"We didn't have our best defensive game but we were able to go on the road and find a way to win a big conference and section game,” commented Barnesville Head Coach Matt Askegaard.  “We got ourselves down double digits in the 1st half and we battled back and were able to cut it to 2 at half time.  In the second half our offense got in a groove and we put up 50 points and outscored them by 13.  The guys got some big stops late in the game when it counted and hopefully we can build on that defensive effort. Hancock has a nice team that can shoot the ball well along with size and athleticism and they caused us fits early on."

Askegaard added, “We built a nice lead going into halftime with a score of 44-25. However, we knew Breck was going to come out firing in the second half. I was curious as to how the boys would respond with a little adversity in their first game. Breckenridge has some nice players in Cam Nieto and Alex Sanchez. With a physical presence inside with Landon Blaufuss and sharp shooter Daymon Smith they are hard to defend. We had few lapses defensively in the half court and didn't get back in transition which allowed the Cowboys to get back into the game. They also came with a little bit of pressure which we didn't handle very well.”

Tate Inniger led the Trojans with 20 points and 7 rebounds.  Wyatt Suter (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals), Owen Riddle (10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals) and Carson Hagen (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) were all in double digits for Barnesville.

“With about 9 minutes to go the Cowboys were able to get within 9, but we were able to settle in and ultimately extend the lead,” noted Coach Askegaard. “It was an overall team effort with everyone scoring who entered the game. In his first varsity start, Carson Hagen contributed nicely on both ends of the floor. Overall, I was very pleased with our effort and balanced scoring. We were patient on the offensive end and pressured nicely on the defensive end. We got a little sloppy in the 2nd half, but we were able to recover and fight through it.”

Barnesville made 49% (30-61) of their shots from the floor and buried 5-of-13 (38%) 3-point attempts.

“We struggled defensively in the first half, but battled back in the second half cutting the lead to 8 points,” said Breckenridge Head Coach Jordan Christensen.  “Daymon Smith (24 points, 4 rebounds) and Landon Blaufuss (16 points, 8 rebounds) got it done on the offensive end.  Defensively, Cam Nieto, Alex Sanchez and Jacob Kunkel really pressured the ball better.”

Jaxson Riggs added 10 points and 2 rebounds for the Cowboys, while Sanchez finished with 4 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 6 steals.

Barnesville (1-0) will play at Frazee on Thursday.

Breckenridge (0-3) pays a visit to Lake Park-Audubon on Thursday night.