Bucktail boys suffer road loss at Montgomery, 61-43

By Bees O’Brien

MONTGOMERY, PA- Bucktail head coach Mike Charcalla believed that his Bucks were ready to transition to the next level of play and take down 2A playoff contenders Montgomery on the road Friday night. But 22 turnovers and shooting struggles would result in the Bucks dropping their Mid Penn West Division game to Montgomery 61-43.

Bucktail (5-9) remained very much in the playoff hunt following the loss but needed a critical win over a quality opponent like Montgomery (9-9).

The Bucks kept pace with the Red Raiders in the first quarter and only trailed 11-9 after one quarter. Then the wheels came off in the first five minutes of the second quarter.

Wild passes and trouble from beyond the arc spelled doom for the Bucks. Bucktail would shoot just 2 for 23 from the three-point line, which would lead to rebounds and converted transition points for Montgomery.

A 17-8 Red Raiders’ second quarter would extend their lead to 28-17 at the break.

A big 17-9 third quarter for Montgomery would seemingly put the game away for the hometown squad, now up 45-26 entering the first quarter.

The Bucktail offense finally came to life in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Red Raiders 17-16 to set the final.
Brody Pentz had another monster game from the statistical side of things. Pentz would score 23 points and grab 17 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Gary Whipp would add 9 points, Brett Mason chipped in 7 points. Johnny Green and Will Steele each added 2 points.

The Bucks did get some help in their race to move up the playoff standings. Bucktail sits at sixth. Galeton (8-11) who is one spot ahead of them, fell to Port Allegany Friday evening, 49-37.

The road won’t get any easier for the Bucks. They’ll begin their week at home on Tuesday against 2A title contenders Muncy (13-6) and then they’ll have a chance to control their own destiny on Thursday for the annual “Pink Out” game with Galeton.