PEM boys basketball rollercoaster continues
PEM’s rollercoaster season of boys basketball continued this past week with a 1-2 record. The Bulldogs traveled to Caledonia Tuesday and played a very talented (ranked #1 in Class AA) Warrior team, falling 78-39. They then returned home and admittedly did not play well against Stewartville, losing by the score of 59-49. However, the Dogs closed the week on an upbeat, topping Lewiston-Altura 81-72 in one of their better games this season.
The Caledonia game had few highlights as PEM fell behind early and could not stop the outside shooting or inside ball movement of the Warriors. Alex McGuire was the only player in double figures in scoring, with 13. The Dogs converted 4 three pointers but allowed a season high 10 3’s to Caledonia, who improved to 13-2 with the win.
Stewartville was a team that matched up well with PEM, having a similar record and similar struggles with consistency this season. The Dogs shut down their top two scorers as their game plan dictated, limiting each to 10 less than their season average. Unfortunately, PEM struggled offensively, shooting just 37% and committing 17 turnovers. McGuire again led the team in scoring with 17, with Tanner Hofschulte adding 13 points in the 59-49 loss.
Coach Blake Karas mixed things up a bit on Friday against Lewiston-Altura, with a modified starting lineup and incorporating sophomore Evan Burdick into the game plan. Burdick’s energy, with 6 rebounds during his 9 minutes in the first half, helped to provide a spark to the Dogs. Brady Ziebell came alive in the second half, scoring 18 of his team leading 22 points in that half. McGuire added 21, and Dalton Fox played very well with 10 points. An inspired defensive effort was led by Barron Holtz with 6 steals along with 5 for McGuire, leading to a season high 18 team steals. The 82-71 victory moved the Bulldog record to 7-8.
Another three game week faces the Dogs this week, all on the road. PEM travels to Rushford-Peterson Tuesday, W-K Thursday, and Lake City on Friday.
