Bulldogs show fight in loss to No. 10 Clear Lake

HAMPTON — Bulldog interim coach Matt Lokenvitz looked on as the team went toe-to-toe with Class 3A No. 10 Clear Lake on Friday, Jan. 29.

The first time the two teams met, the Lions won by more than 30 points.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs trailed by 11 and head it within single digits for much of the third quarter.

“We’re playing much better basketball at this point,” Lokenvitz said of the difference between the two games. “We’re playing more like a team. I still don’t like the fact they out-rebounded us by like 15 and we gave up too many turnovers for easy run-outs, but we’ve been playing a lot closer.

“We got beat by 30-plus and then came back and beat Iowa Falls; we got beat by a bunch by one team and then lose by eight. So, we’ve been playing really well.”

Marco Guerrero came off the bench to lead a trio of Bulldogs in double figures scoring with 15, hitting 5-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the three-point line and was 3-of-6 from the free throw line. He also had a team-tying high of three assists.

Jordan Severs added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Jace Spurgeon scored 10 and led the Bulldogs with four steals.

The district assignments were announced last week, and Clear Lake and the Bulldogs may face each other a third time.

“We got beat by 30-plus up there, we get beat by 19, it was as close as six for much of the second half until they pushed it out,” Lokenvitz said. “So that’s playing better — and that’s a really good team. They are 14-1 now and are going to be the No. 1 team in our district.

“To be able to come out and compete the way we did for most of the game. It just shows growth and improvement from our team.”

Clear Lake 76

Bulldogs 57

CL              16   21   17   22      -   76

H-D             15   16   12   14      -   57

Clear Lake (14-1, 8-1)— Carson Toebe 12-22 6-7 35, Jagger Schmitt 0-2 0-0 0, Andrew Formanek 8-11 10-12 26, Travaughn 0-0 1-2 1, Eric Ritter 5-7 0-0 10, Joe Faber 1-3 0-0 2, Noah Petersen 0-1 0-0 0, PJ Feuerbach 0-0 0-0 0, Jeff Neuberger 0-2 2-4 2, Tucker Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-48 19-25 76.

Bulldogs (3-14, 1-9)— Tommy Birdsell 0-0 0-0 0, Will Sackville 0-1 0-0 0, Cal Heeren 2-7 0-0 6, Benji Sauke 1-4 0-0 2, Jordan Severs 4-12 1-2 12, Eli Walton 0-0 0-0 0, Marco Guerrero 5-9 3-6 15, Mario De La Cruz 1-2 2-2 4, Jace Spurgeon 4-5 2-4 10, Riley Heeren 1-2 1-2 3, Logan Pfeffer 0-1 0-0 0, Scott Harr 2-4 0-0 5, Payton McNeal 0-4 0-0 0, Colin Hill 0-3 0-0 0, Kale Folkerts 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 9-16 57.

Three-point goals— CL 5-20 (Toebe 5-13, Schmitt 0-1, Formanek 0-1, Petersen 0-1, Faber 0-2, Neuberger 0-2); H-D 8-19 (Severs 3-4, C. Heeren 2-4, Guerrero 2-4, Harr 1-1, Sackville 0-1, De La Cruz 0-1, Spurgeon 0-1, Sauke 0-3). Rebounds— CL 35 (Formanek 12, Toebe 8, Ritter 6, Luyobya 4, Schmitt 2, Petersen 2, Faber); H-D 24 (Severs 8, C. Heeren 4, De La Cruz 2, R. Heeren 2, Harr 2, Sackville, Sauke, Guerrero, Spurgeon, McNealy, Hill). Assists— CL 23 (Luyobya 7, Formanek 5, Toebe 4, Faber 3, Schmitt 2, Petersen 2); H-D 10 (Guerrero 3, Harr 3, De La Cruz 2, Spurgeon, Hill). Steals— CL 9 (Toebe 2, Luyobya 2, Neuberger 2, Formanek, Faber, Petersen); H-D 8 (Spurgeon 4, Severs 2, Sauke, De La Cruz). Blocks— CL 6 Ritter 3, Toebe, Formanek, Faber); H-D, None. Fouls— CL 14, H-D 21. Technical foul— CL (Toebe). Fouled out— None.