Staff writer
Centre boys and girls basketball teams both claimed victory Friday in home games against Wakefield.
The boys won 37-25 while the girls shut down the Bombers, 51-26.
Boys
Scoring was scarce in the first half. After a slow start, Xavier Espinoza and Dalton Stika combined to put the Cougars in the lead, 8-2, after one quarter.
A solid 11-2 second quarter was crucial to the victory. Centre shut down Wakefield while adding 11 points for a 19-4 halftime lead. Lane Methvin joined Espinoza and Stika in scoring, adding a free throw.
Wakefield outscored Centre 21-18 in the second half.
Neither team could find the basket in the third quarter. The Bombers outscored Centre 5-4. Jensen Riffel and Espinoza added two points each.
Stika made two 3-pointers and a basket in the fourth quarter, Aiden Svoboda added two points, and Methvin had two free throws. Centre walked away with a 12-point victory.
The Cougars shot 30.8 percent from the field and 44 percent from the free-throw line. Stika scored a season-high 15 points. Espinoza scored 13 points and had four assists and three steals. Riffel and Svoboda had five rebounds each.
“I’m very proud of the team’s continued effort,” coach Richard Idleman said. “This is the first complete game they’ve had.”
Girls
Kelsey Hett scored 24 points in the girls’ 51-26 victory over the Lady Bombers. Alyssa Espinoza scored 15 points. Other scorers were Samantha Espinoza, 8, and Allie Hird, 4.
The team was aggressive in defense, completing numerous steals. After a 7-7 tie the first quarter, Centre led 20-14 at halftime and continued to build the lead to a 25-point victory.
Both teams played Canton-Galva on the road Tuesday.
Last modified Dec. 21, 2018