Graford boys remain perfect in district with Friday victory over Bryson

GRAFORD – Anytime you shoot 58 percent from the field, it’s a pretty good chance you’re going to win.

Graford has been doing a lot of that of late, having just lost two games all season, one of those to the team that went to State last year by one point in overtime. After a slow start Friday night vs. Bryson, the Rabbits got rolling and posted an 87-22 win over the visiting Cowboys.

Bryson can take comfort in knowing they held Graford under 90 points, the first team in district to do so. Graford Coach Jeff Bell said a sense of complacency came over his squad early.

“We got complacent in some things and had to fix it,” Bell said after watching his team go to 16-2 on the year and 5-0 in the loop. “(The final three quarters) we turned it up and got after it after that which I really liked to see.”

Graford held Bryson to 21 percent shooting (8-38) for the contest, with the Cowboys scoring nearly half their points in the first quarter. Head Cowboy Slade Egan said his players “played their hearts out”

“They’re (Graford) one of the best teams in the State and they played like it,” Egan said. “Graford’s a great team and I have nothing but respect for Coach Bell and his squad.”

After Graford missed its last three shots of the first quarter, Bryson used buckets from Drake Huffman and Landon Stephens to get within 16-11. Bryson also had a pair of buckets from Zander Tinney to keep things close early.

Bryson was unable to get a basket in the second quarter, using a Ethan Smith free throw in the waning seconds as the only point of the frame.

Graford pulled away with a 28-point second quarter on 11-16 shooting from the field. Levi Butler began a succession of five straight threes with Dustin Matthews and Marc Matthews also converting from outside. Marc Matthews ended the quarter with another three-pointer and two buckets which gave the Rabbits a 44-12 lead at the half.

The Rabbits would make nine shots in a row in the third quarter as part of a 26-8 string to build the lead to 50. Hoffman’s pair of buckets for the visitors sandwiched around a Tinney basket would account for most of theCowboy offense.

Bryson would miss its first six shots in the fourth quarter, Stephens putting a stop to that late.

Marc Matthews had 21 points to lead Graford, Butler had h18 as 11 of the 12 Rabbits made it into the scorebook.

Tinney had eight points to lead Bryson.