The Bulldog boys basketball team had their hands full on Thursday night playing South Dakota’s top-ranked team, Dakota Valley, and dropping the game 56-46.
The Panthers came in to the game sporting one of the best offenses in the area. The Panthers averaged 72 points per game entering the contest. The Bulldog boys held the Panthers to only 18 points in the first half. Head Coach Dave Irwin says that that outcome was a result of their focus on defense leading up to the game.
The Bulldogs took a 38-33 lead into the fourth quarter before things started to go off the rails in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs were outscored 23-8 in the final frame as the Panthers offense kicked into high gear. Coach Irwin acknowledged that this was a team that the Bulldogs could not keep down for long.
The Bulldogs were led offensively by Caleb Dreckman who finished with 23 points. David Leusink added 11, and Konnor Calhoun finished with 10. Le Mars now faces Sioux City West in a quick turnaround. It’s a busy week to return to action as this will be Le Mars’ third game of the week and the second of a back-to-back.
The Bulldogs snapped a four-game winning streak with the loss and fall to 5-4 on the year. Dakota Valley remained unbeaten improving to 6-0 and were led in scoring by Isaac Bruns who finished with 31 points.
