Gage Barker, pictured above, reached double figures in scoring during the Bucs’ 74-46 win over the GHEC/T/ML Jaguars in the opening round of the BEA Holiday Tournament.

Led by a balanced attack that saw five players score in double figures, the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers won their opening-round game of the Blue Earth Area Holiday Tournament by a 74-46 score over the Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther Jaguars on Thursday, Dec. 29.

BEA faced cross-county rival USC in the championship game on Friday, Dec. 30. Look for the story on that contest in next week’s edition of the Faribault County Register.

The Bucs entered the game against the Jaguars with a perfect 5-0 record while their opponent came into the game with a 3-2 mark.

GHEC/T/ML took their only lead of the game when Carter Fox swished a 3-pointer for the game’s first points after four and a half minutes had ticked off the game clock.

Baskets by the Bucs’ Ashton Lloyd and Jack Norman gave the home-town team a 4-3 advantage and a pull-up jumper by BEA’s Gage Barker made it 6-3.

Later, with BEA holding a 16-8 lead with just over eight minutes before intermission, Barker scored six consecutive points to increase the Maroon and Gold’s lead to 22-8.

The Bucs closed out the opening half with Lloyd hitting a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer to put BEA on top 39-22.

“It was a total team effort,” BEA head coach Colby Swanson said. “Everybody contributed.”

GHEC/T/ML was never able to mount a threat in the second half and BEA kept pulling away.

A string of baskets by Will Bromeland, Norman, and Abe Kokos put the Bucs up 61-36.

Bromeland then drained a 3-pointer from the baseline with just over six minutes to play to give the Bucs a 28-point lead and allow coach Swanson to pull his starters for the evening with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

Lloyd led BEA with 15 points followed by Norman, Barker and Bromeland with 12 points each. Austin Skaden was the other Buc to reach double figures in scoring with 10 points.

Lloyd and Norman each pulled down seven rebounds for the home team.

Norman also had five steals and five assists.

“This was Jack (Norman)’s best game of the year,” Swanson said. “He played a complete game tonight.”

Bromeland was credited with three assists while Skaden and Abram Kokos each had three steals.

The championship game against USC will be the second time the two teams have met this year.

The Bucs trailed early in the previous game before rallying to win the contest 64-47 on their home court.

The Jaguars face the Sibley East Wolverines in the consolation game on Friday, Dec. 30.