Blue Earth Area’s Abe Kokos (21) goes over Tucker Grathwohl (5) of Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley- East Chain to score a basket during the Bucs’ 77-64 victory over the Jags.

Four different Blue Earth Area boys hit double figures in scoring, led by Ashton Lloyd with 26 points, to lead the Buccaneers to a 77-64 victory over the Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain Jaguars in the opening round of the BEA Invitational Tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 29.

BEA faced the Jackson County Central Huskies, who defeated United South Central in the other opening round contest, in the championship game on Dec. 30. Look for the results of that game in next week’s edition of the Faribault County Register.

The Jaguars, led by 6-foot-6 center Adam Heckman, took the early lead in the game.

Heckman scored 10 of the Jaguars’ first 14 points to give T/ML/GHEC a 14-8 lead with 10:23 to go in the first half.

The Jaguars increased their lead to 20-11 before the Bucs began to close the gap.

A baseline 3-pointer by Abe Kokos at the five minute mark cut the Jaguars’ lead to 20-16.

The visitors increased their lead to 24-18 when Kokos drained another shot from outside of the arc. A basket by Lloyd brought the Bucs to within one point with the Jags on top 24-23.

Lloyd was then fouled while making a basket. His free throw was good and Kokos added a layup to give BEA a 28-24 lead before the Jags made a basket to send the Bucs into the half with a 28-26 lead.

T/ML/GHEC scored the first two points of the second half to tie the game at 28-28. The teams were tied at 30-30 when BEA guard Waylen Douglas found Kokos alone behind the three-point line. The junior forward buried another 3-pointer to give the Bucs the lead for good.

BEA’s Gabe Torres knocked down a 3-pointer and then had an assist on a Lloyd basket to boost the Bucs’ lead to double digits at 29-38 with 11 minutes remaining in the game.

The Jags would make one final run and get within seven points of the Bucs with 3:30 left in the game but the Maroon and Gold pulled away in the final minutes to earn the 13-point victory.

In addition to Lloyd’s 26 points, the other Bucs reaching double figures were Kokos with 17, Torres with 12 and Luke Norman with 10.