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Newer Bison step up to stomp Minden
McCOOK, Neb. — Meet freshman Bryson Gullion with the emphasis on “man” while watching McCook’s boys regained winning mojo vs. Minden on Saturday.
“Maybe every five or six years as a coach, you put a kid in there and the lights aren’t too bright for him,” coach Joe Imus proclaimed following the 63-45 home victory. “Bryson is one of those guys.”
Gullion was so laser focused no Whippet or big spotlight was going to distract his shot.
His fresh approach featured not one, two but FOUR three-pointers as the Bison built leads reaching 20 points before halftime.
In reference to 20, junior Keegan Johnson reached the big “2-0” and not in birthdays.
His 20 points topped the attack while avenging a narrow and frustrating loss at Minden last January.
“They (Minden) returned all five starters. We had one starter (Evan Humphrey) off our team and one who played a lot (Jacob Gomez-Wilson),” Imus explained.
Plus the Bison (7-4 record) keep battling dreaded injuries. Sophomore reserve Josiah Wilkinson broke his rand recently to join senior Adam Dugger and sophomore Gabe Gans on the current inactive list.
“We have almost as many guys standing along the sideline as guys practicing at practice,” Imus confirmed. “It’s unbelievable. But I love how a lot of guys have really stepped up this year.”
Johnson drained another trio of triples, his first making 7-0 and bringing all Bison to their feet.
Junior Mitchel Cole has become the newest inside Bison force.
On Saturday, Cole secured a team-best nine rebounds while scoring another 11 points.
“Our guys who have stepped up in scoring the past two games is exactly what we’ve been looking for,” the coach observed. “ If we can stay consistent with that then it will start to relieve some pressure for Humphrey to get more looks.”
Humphrey still drove and worked his way for 10 points vs. Minden.
The Bison took a 42-22 lead into halftime — just six points less than their entire 61-48 loss at Hastings Friday.
That road trip to Hastings featured Humphrey and senior Jacob Gomez-Wilson making early threes for a 6-2 lead.
However, Hastings (4-6) soon heated up for one of the Tigers’ top efforts this season.
Senior Trevor Campbell’s clutch shots helped the Tigers break from a tight start to 33-23 ahead aerly in this second half.
The eventual 48-33 margin was soon slashed to 50-43 on Johnson’s third three-pointer of this contest.
McCook’s boys could not get closer.
“Our kids responded really well after Fridays performance,” Imus concluded. “We played less concerned about making mistakes and focused on our strengths.”