Bob Zelasney
PCN Sports Writer
With Mead dropping their Holiday Tournament, the Osceola Bulldogs would head west to a familiar stomping ground for Coach Zelasney as they would take part in the Grand Island Central Catholic Holiday Tournament. Zelasney, an assistant at CC for 9 seasons would face his former team in the opening round in a contest that pitted the number 3 team in D-2, Osceola versus the defending C-2 champs and topped rated team this season, in CC. The Dawgs had a good start to the game, but a 20-5 second quarter by CC put the Bulldogs in a hole that was to big to overcome as they dropped their first game of the season, 64-42.
The Dawgs would have several leads early in the game, as a basket by Isaiah Zelasney and three pointer from Kale Gustafson put them up 2-0 and 5-3 respectively. Another field goal from Zelasney and free throw by Wyatt Urban gave them a 8-5 lead, and after a Carter Girard bucket they held a 10-7 advantage. It was all CC for the rest of the half from then on, as they closed out the quarter on a 11-3 run, a three pointer by Zelasney the Dawgs’ points, to take a 18-13 quarter lead.
Not many things went right for the Bulldogs in the second quarter, especially on the offensive end. They managed only those 5 points on a filed goal and free throw from Gus and a bucket by Urban, as the Dawgs went into the locker room trailing 38-18.
The Bulldogs played much better in the second half getting outscored by only 2, 26- 24, in the half, but was in such a big hole to mount a comeback. In the third quarter, the Dawgs would get a basket each from Gus and Ryan Pheak, two field goals and a three pointer by Zelasney. They would trail 55-29 entering the final quarter.
The Dawgs would outscore CC in the final stanza 13-9, with Gus hitting 2 field goals and a three pointer, while Girard adding a bucket and 2 free throws, and Caleb Peterson a field goal.
The Bulldogs didn’t have a good night shooting the ball as they shot 28% from the field and 40% from the line, while CC hit 45% from the field and 47% from the line. CC held a 42-37 advantage on the boards and had 10 turnovers to 7 for the Dawgs.
Zelasney led the way with 14 points and 5 rebounds, while Gus had a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards, with Urban pulling down 7 rebounds.
GICC 18 20 17 9 64
Osceola 13 5 11 13 42
Scoring; Zelasney-14, Gustafson-12, Girard-6, Urban-3, Neujahr-3, Pheak-2, Peterson-2
