The #9 (2A) Aplington-Parkersburg boys basketball team will play its regular season finale when it hosts Hampton-Dumont-CAL Thursday. It’ll air on 104.9 KLMJ.
The Falcons (18-2) had an 11-game win streak snapped with Tuesday’s 70-64 home loss to #6 (3A) Waverly-Shell Rock, and will look to head into the postseason on a win.
“We’ll start working late game situations, so if we get in a tight ball game, our guys know what to do,” Thomas says. “I think they’ve done a great job running down the shot clock, getting good shots this last week, shortening the game. So we’ll continue to work on that. And then they’ve just got to stay confident. We’ve got to keep shooting the ball well, shooting the ball with confidence, making the right basketball plays and being our best once we start the postseason.”
Hampton-Dumont-CAL (4-16) will enter on a three-game losing streak, and will look to bounce back from Tuesday’s 62-58 loss at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows. Head Coach Brian Niesen says Thursday at AP and Friday against #1 (3A) Clear Lake will provide stiff challenges to end the regular season.
“We have two big time challenges,” Niesen says. “Hopefully our guys look at that like, hey, let’s have that help us get ready for the post season because we’ll have to play somebody really good round one in the Class 3A opener.”
The matchup will feature the inside presence of 6’7” Bulldog junior Brady Harr against the perimeter scoring threat of the Falcons with Benny Waller. Harr averages 17.8 points per game and Waller averages 21.3.
Coverage will start at 7:15 p.m., followed by the tipoff at 7:30.
