Will Bromeland (23) works inside the paint in the Bucs’ 84-78 triumph over the St. Clair Cyclones on Feb. 5.

The Blue Earth Area Buccaneers broke their seven-game losing streak in boys basketball when they defeated the visiting St. Clair Cyclones 84-78 on Monday, Feb. 5, at the BEA gymnasium. With the win, the Bucs’ record now stands at eight wins and eight losses.

Although they won the game, they lost the services of star forward Will Bromeland for the remainder of the season due to a foot injury he suffered at the end of the game.

After the Cyclones scored the first point of the game on a free throw, the Bucs’ Taylor Davids knocked down two 3-pointers to put BEA on top 6-1.

St. Clair cut the Maroon and Gold’s margin to two points at 10-8 with about 15 minutes to play in the first half.

The Bucs then outscored the Cyclones 22-4 over the next eight minutes to take a 32-12 lead.

St. Clair’s Noah Seys got free inside for two points to momentarily reduce BEA’s lead to less than 20 points, but a 3-pointer by Bromeland extended the Bucs’ advantage to 21 points at 35-14.

Bromeland outscored the Cyclones 6-4 in the last two and a half minutes of the first half to send the teams to their locker rooms at intermission with BEA holding a 41-18 advantage.

St. Clair chipped away at BEA’s lead in the second half, but Noah Dahl’s 3-pointer with 8:40 remaining in the game had the Bucs maintaining a 60-42 lead.

BEA was still comfortably in control with 6:02 showing on the game clock and a 67-50 lead when St. Clair began to make things interesting.

Over the next three minutes and 17 seconds the Cyclones outscored the Bucs 15-2 to pull within four points of the Bucs with BEA nursing a 69-65 lead.

The Bucs’ Gage Barker was fouled while making a pull-up jumper. Barker made the free throw to complete the traditional 3-point play and extend the home team’s advantage to 72-65.

Seconds later, Barker was fouled again, and when a St. Clair player let his disagreement with the call be made known to the officials, he was charged with a technical foul.

Barker sank both free throws from the foul call, and then Bromeland made both free throws from the technical foul to increase the Bucs’ lead to 11 points at 76-65 with 2:23 to play in the game.

BEA was on top 79-72 when the same St. Clair player was called for another technical foul with 17.1 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.

Once again Bromeland made the two free throws for the technical and the Bucs led 81-72.

Bromeland was injured on the ensuing inbounds play when four players went up in the air for the ball and he apparently landed wrong on his foot. He was fouled on the play and made both free throws before exiting the game because of his injury. However, his teammates held on for the 84-78 victory.

The Bucs made 22 of 41, or 54 percent, of their 2-point shot attempts while going 8-for-24, or 33 percent, on their 3-shot attempts.

BEA had a very good night at the charity stripe where they made 16 of their 19 attempts for an 84 percent success rate.

The Cyclones made 17 of their 42, or 41 percent, shots from inside the arc and were 33 percent, on 10 of 30 shooting, from outside the arc. St. Clair also shot 19 free throws and made 13 for a 68 percent success rate.

The rebounding edge went to the Cyclones who collected 43 rebounds to 39 for the Bucs. BEA finished with 14 turnovers to 12 for St. Clair.

Bromeland finished with 32 points followed by Barker with 26. Max Loge tallied eight, Davids scored seven, Sully Dahlberg and Jacob Grandgenett had four each and Noah Dahl finished with three.

Bromeland and Loge led BEA in rebounds with eight each followed by Barker and Grandgenett with five each. Loge and Grandgenett each had three assists.

The Bucs were back in action on Friday night, Feb. 9, when they hosted the New Ulm Eagles. They will travel to Mapleton on Thursday, Feb. 15, to face the Maple River Eagles.

Waseca 78, BEA 59

It was a tale of two halves when the Waseca Bluejays battled the host Blue Earth Area Buccaneers in a Big South Conference boys basketball game on Friday, Feb. 2.

BEA controlled most of the first half and had the hotter hand shooting the ball to take a 35-26 lead into the locker room at the intermission.

However, the second half belonged to Waseca and the Bluejays outscored the Bucs by 28 points in the final stanza to go home with a 78-59 victory.

Will Bromeland had a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Gage Barker also reached double figures in scoring with 14 points whole Sully Dahlberg contributed seven rebounds.