Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – West Branch charged back from a sluggish start, but ultimately could not cash in when it needed to most.

As a result, its season ended for the second-consecutive year, in overtime, at the hands of Dyersville Beckman.

“We knew they were going to come out, put a lot of pressure on our guys,” fourth-year West Branch boys’ basketball coach Jason Kern said after the Bears were eliminated in overtime, 49-46, in a Class 2A district semifinal Thursday night at West Branch High School. “I think it was just little adjustments, little nerves there at the beginning and finally getting adjusted to the pressure. Back cutting and doing what we have worked on all week to prepare for this. I think just the pressure initially kind of got to us and then once we got adjusted, I think we became comfortable with it.”

West Branch (12-10) managed just 13 first-half points and trailed by as many as 11 in the third quarter before it found its footing.

A 16-7 burst got the Bears within two points at 33-31 after three frames.

“I think we figured out it would be our last game of the season if we didn’t,” West Branch sophomore Reese Trepanier said. “So we just played our butts off.”

The fourth quarter was highlighted by three ties and four lead changes.

A Beckman steal with 18 seconds left in regulation set up a possible game-winning shot, but the three-point attempt was of the mark and the two teams headed to overtime knotted up at 46-46.

Of Beckman’s 46 points in regulation, 31 were scored by 6-foot-5 junior forward Padraig Gallagher.

“Just took what they gave me,” Gallagher said. “Just read the defense. Teammates got me in the right position with screens, passes. Got one of the best point guards in the state, in my opinion, on my team.”

A three-pointer just 25 seconds into the overtime session by West Branch senior guard Brady Knoop gave the Bears a 46-43 lead, but that was the only points they could muster in overtime despite three shot attempts around the basket over the final three-and-a-half minutes.

“We said, ‘Making easy, uncontested layups, getting the 50-50 balls and limiting them to one shot per possession is going to win the game’,”  Kern said. “We didn’t check any of those boxes tonight, unfortunately. You just have to make big plays down the stretch like that. You are not going to be able to recover from that in a lot of games.”

Four free throws in the final 49 seconds clinched victory for Beckman (13-10), which also needed overtime to oust West Branch just one game from the state tournament in last season’s substate final.

The Blazers will tangle with sixth-ranked Williamsburg (21-2) in a district final Tuesday at Mount Vernon.

“Just keep working hard, make sure we are focused, no days off,” Gallagher said. “No days off. We played them before in this season and I think we lost by seven (61-54 on Dec. 10). I think we can get them.”

Knoop led West Branch with 13 points, while Trepanier added 10 with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Holden Arnaman chipped in nine points before fouling out in overtime.

The Bears will graduate five seniors, including two starters in Knoop and guard Peyton Miller.

“I came in four years ago with these seniors,” Kern said. “Their first year of high school sports was my first year here. Just ‘thank you’ for everything they have done for this program. Won two conference championships and they have kind of built this thing from the ground up. They laid a great foundation and now hopefully these younger guys can buy in and build this thing even higher. Get over that hump, get to the state tournament.”

Dyersville Beckman   13  8  12  10  6  –  49

West Branch                  6   7  18  12  3  –  46

Dyersville Beckman (49) – Logan Goedken 3 6-8 13, Logan Burchard 0 1-2 1, Padraig Gallagher 12 1-2 31, Ryan Burchard 0 2-2 2, Cayden Gassmann 1 0-0 2, Eli Kluesner 0 0-0 0, Trent Arens 0 0-0 0, Totals 16 10-14 49.

West Branch (46) – Peyton Miller 3 0-0 7, Holden Arnaman 3 2-3 9, Brady Knoop 6 0-0 13, Andy Henson 2 0-0 4, Reese Trepanier 5 0-0 10, Carver Boelk 1 0-0 3, Totals 20 2-3 46.

Three-point goals – Dyersville Beckman 7 (Goedken 1, Gallagher 6), West Branch 4 (Miller 1, Boelk 1, Arnaman 1, Knoop 1). Rebounds – Dyersville Beckman 20 (Gallagher 6), West Branch 23 (Trepanier 12). Fouled out – WB (Arnaman).

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