Alva Review-Courier -

After a loss to Newkirk, the young Alva Goldbugs team fought hard to bring home a win at Blackwell Friday. Despite a big scoring rush in the third quarter, the Goldbugs couldn't pull it off, losing 52-26 to the Maroons.

The score was close at the end of the first period, but Blackwell had a 3-point run in the second to increase their lead to 31-20 at the half. Alva scored 20 points to four by the Maroons in the third and added 15 to Blackwell's 17 in the final period.

First Half

Senior Cameron Gordon, coming back from a football injury, added some energy to the Alva mix. He put the first game points on the board, but J.R. Punzalan hit a trey to take the lead for the Maroons. Dalton Rose took the lead back with a basket, and Alva was up 4-3.

Senior Kaden Hensley added two more Alva points in traffic, but Blackwell's Kendall Burtner made two baskets to put Alva on top. Rose missed a free throw attempt, and Blackwell added another two points to increase the lead to 9-6. Collin Prince made a three-pointer for the Maroons, but Alva's Mitchell Meyer hit a right wing trey. The score was 12-9 in Blackwell's favor at the end of the first period.

Rose started off the second period with a fast break and layup, but Prince added a three for Blackwell. Nat Hindman and Worthy Shepherd made two more three-pointers, and Blackwell led 17-11. Dylan McGuire finally added some points for Alva. But Punzalan made good on two of three free throw chances. Rose banked in a shot for two, and Alva was behind 19-15.

Bart Cline added three triples for Blackwell, broken up by two free throws and a basket by Rose. Then Rose hit the first of two free throw chances, and Blackwell led 28-20. Cline added a fourth trey to give the Maroons a 31-20 lead at the half.

Second Half

In the third period, Meyer was fouled as he went in for a layup but missed. He hit both free throws. Burtner put in two for the Maroons. Freshman Donald Blalock hit two for Alva followed by another Burtner basket. Gordon went in on a layup on a feed by Kaden Hensley, and Alva was within nine at 35-26.

As Alva put on pressure, their foul call numbers went up. Then Blalock was fouled in a shooting attempt. He made all three free throws. Rose got in one more basket, and Alva had closed the Blackwell lead to four at 35-31 at the end of the third quarter.

Blackwell started the fourth with back-to-back threes from Punzalan and Burtner. McGuire hit an Alva basket, and Hensley made one of two free throws. Blalock added one more point in two free throw attempts. Meyer grabbed the shot that missed and stuck the ball in the basket. The Maroons led 41-36.

Burtner was fouled and made one of two chances. Then Blalock drilled in a three followed by a Meyer basket to tie the score at 42. Shepherd answered with another deadly three to put Blackwell up 45-42. Hensley slipped on a wet spot and fell, collecting a foul. Shepherd went to the line and made one of two attempts.

Meyer added a basket, but then Gordon fouled out, and Burtner went to the line, making one of two free throws. Blackwell was up 47-44. Punzalan added two free throws for the Maroons. Goldbug freshman Austin Reed added a bucket, and Alva was within three at 49-46.

Trey Lunn

Dalton Rose with the second Alva basket of the game. Rose led the scoring with 13 total points Friday.

Burtner made good on a free throw, and Alva's Rose fouled out. Burtner had two more free throw opportunities, making good on both. The game ended with Blackwell on top 52-46.

Scoring

Alva scoring was led by Rose with 13. Meyer followed with 11, scoring most of those in the second half. Blalock had nine, McGuire and Gordon made four each. Hensley had three and Reed two.

Burtner was the leading Blackwell scorer with 17 followed by Punzalan with 13. Cline finished with 10, Prince had six, Shepherd four and Hindman two.

Up Next

The Goldbugs will host the Chisholm Longhorns in Alva Tuesday night starting around 8 p.m. after the Ladybug game. The Goldbugs travel to Waukomis Thursday for the Pioneer Stampede Tournament. They play Pioneer at 7:55 p.m.