YODER – The Southeast High School boys’ basketball team ended the 2020 portion of the basketball schedule with a home split on Friday as part of the annual Dogger Classic.
On Friday morning, the Class 1A No. 4-ranked Cyclones defeated the Kaycee Buckaroos, 44-31.
After a slow start in the opening quarter, Southeast turned up the pressure, outscoring Kaycee 36-22 over the final three quarters en route to the 13-point victory.
“We didn’t play well the first half,” Cyclone Coach Crockett Herring said. “Our defense was good, but we still have some stuff we need to clean up and get better at. Offense struggled in the first half, but in the second half, it slowed down in our minds, penetrated the zone and got some easier shots.”
Junior Cord Herring led the Cyclones with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. Senior Hayden Anderson added 12 points. Senior Bodie Herring grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, to go along with six points.
Later that afternoon, the Cyclones return to the court against the Class No. 3-ranked Encampment Tigers.
After a hot start by Southeast, grabbing an 11-6 advantage, the visiting Tigers started to find their stroke.
A 12-0 run by Encampment forced the Cyclones to use a timeout, but the Tigers kept rolling through the end of the first quarter.
“I was proud of our kids. Dalton (Peterson) comes out and strokes six 3-pointers in a row,” Herring said. “We were down, at one point, 14.”
Trailing 26-13 after one, senior Durward Randall triple sparked the Southeast rally.
The Cyclones kept chipping away at the deficit and with 1:08 left in the half, Bodie Herring drained a 3-pointer to put his team back in front.
“We then responded. We started be a little more aggressive and running out offense,” Herring said. “We fought back and took the lead at halftime.”
Early in the third quarter, Encampment regained the lead using a 9-2 burst coming out of the locker room.
“We still have that scoring drought, but instead of it being a whole quarter this time, it was two minutes,” Herring said. “We are learning how to get back in it, but we have to learn how to win.
With 5:28 left in the game, Bodie Herring once again put the Southeast on top, but it proved to be the final time the Cyclones were in front for the remainder of the game.
Southeast had multiple opportunities in the closing seconds off two Encampment turnovers, but the Cyclones couldn’t turn it into points trailing 58-55 – ultimately the final score.
Bodie Herring led the team with 16 points and seven rebounds, while senior Sawyer Anderson added 14.
The Cyclones had five players tally at least one 3-pointer, including four from Bodie Herring and Sawyer Anderson.
“We shot well at times,” Herring said. “That’s the team I foresee in the future that you’re going to have to guard all of us. It will make us that much tougher if we continue to play within the offense.”
Southeast (2-2) travels to Bridgeport (Neb.) High School (6-0) on Tuesday, Dec. 29 for a 7 p.m. contest.
“It’s going to be hard. We basically have one and 1/2 practices before we go to Bridgeport,” Herring said. “Our schedule is not easy. We are going to have to play good basketball every game. I’m okay with that. It’ll make us a better team. Bridgeport in a good team. They kicked our (butts) last year. We own them one.”
