After a lackluster first half, trailing 48-23 at halftime to host Skagit Valley, the Bellevue College men’s basketball team went on an offensive surge in the second half, but ended up falling 75-63 in their final game of the season.
The Bulldogs got as close as 64-60 with 3:55 left in the game after a three-pointer by Logan Stempniak, but the Cardinals answered with a three-ball of their own by Amare Jackson. Skagit Valley would add on with four more points to put the lead back into double digits ast 71-60 with just over two minutes to play as the ‘dogs were distanced from that point on.
The Bulldogs were sluggish in the first half, allowing Skagit Valley to outrebound them 24-17 while committing a whopping nine turnovers. The Cardinals used the momentum to distance themselves with nearly 50% shooting from the field in what appeared to be a blowout based off the first half.
But the ‘dogs flipped the energy and had one of their hottest offensive outputs all year shooting 63% on 17-of-27 shooting. Stempniak led the way on 8-for-11 shooting for 21 of his game-high 30 points. Josiah Johnson, who has been Bellevue’s other scoring force, contributed big in other ways with 10 rebounds while dishing out four assists.
The Bulldogs finish the 2023-24 campaign with a 5-9 record in the tough North Region and a 16-13 record overall.
Last Updated February 28, 2024