By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Centre boys and girls basketball teams started the season on the road Friday at Bennington.

The boys lost, 48-37; the girls lost, 67-36.

The boys tied with Bennington in the first quarter, scoring 10 points, including a 3-pointer and free throw by Jacob Hird, two baskets by Jensen Riffel, and two free throws by Braxton Smith.

Bennington jumped out to a 5-point lead in the second quarter. Dalton Stika scored 5 points, including a 3-pointer and field goal. Smith made a basket and Lane Methvin made a free throw. Bennington led, 22-17 at halftime.

Bennington outscored Centre, 11-9, in the third quarter. Methvin made a 3-pointer, Stika and Riffel made field goals, and Aidan Svoboda each had a free throw.

Methvin had a good fourth quarter, scoring eight of Centre’s 11 points — a three-pointer, field goal ,and three free throws. Riffel scored 2 points, and Stika made a free throw.

However, Bennington added 15 points for an 11-point victory.

The Cougars out-rebounded Bennington 25-22, but shot just 27.5 percent from the floor.

Methvin led Centre, with 12 points. Riffel was the leading rebounder, with five.

Statistics

Scoring: Methvin, 12; Riffel, 9; Stika, 8; Hird, 5; Smith, 2; and Svoboda, 1.

Free throws: Methvin, 4-8; Smith, 2-5; Hird, 2-4; Riffel, 1-2; Stika, 1-2; Svoboda, 1-2.

Rebounds: Riffel, 7; Smith, 5; Stika, 4; Hird, 3; Svoboda, 3; Methvin, 3.

Assists: Smith, 3; Hird, 2.

Girls struggle with injuries

The girls’ game proved to be a disaster for Coach Alan Stahlecker and his Centre team.

After trailing 14-10 after one quarter, the Cougars were outscored 19-6 and 19-9 in the second and third quarters, and after a 15-11 fourth quarter, lost by 31 points.

“We jumped out ahead very early in the game with three out of four free throws,” Stahlecker said, “but before the three-minute mark, we already had two starters on the bench with ankle injuries, one who would not return to the game.”

Another starter was injured in the fourth quarter.

He said every one of the starters spent several minutes on the bench with foul trouble or injuries, the very things he was concerned about heading into the season. He also said there were numerous turnovers.

Two of the injuries will have an effect into the Herington pre-season tournament this week and even beyond, Stahlecker said.

Bennington had a deep bench, often substituting five for five, and almost everyone scored. They had seven treys.

Samantha Espinoza, tying her career high, scored 12 points. Other scorers were Kelsey Hett, 7; Lili Espinoza and Cailey Barney, 5 each; Carly Deines, 4; Alex Remmers, 2; and Alyssa Espinoza, 1.

Herington pre-season

Both teams will play against Chase County in the Herington pre-season tournament Thursday. The girls will play at 4:00 p.m., and the boys will play at 5:30 p.m.

The girls will play Herington at 7 p.m. Friday, and the boys will play Herington at 8:30 p.m. Friday.