Basketball
team beats
Smithville,
loses to Benton
The Platte County Pirate boys’ basketball team moved
to 8-16 on the season, after recently defeating Smithville
and losing to Benton.
Both of these games came against Midland Empire Conference
opponents.
The Pirates took on the Smithville Warriors on Tuesday,
Feb. 12. This game was the annual Senior/Parent’s
Night game.
The Pirates put on a show for their parents, as they
took the lead in the first quarter and never looked back
the rest of the way.
After the first quarter of action, Platte County had
jumped out to an early three-point lead over the Warriors.
The Pirates led 12-9, and they never looked back from
there.
Platte County outscored Smithville 15-12 in the third
quarter of action.
As the game entered halftime, Platte County controlled
the momentum in the first half and looked to do the same
during the second half. The Pirates led 27-21 at the half,
and needed to hold off the Warriors throughout the second
half, in order to pick up a much needed conference victory.
Platte County’s defense did the job in the third
quarter as they prevented Smithville from cutting into
the Pirates’ lead.
The Warriors only scored seven points, while the Pirates
were able to put up 11 points of their own. This gave
Platte County a 10-point, 38-28 point lead as the game
entered the final quarter of action.
In the fourth quarter, the Pirates’ defense gave
up 13 points, but offensively Platte County still outdid
the Warriors, putting up 14 points of their own. The Pirates
won this game by a final score of 52-41.
Senior Mitch Black put on a show on Senior Night, as
he burnt the Warriors for 25-points. Black was followed
in scoring by freshman Zo Riley with 11, juniors Sean
O’Connor and Kyle Richter with 6 points apiece, and
then junior Mark Dudley who had 4 points. Black had the
only three-pointer on the night, for Platte County. Junior
Travis Frogge sat this game out, and did not play.
In their second conference game of the week, the St.
Joseph Benton Cardinals traveled into town.
The Pirates had already lost to the Cardinals earlier
in the season, back in the Kearney Tournament. Platte
County sought revenge for this earlier loss, but the Pirates
would not find it, as they would fall to Benton for the
second time this season.
Platte County stayed even with Benton through much of
the game, and neither team could keep the momentum, nor
pull away from the other team. After the first quarter
of action, the Pirates trailed the Cardinals by only two
points, 12-10.
In the second quarter, neither team was able to make
any large advances offensively. Benton outscored Platte
County 9-5 during the second quarter.
As the game entered halftime, Benton had extended its
lead to six points over the Pirates. The Cardinals led
Platte County by a small score of only 21-15 at halftime.
The Pirates needed to come out in the third quarter and
set the tone for the second half.
Platte County came out in the third quarter on fire offensively.
The Pirates were able to take the lead away from Benton
by the time that the third quarter had ended. Platte County
outscored Benton 24-13 during the third quarter, and took
a 39-34 point lead as the game was set to enter the final
quarter.
Despite putting up 24 points of offense in the previous
quarter, the Pirates could not find their offensive niche
in the fourth quarter. Platte County gave up 12 points
defensively, while they were only able to muster up 1
point of their own during the fourth quarter. Benton won
the ballgame by a final score of 46-40.
For the second game in a row, Black led all of the Platte
County scorers with 14 points. Black was followed in scoring
by Frogge with 13 points, junior Brent Parker with 6 points,
Riley with 5 points, and senior Shane Praiswater had 2
points.
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