The Wauneta-Palisade boys’ basketball started January off on the right foot last week with wins over Hitchcock County and Southwest.

Streak past Falcons
    Friday’s game in Trenton got off to an ugly start for the Broncos. Sophomores Austen Rozelle and Ty Duvel made WP’s only baskets of the first quarter. WP trailed 4-11 after the first eight minutes.
    WP found its stride, offensively and defensively, during the second quarter. Seven Broncos scored before halftime. Rozelle, Cash Yearous, Dalton Harchelroad and Duncan Rector made baskets from the floor, while Caid Doetker, Dennis Cavanaugh, Rector and Duvel combined to make eight-of-11 free throws. Meanwhile, the Bronco defense put the clamps on Hitchcock County. WP outscored the Falcons 20-1 in the quarter.
    Coming out of the locker room, both teams struggled. WP scored eight points in the quarter. The Falcons only managed three points.
    Both teams had better luck from the field over the game’s final eight minutes.
    Harchelroad scored six of his game high 14 points in the fourth quarter. Duvel scored eight of his 11 points over the final stanza. Behind the pair, WP cruised to the 20-point win, 53-33.
    WP made 14-of-27 free throws, only four-of-11 in the fourth quarter, while Hitchcock County hit 10-of-16.
    The Broncos took 75 shots from the floor, so there were lots of rebounds to go around. Ten Broncos had at least one rebound. Harchelroad and Doetker had seven rebounds each.
    WP also gathered up 28 steals, with Yearous leading the way with five.
To read the full story, subscribe to the e-edition online or call the Breeze at 308-394-5389 to subscribe to the print edition