The Ste. Gen Dragons Varsity Boys Basketball squad got their first win of the season after they defeated Battle High School in an exciting back and forth game. With the game knotted at 65 apiece in the final seconds the Dragons went to the line and dramatically sealed the victory 66-65 with a clutch free throw. The win moved the team’s record to 1-1 on the year and helped get them some early confidence in the young season.
This game was a seesaw throughout. St. Gen took an early lead in the first quarter after putting up 19 points and holding Battle High to 16. The second quarter was a tough one for the Dragons though as they scored just eight points and let Battle take a 31-27 lead into the half.
Fortunately, a halftime break was just what the Dragons needed. They busted out of their shooting slump and came back with a 25-point third quarter and took a 52-47 lead into the fourth. Late in the fourth quarter, with about 1:30 left, Battle took a tenuous one point lead. The teams traded buckets and with about eight seconds left and the score tied at 65-65, coach Rob Coleman called a timeout. The Dragon’s were able to run a play, and Logan Trollinger was fouled with three seconds left on the clock. Trollinger was able to sink one of the free throws and win the game for the Dragons 66-65.
Head Coach Rob Coleman was quoted saying, “It was a very back and forth game. Our guys did a really good job of taking care of the ball, with only 7 or 8 turnovers. They did out-rebound us, but I felt like we had some really big ones late. All of our guys made big plays throughout the game and I thought our defense did a pretty good job keeping them in front of us.”
Trollinger was the Dragon’s top scorer. He scored 15 points on 5/9 shooting, including four three-pointers. He also had three rebounds, four assists and four steals. Chaytin Lea logged some big minutes for the Dragons as well and amassed 11 points and six rebounds. Rudy Flieg also contributed to the win with eight points and five boards.
Nick Plati was quoted after the victory saying, “It felt amazing to be back on the court. We set the tone of the season off right with a win. We plan to keep up the hard work.”
Lea then chimed in with, “ It feels really great. I feel like the team has some really good potential to do some amazing things.”
The Dragons will look for their second win in a row in their upcoming tilt against Potosi.
