Bison share the wealth while blasting North Platte, 78-45

McCook senior Andrew Pochop ignores the full-speed pursuit of a North Plate Bulldogs and gets close to this layup before a full Friday night house at McCook High. A.P. (also the initials of legendary Vikings running back Adrian Peterson who tormented Pochop’s Packers) scored 11 points to be one of McCook’s double-digit scorers during the 78-45 Color Night victory. McCook hosts Gothenburg tonight in a Southwest Conference tournament quarterfinal.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. —An always anticipated Girls-Boys halftime dance perfectly showed how McCook Bison shared the spotlight Friday night.

Consider how four Bison boys delivered three assists each with two being guards — Tripp Raile and Brody Graham — while those other two being posts — seniors Jon Patel and Andrew Pochop.

All the sharp assists made sure there would be no last-minute driving baskets like last year’s wonderful but a bit too nerve-wracking win at North Platte.

On Friday, McCook basically never fell behind once during a 78-45 decisive dance past that “big town to the north.”

The Bison were big on both backboards where they nearly doubled North Platte’s total, 48-25.

Their advantage was even larger with 23 offensive rebounds to only nine for those Bulldogs.

Sophomore Tripp Raile deliverd the best all-around game: 20 points, five rebounds, four steals and those already-mentioned three assists.

Raile and Bryson Gullion both buried a trio of three-point shots.

McCook 78,

N. Platte 45

BISON (12-4) — Tripp Raile 20 points, Bryson Gullion 11, Andrew Pochop 11, Kooper Rakes 9, Jonathan Patel 8, Brody Graham 7, Trey Tiller 4, Oliver Corbett 3, Lee Davidson 3. Three-pointers: Raile 3, Gullion 3.

Rebound leaders: Jonathan Patel 8, Brody Graham 8, Corbett 7, Tiller 5, Raile 5.

Assists: Jonathan Patel 3, Andrew Pochop 3, Tripp Raile 3, Brody Graham 3.

Deflections: Tripp Raile 5. Steals: Tripp Raile 4, Pochop 3, Patel 2. Blocked shots: Tripp Raile 2, Pochop 1.

BULLDOGS — Jake Kinkaid’s 11 points topped North Platte with Logan Hayes adding nine and Easton Jones eight.