Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Inside defense helps Coyotes top Wildcats

HARRISBURG - Potter-Dix limited Banner County to just one inside first half basket as the Coyotes grabbed the early lead in a 52-31 win on Saturday.

The Coyotes (1-1) held the Wildcats (0-2) to just three first half field goals, and the lone basket on the inside came via a Bryce Olsen layup with 15 seconds left until halftime.

"Defensively we have just been working extremely hard on staying active and communicating at all times so that all members are on the same page," Potter-Dix coach Chad Miller said. "Tyson Dahlgrin is an excellent inside presence for Banner County and we just wanting to try and limit the number of touches he had inside the lane."

Jake Johnson's jumper opened the first quarter scoring and a trey by Cameron Purcell gave the Coyotes a 5-0 lead just over a minute into the game. Kadan Huber's 3-pointer cut into the lead with 4:33 left in the quarter, as Potter-Dix led 5-3.

The Coyotes took control of the game early with a 10-0 run that consumed most of the next four minutes. Purcell opened the run with a baseline layup, followed by baskets from Trace Sharman, Trevor Harms and Purcell for a 13-3 lead. Sharman's layup extended the lead to 15-3. Banner's Hesten Soule ended the run with a trey with just four seconds on the first quarter clock as the Coyotes led 15-6.

It was all Potter-Dix for the first seven and a half minutes of the second quarter. Purcell opened the Coyotes' 15-0 run with a 3-pointer and a jumper, and layups from Cole Christensen and Johnson made it a 26-6 game. Sharman's basket off a Wildcat turnover and Cooper Hicks' layup with 30 seconds left until halftime gave the Coyotes a 30-6 advantage. Hicks' basket wrapped up a 25-3 Potter-Dix run that began with 4:17 left in the opening quarter.

Olsen's layup was with 15 seconds left until halftime was Banner's lone second quarter bucket and made it a 30-8 game.

Purcell continued the hot streak for the Coyotes as he opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer, and Hicks' jumper made it a 35-8 game.

The Wildcats held their own the rest of the quarter, with baskets from Cresencio Castillo and Huber, and a trey from Soule. Banner outscored Potter-Dix 14-6 in the fourth quarter.

Purcell led the Coyotes with 21 points, while Sharman added 11. Huber was the high scorer for the Wildcats with 13 points.

"We just want to keep working together as a team and keep encouraging each other to do all the small things that it takes to accomplish the goals that we have set," Miller said. "Our quickness and our communication is key for us in moving forward in the right direction."

Score by quarter

P-D 15 15 16 6 - 52

Banner 6 2 9 14 - 31

Potter-Dix scoring

Cameron Purcell 21, Trace Sharman 11, Jake Johnson 6, Cooper Hicks 4, Sam Bogert 4, Coby Hicks 2, Trevor Harms 2, Cole Christensen 2.

Banner scoring

Kadan Huber 13, Hesten Soule 6, Cresencio Castillo 5, Bryce Olsen 4, Tyson Dahlgrin 2, Michael McKown 1.

Banner rebounds

Bryce Olsen 8, Tyson Dahlgrin 7, Kadan Huber 3, Michael McKown 2, Hesten Soule 1, Dalton Jordan 1, Cresencio Castillo 1.

Banner steals

Michael McKown 5, Kadan Huber 2, Bryce Olsen 2, Dalton Jordan 2, Hesten Soule 2, Tyson Dahlgrin 1.

Banner assists

Hesten Soule 2, Dalton Jordan 1.

Banner blocks

Tyson Dahlgrin 1.