Bulldogs down Tigers, 57-51, despite foul line problems

Gallatin’s boys continue to face quality opponents and continue to find ways to win. Tuesday night was a case in point.

Aided by turnovers and free throws, the Bulldogs took control late in the fourth quarter and swept past Plattsburg, 57-51, to move to 11-1 on the season heading into Friday night’s home matchup with GRC rival Albany.

The two teams played even ball for better than three quarters and stood knotted at 51-51 with three minutes to play, when Gallatin called a time out. Jeremiah Gibson scored off a Pat Dickinson assist and moments later Duke Burge hit the first of a double bonus to give the Bulldogs breathing room at 54-51.

Marcus Lacy stole the ball but drew a whistle for traveling when a Tiger defender appeared to throw him off balance. Back-to-back-to-back turnovers by Plattsburg led to three free throws. Gibson, at the line with 1:06 showing on the clock, hit the front of a bonus and rebounded his own miss that led to another successful throw and 57-51 cushion. A PHS trey attempt clanged out of bounds off a Tiger player. Burge stole the next Tiger possession, but Colby Swanstone missed twice in the double bonus. Burge controlled the rebound and the Tigers did not contest the final possession as time expired.

The Bulldogs hit only 17 of 33 free throws (51%) but the Tigers made even less of fewer opportunties at the line, canning just 9 of 20 attempts (45%).

Swanstone led all scorers with 15 points. Gibson tallied 14 and Lacy added 10 for Gallatin. Burge and Hefley each chipped in 8 points.

Plattsburg missed its first 5 shots of the game and meanwhile Gallatin sprinted to a 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs lost momentum and the lead late in the first quarter as they struggled to find the range. When Colby Swanstone pulled down a rebound off a missed Bulldog free throw attempt and got the putback with 4:41 left in the second quarter, it marked just the third field goal for Gallatin in the last 8 ½ minutes of action.

Kyle Hefley notched a three-pointer with six seconds left in the half, but, as was the case on many occasions, the Bulldogs gave up an easy transition basket at the other end. Hefley, Burge and Drayson Leeper combined to hit all of Gallatin’s last 6 foul shots of the second quarter but the Bulldogs still trailed, 29-26, at the break.

After cutting the Tiger lead to two points, the Bulldogs fell down seven until Lacy pulled off a conventional three-point play. Gibson canned a trey and the Bulldogs trailed, 40-39. A chance to take the lead slipped away and Plattsburg’s Clint Hall drove through the lane for a bucket and hit a subsequent free throw. The Tigers turned the ball over on three final third quarter possessions, and Gibson dumped in a tough baseline shot to lift the Dogs to a 45-43 advantage at the break.