Plainsmen defense stymies Dragon progress

    Compared to recent games, Holyoke defense stepped it up in the varsity boys basketball game against Perkins County last Tuesday, Jan. 22. In almost every game since the new year, the Dragons have given up 20 points in the first quarter alone, so it was good to see them hold off their opponents early on, coach Marcus Kammer explained.
    Nevertheless, the Perkins County defense showed up, too, and Holyoke lost 53-28. Traveling to Grant, Nebraska, for the game, the Dragons encountered a 1-3-1 zone defense that most of them hadn’t seen before. “It really made the boys uncomfortable and tentative to attack and score,” Kammer added.
    Had fouls not come into play, Holyoke and Perkins County would have been neck and neck in the first quarter. Each team made a couple of field goals and one 3-pointer. The opportunity for one of the Plainsmen, Alex Patrick, to shoot four free throws meant the Dragons trailed 11-7 going into the second period.
    HHS continued to make baskets here and there across the roster, but Patrick’s threat as a shooter began to emerge. He matched Holyoke’s six points in the second, and five points by other Plainsmen put them ahead 22-13 at the half.

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