Zale Bushlack (22) works to get a shotoff against NRHEG during their game last Tuesday in Wells. The Panthers won the game 71-42 on a cold-shooting night for USC.

The United South Central Rebel boys’ basketball team got off to a slow start and could not catch up to the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers last Tuesday, Jan. 18. USC did not score during the opening seven minutes of the game and was behind 32-15 at the end of the first half, and lost 71-42.

“We had a tough night overall,” USC head basketball coach, Adam Walker, said. “We got off to a slow start and fell behind early and the shots did not fall throughout the game so we could not make a run at them.”

The Rebels were led by Colten Quade who scored 13 points and was the only USC player to reach double figures. Quade made 3 of 9 shots from behind the 3-point line. He also had five rebounds.

Nick Bushlack and Zale Bushlack each scored six points. Nick Bushlack also led the team in rebounding with seven.

Johnny Martinez added five points and Jorge Martinez and Blake Schroeder each had four points.

The Panthers had two players in double figures with Porter Peterson scoring 20 and Tyrone Wilson 15.

As a team, the Rebels made 11 of 31 2-point shots (35 percent), 4 of 22 3-point attempts (18 percent) and 8 of 21 from the free-throw line (38 percent).

NRHEG made 22 of 47 2-pointers (47 percent), 6 of 18 3-pointers (33 percent) and 9 of 19 from the line (47 percent).

The Panthers had 52 rebounds to the Rebels’ 27, 15 assists to USC’s eight, seven steals to four for the Rebels and both teams had three blocked shots. USC had 10 turnovers, NRHEG had nine.

Next up for the Rebels was a game on Friday, Jan. 21, against Triton. This week they host Fairmont on Monday, Jan. 24, then travel to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

USC 80, A-C 52

The United South Central boys basketball team had a big game against Alden-Conger on Saturday, Jan. 15.

The Rebels bested the Knights by a score of 80-52. USC outscored A-C 42-30 in the first half and 38-22 in the second half.

“We started off the game very hot, building a 14-2 lead,” says Rebel head coach Adam Walker. “A-C hit some outside shots to stay around and we struggled a little bit midway through the first half with some sloppy play. A-C cut it to four before we made a nice run to end the half with a 12 point lead.”

The Rebels had four players hit double figures in the game.

Taybor Conley led the way with 18 points, making 7 of 9 shots from the field and 4 of 8 from the line.

Nick Bushlack added 15 points, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. He also had 10 rebounds and 16 assists. Colten Quade and Zale Bushlack each had 11 points for the team.

“We began the second half much like the way we finished the first,” Walker added. “We picked up our levels of intensity on defense to help start a 15-2 run in the first five minutes of the second half to build a 57-32 lead. We were able to get all of our players into the game, as our lead built to 78-40 with about seven minutes to play.”

A-C finished the game with a run of their own to close the game out at 80-52 in favor of the visiting Rebels.

“Nick (Bushlack) was awesome tonight finishing with a rare triple double and it was great to see Zale back in the lineup for the first time since we returned from Christmas break,” the Rebel mentor said. “Taybor was also lights out, leading us in scoring for the second time this season.”

Blake Schroeder had eight points for the Rebels while Jorge Martinez and Luke Pederson each added seven points. Pederson also had seven rebounds and Schroeder six.

As a team the Rebels were 20 of 41 shooting 2-pointers (49 percent), 8 of 19 for 3-pointers (42 percent) and 16 of 25 from the free-throw line (64 percent).

The Knights made 10 of 34 shots from 2-point range (29 percent), 5 of 20 from 3-point range (25 percent) and 17 of 22 from the charity stripe (77 percent).

The Rebels also had 48 rebounds to the Knights’ 21, 21 assists to their six, and seven blocks to their one.