The Cordell Blue Devils started off strong in their Tuesday match-up against the Hinton Comets, but in the end were defeated 53-44 on their home court.
The game began with an emotional moment, as each of the starting five ran to the stands during the player introductions to hug the mother of Creed Bouse, the young student who lost his life in a tragic automobile accident during the previous week.
The Blue Devils carried their emotion onto the court in the first period, battling hard against the Comets and pushing out to a 13-10 lead afer the quarter. Hinton fought back during the second, however, and had secured a 27-22 lead going into the half.
Cordell managed to get one of those points back in the third quarter, outscoring Hinton 13-12. The Comets, however, managed to extend their lead during the final quarter and claimed the 53-44 victory.
“This was a very hard fought game,” said head coach Brandon Gallagher. “I was proud of how our kids have battled after a very tough week for all of us. We have to get better from the free throw line, though, going five for 14 really hurts us in these tight games. We are playing hard, though, and putting ourselves in a position to win, we just have to keep battling.”
Gaige Keister led Cordell’s scoring with 21 points on the night. He added 10 rebounds, one assist, one deflection, and one steal. Brady Reimer scored 12, with three rebounds, four assists, and four deflections.