Roughrider tournament begins with Buccaneers on fire
Dec. 19—DICKINSON — The Beach Buccaneers began their new season with a commanding 72-46 victory over the Hettinger-Scranton NightHawks in the Roughrider tournament at Dickinson Trinity gymnasium. The game, originally scheduled for the previous week, had been postponed due to snow in the Southwestern region of North Dakota. The Buccaneers showed their strength and potential in this high-scoring game.
The Buccaneers dominated their game with consistent shooting and control of the tempo, leading in rebounds by collecting 41 boards and 12 second chance points. According to Buccaneers' head coach Al Swanson, the team's competitive nature was evident on the court.
"So many game cancellations, that was our first game," Swanson said. "Was a little nervous, did not know what to expect out of them... I was happy with the way we shot the ball and I was very happy with our shot selection.
The first half was a shootout for the Buccaneers who garnered 23 and 21 points in the first and second quarter respectively.
Hettinger-Scranton's height advantage and physics was very obvious, despite the large deficit. They manage to pass the ball well, but count on getting the ball in their net often enough.
The NightHawks managed to outperform Beach in the final minutes of the first half with a run of six points — their long run in the game — ending the first half with the scoreboard reading 44-20.
Beach continued to extend their lead in the third quarter, with 16 points. Coach Swanson was able to put in their reserve, which resulted in a dip in rebounds and Hettinger-Scranton winning the final quarter 19-12.
"We got two or three kids that are starting to develop nicely," Al Swanson said. "First half they struggled when we got them in, but I was very proud of how they played the second half.
Beach's senior Trey Swanson, was the vocal leader on the court and led his team with his double-double of total points and rebounds with 25 and 12 respectively. His presence in the paint often led to points earned and was nearly automatic from the free-throw line, going 5-for-6.
Sophomore guard Justus Baker has developed well over the offseason, coming in second in total points with 20, with a mean three-point shot. He went 4-for-5 from downtown and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.
Hettinger Scrnaton's had three players shoot double digits, including Maddox Pierce with 11 and who Al Swanson said was not an easy player to defend against.
"[The NightHawks] are a well developed and big bunch of kids," Swanson said.
"If their shots fall and ours don't, the game is a whole different situation.
