Bulldogs Tame Tigers in Double Header

The Kearney Bulldogs were a dominating force at home against the Excelsior Springs Tigers on Tuesday, February 6. Both boys and girls basketball teams came out focused and confident for the win.

Kayla Resler sinks a bucket from beyond the 3-point arc

The girls began aggressively on defense and offense and never let up. They were able to find a weak spot in the Tiger’s zone defense and shared the basketball to take advantage of the opportunity.

Kearney started strong with buckets by Addie Taylor, Gracie Bomar, Brooke Paalhar, Jocelyn Lincoln, and Kayla Resler. They scored a total of 24 points and held the Tigers to just 12 points.

In the second quarter, Ryleigh Van Emmerik and Alyssa Quick jumped in the scorebook, propelling the bulldogs to a commanding 41-17 lead.

The girls didn’t let up on the pressure in the second half with their skilled defensive stance. They only allowed Excelsior Springs to gain 12 points in the half. The Bulldogs trounced the Tigers 62-19.

Kayla Resler lead the girls with 12 points, followed by Brooke Paalhar with 10 and Ryleigh Van Emmerick with 8 points. JoJo Kutch and Addie Taylor contributed 7 each and Jocelyn Lincoln and Gracie Bomar each had 6 points.

Drew Wilson was the scoring leader with 27 points against the Excelsior Springs Tigers

The Bulldog Boys dominated their game just as the girls did. They took care of business right out of the gate and took to Coach Starzl’s keys to the game. They played with a high level of energy and heart.

The Bulldogs shot up the score fast with buckets by Angelo Donze, Drew Wilson, Davin Hanna, and Aden Sallee. They scored a total of 29 points while holding Excelsior Springs to just 14 points.

Harvey Sayon and Cameron Webster contributed to the team’s skyrocketing score in the second half, driving the Bulldogs up 52-23.

In the second half, the Bulldogs and Tigers came out reenergized, but Kearney was able to keep the commanding lead to win the game 86-40.

Drew Wilson was the scoring leader on the night with 27 points, followed by Davin Hanna with 22 and Harvey Sayon with 11 points. Aden Sallee and Angelo Donze contributed 8 points each. Trey Smith had 6 points and Cameron Webster got 4 points.

The next game is the Bulldog Girls against Oak Park at home on Thursday, February 8 at 7 pm. The game will be broadcast live on 102.7FM, 1027KearneyMO.com and the KPGZ mobile app. This game and all game replays of boys and girls home games can be heard on the 102.7FM podcast page at 1027kearneyMO.com/podcasts.

KPGZ Sports - Brian Watts contributed to this story