PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: BHRA rolls to Classic title
Nov. 29—DANVILLE — The Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin boys basketball team were able to survive a close call and go on to win the Topper Classic title on Saturday.
The Blue Devils beat Covington 67-56 and finished the day to beat host Schlarman Academy 62-38.
"We always enjoy the Topper Classic," BHRA coach Gary Tidwell said. "It gives us an opportunity to get our feet wet early in the season and gives us time to see where we are as a team. In the first two games, we didn't shoot well percentage-wise, but we still had great defense and in the last two games, we shot the ball a whole lot better and closed the deal on Saturday."
The Blue Devils were only up 29-28 at halftime against the Trojans and 42-37 after the third quarter in the first game.
The first game against Covington was a battle and it was great to see our guys respond in a positive way," Tidwell said. "They had three guys (Duncan Keller, Coye Ferguson and Austin Stein) that were consistent from the 3-point line and made some money shots in the end of the first and second quarters.
"We were able to maintain the lead throughout most of the game and was fortunate to pull away late in the game. We had to hit some clutch shots and we shot well from the line, so we were pleased with our overall effort in that game."
Ayden Ingram had 22 points for BHRA, while Isaiah Tidwell had 14, Hayden Rice had 12, Brett Meidel had nine and Micah Stanford had six.
Keller had 19 for the Trojans, while Stein had 15 and Ferguson had 14. Keller and Stein each had five 3-pointers and Ferguson had two.
In the last game of the Classic, the Blue Devils won 62-38, but Tidwell said that the Hilltoppers will be better in the future.
"(Schlarman coach Keith Peoples) always does a great job and the team is young with a lot of upside," Tidwell said. "It was a rough week for them, but they played some quality teams and I think it was a good experience for them.
"I think they will get better as the year go on and as those players mature and get to a higher level, they will get better and have a great second half of the season and a great future in the next few years. It's going to be fun playing them and I respect those guys. It will be a good rivalry going forward."
Ingram had 13 points, while Meidel and Amani Stanford each had 10, Rice had eight, Isaiah Tidwell had six and Micah Stanford added five.
Jerry Reed had 14 for Schlarman, while Jerrius Atkinson had seven and Keison Peoples added six.
The Blue Devils have a big early season test tonight with their home opener against Unity.
"They got us twice last season and we always play them early. They beat us once in November and in the regional," Tidwell said. "They were some intense games and a lot of their players are back and so are ours. I am sure it is going to be a great matchup tomorrow. We are looking forward to our first home game and it is going to be a challenge right off the bat with a non-conference foe, so I hope we play well."
The Hilltoppers rebounded on Monday with a 58-34 win over Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond at the Toyota of Danville Classic. Reed and Atkinson each had 20, while C.L. Dye had seven and Peoples added five.
