Total team effort by Bucks helps boost home court chances in 57-51 victory at Montgomery
By Bees O’Brien
MONTGOMERY- Bucktail boys’ basketball Travis Fantaskey never has been a fan of Saturday afternoon games. This Saturday he had one of those on the road at a very dangerous and talented Montgomery squad.
“I’ve never liked those Saturday games.” said Fantaskey “You never know how late these kids were up the night before and when they show up, sometimes it looks like they’re still asleep.”
On Saturday Bucktail was wide awake and Montgomery was too.
Bucktail is fighting to earn the program’s first ever home court playoff game, while the Red Raiders were merely fighting for their playoff lives.
The Bucks were awake in the first with their 22-8 opening frame advantage. Braylon Fantaski would spark Bucktail early with 7 points in the frame, as six Bucks would score in the quarter. It would be that total team effort theme throughout the afternoon that would carry the Bucks.
Montgomery would rally behind a 10-point second quarter from Parker Bennett and use a 19-10 second quarter to narrow Bucktail’s halftime lead to 32-27.
A 14-10 Montgomery third quarter advantage would momentarily complete the Red Raiders’ comeback as they now trailed 42-41 heading into the final 8 minutes of play.
“This team never gives up.” Fantaskey said “Usually we’re the team making the comeback, but this time the role was reversed.”
Montgomery would continue to come at Bucktail and would finally take their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch it would be the Bucks who wanted this one more.
Montgomery still held a slim 49-48 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining. But a pair of steals and layups from Gary Whipp, a Johnny Green basket and a pair of free throws from Fantaski would seal the deal for the now 9-10 Bucks.
Montgomery fell to 7-13 and are now in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the second straight season following a Bucktail loss. Last year in Farwell the Bucks downed Montgomery to eliminate them from postseason and essentially locking up their own playoff spot.
Braylon Fantaski led Bucktail with 18 points, while Johnny Green hit for double figures in his second straight contest by adding 11 points. Gary Whipp finished with 10 points and Brett Mason would net 9 points and grab 10 rebounds.
Parker Bennett led Montgomery with an 18-point, 10 rebound double-double.
The win over the 2A Red Raiders will help Bucktail climb closer to locking up a home court spot in the upcoming District IV 1A playoffs, but the work is far from done. The Bucks will need big wins at Millville (3-17) on Monday and at home on Tuesday against CMVT (2-18).
Bucktail2210101557
Montgomery819141051
Bucktail (57)
Pentz 2 3-5 7, Steele 1 0-0 2, Mason 4 0-0 9, Fantaski 6 3-4 18, Green 5 1-1 11, Whipp 4 1-4 10, Pick 0 0-0 0, TOTALS- 22 8-14 57
3FG- 5 (Fantaski 3, Whipp, Mason)
