Bulldogs Experience The Highs And Lows Versus Berea
The Harrodsburg Herald/Casey Roberts
Senior Jacob Qualls finished for two of his 18 points versus Berea on Dec. 8.
Casey Roberts
Herald Staff
Sports@harrodsburgherald.com
Coming into last Thursday’s contest versus the Berea Pirates, the Burgin Bulldogs boys basketball team brought a new sense of optimism and confidence after defeating Francis Parker in the final minutes of the game the previous week. However, Berea and Burgin were evenly matched and while the Bulldogs carried the momentum in the first half they struggled to keep it the second half. Both teams battled, but the Pirates took the victory, 53-48.
The trio of Cannon Cummins, Liam Brewer and Camron Puckett came into the matchup averaging double digits for the Berea Pirates. The Bulldogs trio of Jacob Qualls, Brendan Stanley and Hunter Reed also averaged at least 10 points per game. Jake Taylor is expected to join the list, when he returns to full health after dealing with illness last week.
The Burgin faithful filled the bleachers eager for tipoff. The Bulldogs gave them a lot to cheer about in the first quarter, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. The defense caused havoc early, forcing the Pirates to turn the ball over leading to lay ups for Burgin.
A flustered Berea team looked confused as they tried to figure out a way to break the Bulldogs defensive pressure. Holding a 21-6 lead, momentum was clearly on the side of Burgin at the end of the first quarter.
Sustaining the hot start proved to be a challenge. The Bulldogs struggled to convert on offense and managed only seven points in the second quarter, while allowing 13. Jake Taylor sat the majority of the quarter because of foul trouble. The Bulldogs took a 28-19 lead into the halftime break.
The Bulldogs’ struggles continued in the third quarter. All the momentum Burgin seemed to build early in the game had been killed. Berea controlled the tempo and forced Burgin into difficult shots. By the end of the third quarter the Bulldogs had fallen behind by seven points, allowing 22 points in the third quarter, more than the combined first half, while only scoring six.
