.........Would love to hear from someone in the know just how that happened. It was the Bison's first win of the year. The win might not be so surprising but the margin certainly would be.
Saw on the news that Buffalo Gap beat Draft by 25....
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(Article from News Virginian)
Guards Bennett Bowers and Tanner Rivenburg combined for nine 3-pointers and 56 points Thursday night to power the angry Bison to a 71-46 romp over the Stuarts Draft Cougars in Shenandoah District boys basketball.
Bowers, only a sophomore, knocked down six triples en route to a career-high, 30-point outburst, while the senior Rivenburg tallied 26 points and accounted for the Bison’s other trio of 3s.
The Bison came into the game with a massive chip on their shoulders after losing their first two games of the season, two games they thought were winnable. Gap (1-2, 1-2) was extra peeved after blowing a double-digit lead in the second half Tuesday at Wilson Memorial.
“The guys came in tonight with a lot of prove,” Gap head coach Chad Ward said. “They thought they let those first two games slip through their fingers by not executing down the stretch.
“Tanner and Bennett did excellent jobs getting their teammates involved, which opened it up more for them to operate. We didn’t do that very well in the first two games,” Ward said.
The Bison didn’t have to worry about failed execution down the stretch after building a 21-point halftime advantage. They were never serious challenged by the Cougars in the second half.
Rivenburg and Bowers set the tone in the first quarter by combining for 18 of the team’s 24 points. Rivenburg had two 3s during a 17-4 blitz after Draft scored the first two points of the game. Bowers later added two triples as the Bison surged to a 24-13 lead after eight minutes.
The Cougars hurt themselves with six turnovers in the first period, which Gap converted into seven points.
“Rivenburg and Bowers are good players who are hard to contain,” Draft head coach Brad DeWitt said. “We tried to stay in front of them, but didn’t do a good job.
“We paid the price for the turnovers and not getting on the defensive glass,” DeWitt said. “They were getting the offensive rebound and throwing out for the open 3-pointers.”
The second quarter was more rinse and repeat from the first. Rivenburg and Bowers each had four points during an 8-0 spurt to begin the period, expanding the advantage to 32-13.
Gap doubled up the Cougars, 24-12, in the quarter to enjoy a comfortable 48-25 cushion at the break. Bowers had 22 first-half points, while Rivenburg scored 18.
The Cougars played better in the second half, but the damage had already been inflicted.
“I am proud that we competed harder in the second half,” DeWitt said. “We have to get much better on defense.”
Draft (1-2, 1-2) is undergoing a major transformation from its high-flying days under former head coach Mike Gale to DeWitt’s more half-court oriented style.
“It’s a process adapting to the new system,” DeWitt said. “We just need to get better each day and things will start falling into place.”
The Cougars hit only one 3-pointer late in the game, which is far from the norm of years past.
“We haven’t been shooting that well from the outside, so we want to attack the basket more,” DeWitt said.
With his team’s first victory under its belt, Ward is looking for more of the same in what will be a lightning-quick season.
“That was a complete team effort to get the win,” he said. “The district is going to be extremely tight as I don’t see anyone separating from the rest. We need to defend our home court and win a few on the road.”
Jo’-el Howard was the lone Cougar to score in double figures with 15.
Both teams return to the hardwood Friday for home Shenandoah District battles. The Bison entertain rival Riverheads, while the Cougars host Fort Defiance.
The jayvee game was canceled because of health and safety protocols.
BUFFALO GAP 71, STUARTS DRAFT 46
STUARTS DRAFT (46) — Brydge 1 0-0 3, Harris 1 0-0 2, Cash 0 1-2 1, Watkins 1 0-0 2, Jones 1 2-2 4, Schages 0 4-4 4, Willis 0 2-2 2, Howard 6 3-6 15, Stinespring 3 0-2 6, Nice 2 1-5 5, Clinedinst 1 0-0 2, Wayne, Rothgeb, TOTALS 16 13-23 46.
BUFFALO GAP (71) — Sherrill 1 0-0 2, Lawrence 1 2-2 4, Bowers 10 4-4 30, Hewitt 0 2-2 2, Canterbury 1 0-4 2, Rivenburg 11 1-4 26, Thompson 1 0-0 2, Teter 1 1-2 3, LaPorte, TOTALS 26 10-18 71.
STUARTS DRAFT 13 12 14 7 — 46
BUFFALO GAP 24 24 10 13 — 71
Guards Bennett Bowers and Tanner Rivenburg combined for nine 3-pointers and 56 points Thursday night to power the angry Bison to a 71-46 romp over the Stuarts Draft Cougars in Shenandoah District boys basketball.
Bowers, only a sophomore, knocked down six triples en route to a career-high, 30-point outburst, while the senior Rivenburg tallied 26 points and accounted for the Bison’s other trio of 3s.
The Bison came into the game with a massive chip on their shoulders after losing their first two games of the season, two games they thought were winnable. Gap (1-2, 1-2) was extra peeved after blowing a double-digit lead in the second half Tuesday at Wilson Memorial.
“The guys came in tonight with a lot of prove,” Gap head coach Chad Ward said. “They thought they let those first two games slip through their fingers by not executing down the stretch.
“Tanner and Bennett did excellent jobs getting their teammates involved, which opened it up more for them to operate. We didn’t do that very well in the first two games,” Ward said.
The Bison didn’t have to worry about failed execution down the stretch after building a 21-point halftime advantage. They were never serious challenged by the Cougars in the second half.
Rivenburg and Bowers set the tone in the first quarter by combining for 18 of the team’s 24 points. Rivenburg had two 3s during a 17-4 blitz after Draft scored the first two points of the game. Bowers later added two triples as the Bison surged to a 24-13 lead after eight minutes.
The Cougars hurt themselves with six turnovers in the first period, which Gap converted into seven points.
“Rivenburg and Bowers are good players who are hard to contain,” Draft head coach Brad DeWitt said. “We tried to stay in front of them, but didn’t do a good job.
“We paid the price for the turnovers and not getting on the defensive glass,” DeWitt said. “They were getting the offensive rebound and throwing out for the open 3-pointers.”
The second quarter was more rinse and repeat from the first. Rivenburg and Bowers each had four points during an 8-0 spurt to begin the period, expanding the advantage to 32-13.
Gap doubled up the Cougars, 24-12, in the quarter to enjoy a comfortable 48-25 cushion at the break. Bowers had 22 first-half points, while Rivenburg scored 18.
The Cougars played better in the second half, but the damage had already been inflicted.
“I am proud that we competed harder in the second half,” DeWitt said. “We have to get much better on defense.”
Draft (1-2, 1-2) is undergoing a major transformation from its high-flying days under former head coach Mike Gale to DeWitt’s more half-court oriented style.
“It’s a process adapting to the new system,” DeWitt said. “We just need to get better each day and things will start falling into place.”
The Cougars hit only one 3-pointer late in the game, which is far from the norm of years past.
“We haven’t been shooting that well from the outside, so we want to attack the basket more,” DeWitt said.
With his team’s first victory under its belt, Ward is looking for more of the same in what will be a lightning-quick season.
“That was a complete team effort to get the win,” he said. “The district is going to be extremely tight as I don’t see anyone separating from the rest. We need to defend our home court and win a few on the road.”
Jo’-el Howard was the lone Cougar to score in double figures with 15.
Both teams return to the hardwood Friday for home Shenandoah District battles. The Bison entertain rival Riverheads, while the Cougars host Fort Defiance.
The jayvee game was canceled because of health and safety protocols.
BUFFALO GAP 71, STUARTS DRAFT 46
STUARTS DRAFT (46) — Brydge 1 0-0 3, Harris 1 0-0 2, Cash 0 1-2 1, Watkins 1 0-0 2, Jones 1 2-2 4, Schages 0 4-4 4, Willis 0 2-2 2, Howard 6 3-6 15, Stinespring 3 0-2 6, Nice 2 1-5 5, Clinedinst 1 0-0 2, Wayne, Rothgeb, TOTALS 16 13-23 46.
BUFFALO GAP (71) — Sherrill 1 0-0 2, Lawrence 1 2-2 4, Bowers 10 4-4 30, Hewitt 0 2-2 2, Canterbury 1 0-4 2, Rivenburg 11 1-4 26, Thompson 1 0-0 2, Teter 1 1-2 3, LaPorte, TOTALS 26 10-18 71.
STUARTS DRAFT 13 12 14 7 — 46
BUFFALO GAP 24 24 10 13 — 71
