Northland versus Clearbrook-Gonvick led to another victory of 60-41.
Once again, the battle between the Bearcats and the Gators proved to be exciting. The boys lost by 3 in double overtime versus the tough BGMR match-up.
The first half was a back and forth battle. The Bearcats led at halftime 26-20. KCC stretched their lead slightly, but the Gators’ shooting skill brought the game back to a tie. At that point, the score never differed by more than 5 points, ending regulation at 42-42.
In the first overtime, both teams added 2 points, with Evan Austad scoring for the Bearcats to tie it again.
In the second overtime, the Gators stretched the lead to 5. KCC brought it closer before falling just short at the end with a score of 47-50.
Adam Benke led the Gators with 21 points. Mitchell Docken led the Bearcats with 16 points, while Jarrett Kujava followed close behind with 13. Austad contributed 7 points, Kaleb Whitlock and Tucker Nelson both added 4, and Chisum Schmiedeberg also scored 3.
Thursday, Feb. 6., the tides turned and the Bearcats swiftly defeated the WAO Ponies 48-23.
KCC jumped to an early lead with two 3-pointers, one each from Kaleb Whitlock and Jarrett Kujava. The team continued to stretch the lead. At halftime, KCC was already winning 31-15.
WAO started the second half with an early basket, which was quickly matched. Then once again the Bearcats played shut-down defense with an excelling offense to stretch the lead. When the end of the game arrived, the Bearcats held a 48-23 lead.
Gavin Gullikson led the Ponies with 7 points, while Kujava led the Bearcats with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Whitlock scored 15 points, and Mitchell Docken also added 6. Tucker Nelson, Evan Austad, and Andrew Knutson each scored 2 points, with Knutson’s being a buzzer beater at the end of the second half.
On Saturday, Feb. 8,  the Bearcat boys’ basketball team took on the Clearbrook-Gonvick Bears, winning 60-41.
The first three minutes of the game started by being a back and forth battle. Then the Bearcats’ defense took over, helping grow the lead to 13 points halfway through the first half. While it seemed for a while that the Bears were making a comeback, the Bearcats extended the lead once again, leading 35-21 at halftime.
For some time into the second half, KCC allowed no points from C-G. At this point, the lead reached 20. It floated near 20 for the remainder of the game, ending with a 19-point victory of 60-41. Isaac Spears led the Bears with 9 points.
Whitlock led the Bearcats with 21 points, and Kujava followed with 17 points and 18 rebounds. Docken also added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Austad scored 4 points, and Tucker Nelson and Isaac Folland each contributed 2 to the total.
This week the boys play three games once again. Tuesday, Feb. 11, they travel to Warroad, and Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, are double-headers with the girls’ team. Friday the game is in Hallock versus Fertile-Beltrami, and Saturday’s game is at Roseau, rescheduled from Jan. 17.