Whipp, Green net career highs, Pentz adds 16 in 67-60 Bucktail win
By Bees O’Brien
BLOOMSBURG, PA- If you were watching one of the many livestreams from the Bucktail boys basketball team’s parents, you may have noticed the Bucks’ bench erupt following the final buzzer. The improbable Bucks did it again for the second straight game. They won.
Players embraced one another and high fives were abundant. Bucktail erased an 11-point deficit and triumphed at Columbia Montour Vo-Tech 67-60.
Gary Whipp and Johnny Green continued to step up big time for Bucktail for the second straight game. Whipp’s 23 points on the night was his new career high, topping his 20-point night in Tuesday’s win over Benton.
Green was a seldom used reserve player until his recent rising. He was clutch down the stretch against Benton, but on Friday night he came into his own and made the most of his first career varsity start by scoring a varsity career high 17 points.
Make no mistake about these new-look Bucks, Brody Pentz is still the centerpiece and is still the top defensive assignment for opposing teams. The Bucktail sophomore has played well beyond his years the past three games. His 16 points and 9 rebounds helped propel the team to victory. Pentz fell just one rebound shy of his third straight double-double.
Bucktail shot out of the gate on fire and appeared as if they would run away from the 0-9 Rams in the first quarter. A 15-8 first quarter advantage had the Bucks feeling pretty good.
The Bucks continued to score at will on CMVT in the second quarter and a 17-13 advantage built their halftime lead to 32-21.
Then came CMVT senior forward Toby Zajak. Bucktail football fans might remember Zajak and his 300-plus yards against the Bucks in the football season finale. He’s hurt the Bucks on the baseball field too, but nobody expected what Zajak did to Bucktail in the third quarter.
Zajak would score 21 of the Rams’ 30 third quarter points, while the Bucks managed just 12 points and found themselves in a 51-44 hole.
CMVT’s lead swelled to 55-44 before head coach Mike Charcalla applied a full court press that Bucktail executed perfectly.
Pentz, Whipp, Green, Kyle Friese and Brett Mason would force turnover after turnover and the comeback was on. Friese’s hustle led to several ill-advised passes that wound up in the hands of Whipp (7 steals), Green (5 steals), Pentz (3 steals) and Mason who finished with 7 points and a pair of steals.
Bucktail’s 23-9 fourth quarter was ignited by an airtight full court press and an 8-point fourth quarter from Green.
Zajak only managed two points in the fourth quarter, but finished with a game-high 34 points.
The Bucks improved to 4-6 on the season and enter a week with confidence against a pair of teams they should be able to compete with. On Wednesday they will host Montgomery (6-7) and on Thursday they’ll host Millville (2-11) in a highly anticipated rematch from earlier this month.
