GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL - Bezlyk, Spencer’s inside game takes over against Gilman boys
GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL
Sam Bezlyk was basically unstoppable inside, scoring 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field to lead the Spencer Rockets to a 75-50 win over visiting Gilman Thursday in Eastern Cloverbelt Conference boys basketball.
Bezlyk, a junior and a second-team All-ECC selection last winter, got off to a good start by scoring 12 points in the first half. But he really took off in the second half when he scored 19 points, including 15 of Spencer’s points during a 19-5 Rocket run that broke open a game that was still competitive at 41-31 with 16 minutes to go.
His three-point play with 10:42 left, followed by a Breckin Miller basket, capped the big run that made it 60-36 and ended the suspense as Gilman dropped to 0-5 in league play and 4-8 overall. Spencer, with a win over Colby Friday, moved to 4-2, 10-5.
Despite 10 first-half turnovers, the Pirates shot just well enough in the first half to keep it close. Joey Syryczuk drive to the rim put them up 6-3 very early and he scored again later for an 8-7 lead. After Spencer went up 20-14, Beau Pockat knocked down two 3-pointers to pull Gilman within 22-20 and Tony Syryczuk hit one as well to answer a three-point play by Spencer’s Noah Anderson and make it 25-23 with 3:45 left in the first half.
But that’s where Gilman went cold and didn’t score for the remainder of the half, finishing it nine of 28 from the field. The Rockets ended the half on a 9-0 run to lead 34-23 at the break.
Joey Syryczuk’s 3-pointer made it 3626 early in the second half, but Anderson followed that with a 3-ball. Pockat dropped in his third 3 of the game, which was countered by a Ben Felgner score. Max Ustianowski’s free throws with 16:03 left got Gilman within 10 one last time.
Then Bezlyk took over, scoring twice and assisting on an Anderson score. He then scored Spencer’s next 11 points as the Rockets separated for good.
Joey Syryczuk scored 14 points to lead Gilman. He had five rebounds as well. Pockat finished with 10 points and four rebounds. Ustianowski scored eight and pulled down four boards. Gilman was outrebounded in the loss 46-27.
Tony Syryczuk had seven points and four steals. Dawson Grunseth hit a second-half 3-pointer and finished with five points. Logan Halida scored four points and dished out a team-high six assists. Trevor Vick had a first-half score, four assists and three rebounds.
Anderson hit double figures for Spencer with 16 points. Bezlyk had 14 rebounds and Felgner had 12.
Spencer scored 50 of its points in the paint and made 25 of 45 two-point shots. Gilman was 19 of 61 overall from the field (31.1%). Gilman handled the ball better in the second half and finished with 13 turnovers compared to Spencer’s 14.
Gilman’s home game with Columbus Catholic Tuesday was postponed due to the extreme cold. The teams will now play back-to-back games to close out the conference season on Feb. 21 and 24 with Gilman hosting on the 24th.
The Pirates start the second round of league play Friday by hosting Owen-Withee at 7:15 p.m. Gilman hosts Greenwood Tuesday to start a boys/girls doubleheader with the Indians. Tip time for that one is 5:45 p.m. The Pirates go to Colby Jan. 30 for a 7:15 p.m. game.
