Bulldogs Advance To Divisional Tourney With Win Over Plentywood

The path to a divisional berth wasn’t a smooth one, but Bainville’s boys basketball team qualified for the divisional tournament by beating third-seeded Plentywood, 59-53, on Saturday, Feb. 19.

After losing on a buzzer- beater in the first round, the Bulldogs earned hardfought victories over Culbertson, Savage and Plentywood during the tournament in Sidney.

“Obviously, the road they took to get there was definitely not easy,” Bainville Coach Jess Romo said. “The boys showed a lot of heart and desire.”

The divisional berth is Bainville’s first one since the 1998 season.

“We had some really good teams slip through the cracks,” Romo said. “It’s an incredible feeling. It means so much to the school and community.”

The game against Bainville was deadlocked at 40-40 after three quarters of play.

“Every player on the floor played a pivotal role at some point of the game,” Romo said.

Drives by senior Jesse Strickland put the Bulldogs up 50-45 with 3:10 remaining, but Plentywood tied the game on a three-pointer by Caydon Trupe and an inside shot by Reese Wirtz.

The Bulldogs earned a 54-50 lead on four free throws by Strickland and Ayden Knudsen. After a free throw by Wirtz with 35 seconds left, the Wildcats missed a potential tying three-point attempt.

Strickland added two free throws with 27 seconds left. Free tosses by Braeden Romo and Strickland in the final 12 seconds put the contest away.

Top scorers were Strickland with 28 and Knudsen with 15 points. Also scoring were Samuel Butikofer with eight, Charles Butikofer with five and Romo with three.

Plentywood’s top scorers were Wirtz with 26 and Trupe with 12 points.

The Bulldogs will face Lustre at 4 p.m. on Wednesday March 2, at the divisional tournament in Sidney.