31 first quarter points were more than enough for the Bearcats of Scottsbluff in their 65 to 21 win over St. Agnes on Saturday. The Crusaders gave it a good go but a taller and talented 8th grade Cats team was too much. With the loss, the Academy sees its record drop to 4 and 2 on the year. The Bluffs now won the late game, defeating the Crusader junior varsity club 26 to 24. Tripp Johnson led the offense in varsity game with 9 points. In the second game, SA got 19 points by Enzo Kappius. The games were played in Alliance.
St. Agnes’ best scoring quarter was the first. The Crusades netted 7 points but red hot shooting by the Bluffs put the game away early. Scottsbluff made 14 two point goals and a three to take a big lead. The Crusaders would get a 3 pointer by Johnson and 2 point buckets by Cisco Cody and Grayson Dibrito. After one period, SA was down 31 to 7. The Bluffs continued their fine play in period #2 with 14 more points. A three by Johnson was all the Academy would muster in the quarter. At half, the Bluffs lead was 45 to 10.
Fifteen more tallies by the Cats in the third salted the game away. Three pointers by Dibrito and Johnson accounted for the Academy points in the quarter and the teams went to the fourth with SB up 60 to 16. Crusader 8th grader Danny Jelinek would score all five St. Agnes points in the fourth. Jelinek had a three and a 2 point hoop as both squads would score 5 apiece in the final 6 minutes of action. Final Bluffs 65 St. Agnes 21
SB 31 14 15 5 65
SA 7 3 6 5 21
Scoring for the Academy Johnson 9 Dibrito 5 Jelinek 5 Cody 2
In the late game, the play was tight throughout. Bluffs would get 7 tallies on the scoreboard in the first to take a small lead. All 6 of the Crusaders points in the quarter came from Kappius. Period #2 had both teams scoring 3 points each. A free throw by Kappius and a 2 pointer from Tee Johnson kept SA close. At half, the Bearcats led 10 to 9. Scottsbluff pulled away in the third with 16 points. Alliance would get 8 more points by Kappius in the quarter along with a free throw by Tatum Devlin. Heading to the fourth, SB was out in front 26 to 18. St. Agnes’ defense was super tough in period #4. The Crusaders would shut out the Cats and draw closer with 6 points. Two more hoops by Kappius and a 2 pointer by Ashton Weingart got SA to within 2. The Academy had a few chances to tie the game but were turned away. Final SB 26 SA 24
SB 7 3 16 0 26
SA 6 3 9 6 24
Scoring for Alliance Kappius 19 Tee Johnson 2 Weingart 2 Devlin 1
St. Agnes took part in the Panhandle Conference tournament on Monday in Hay Springs.