Balanced attack, second-half surge lifts Bucks past Bulldogs

The Breckenridge Buckaroos (17-12, 8-3) bounced back from their home loss to the Dublin Lions earlier in the week with a balanced scoring effort to defeat the Millsap Bulldogs (6-23, 2-9), 68-49 on the road. It was the kind of response head coach Brent Lucas said his team needed.

“We needed that one,” Lucas said. “It puts us in a good spot going into our last three.”

The Bucks started steadily, getting early inside production from Joacim Fernandez and a putback from Jaime Cruz. Christian Flores added an and-one finish and Ryan Waller knocked down two free throws and a jumper as Breckenridge held a 13-9 lead after a quarter.

The offense opened up even more in the second quarter. After the Bulldogs got within one point on a three-pointer, Flores answered with a three-pointer of his own. Waller then jumped a passing lane to set up a Joseph Juneau layup, and Flores scored on a putback shot. Hudson Woodward added a short-range basket, followed by a Waller midrange. A couiple of minutes later, Woodward connected in the corner for a three-pointer.

Waller added three more layups late in the half, the first on an assist from Conor Salazar and the last on a steal. At halftime, the Bucks led 34-20 after outpacing the Bulldogs in the second quarter.

Breckenridge continued to maintain control in the third quarter, not before a mini run from Millsap. The Bulldogs opened the quarter by drilling a three-pointer, followed by another one a little later after a fastbreak layup from Waller after a steal.

Millsap went on a 9-0 run as the Bucks struggled to hold steady, but Waller drilled a three at the 3:42 mark to end the run. Flores added another three later after a pair of offensive rebounds, and Cruz turned defense into points with a steal-and-score and another transition layup right before the end of the quarter. Heading into the final quarter, the Bucks held a 47-36 lead.

The one player for Millsap that the Bucks struggled to keep out of the scoring lane was sophomore Gabe Jones, who kept the Bulldogs from falling too far behind.

“We couldn’t keep [him] out of the lane, that was getting under my skin,” Lucas said. “He’s a good player. He can get in there and create.”

The Bucks closed the door in the fourth quarter. Waller hit a corner three and a midrange jumper, Fernandez scored three times inside the paint – including a putback and a feed from Flores – and Woodward finished a layup off a Cruz assist. Salazar added a late basket as Breckenridge continued to attack the rim and control the tempo.

Lucas praised Fernandez’s performance, especially with starting post Douglas White out with the flu.

“When Doug was out, I thought, ‘This is [Fernandez’] chance to step in and show what he can do,’ and he had 11 tonight,” Lucas said. “They didn’t have a solution for him. He’s so big and strong, and he’s a good kid. He does everything you ask him, and if he can’t do it, he’s going to die trying.”

Lucas said several players have been battling with illness, not just White.

“We’ve got guys playing who are sick,” he said. “[Cruz] played sick. [Juneau] was out yesterday, not feeling well. We had 87 [students] out of school today with the flu and COVID.”

Despite that fact, the Bucks played one of their most physical, connected games of the season.

Waller led all scorers with 23 points, pacing a Buckaroo offense that spread the floor and capitalized on turnovers. Flores added 12, followed by Fernandez’s 11, Cruz with nine, Woodward added seven, while Salazar, Cooper Wimberley and Juneau each factored in two.

With three games left – Peaster at home Tuesday, Feb. 10, Comanche at home Friday, Feb. 13, for Senior Night, then a road trip to Tolar to end the regular season Tuesday, Feb. 17 – Lucas said the win gives his team the momentum it needed.

“Big win for us,” he said. “We needed that one to get a good taste back in our mouths. We’ll see what happens next week.”