BMS falls to tough Sunbury team

By rscaife
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: January 3, 2017

SUNBURY – To be the best, you have to play the best and the Belleville Mennonite boys basketball team did just that Monday night when it traveled to Sunbury to go head-to-head with the defending 2016 ACAA champions, Sunbury Christian Academy.
Though the score on their side wasn’t enough to pick up the win, the Thunder left Sunbury a better team from before it came as its young players seem to develop right before the fans and Eagles’ eyes.
In the end, Sunbury came out on top 59-34.
With a roster of just six, Belleville didn’t seem to let that bother them or become a factor as it kept fighting and scratching its way onto the scoreboard the entire game.
Garrett Halfpenny provided much of the offense for the Thunder as he posted a 17-point, 12-rebound, 5-block night. He was the lone Thunder player in double digits at the end of the night.
On the other side, Sunbury got a 1)-point performance by Seth Kabonick. Kabonick finished with two triples on the night.
Teammate Joe Gult tallied 12 as he also netted two triples in a winning effort.
“I think we can perform better than what we have. The guys are working on everything we teach them. They are working hard on. backdoors and setting screens. This is something we haven’t been doing,” Belleville coach Shawn McNeil said. “We have been working hard trying to cut down on our turnovers. They are working hard and hopefully we can turn it around tomorrow.”
In the first period, Belleville kept within striking distance only falling behind 16-6 as the second quarter got underway.
However, the Eagles’ scored early and often, jumping out to a 9-0 lead before the Thunder was able to pick up its first points.
When they did, Halfpenny would be behind it as he hit an open jumper in the lane.
After forcing a turnover, the Thunder got the ball back and got It to Rhiley Parks. Parks’ long two, cut things to 9-4 with 4:49 left in the period.
Before the quarter ended, Halfpenny would score the team’s last points while Sunbury would pick up seven, taking a 16-6 lead into the second.
Sunbury increased its lead in the second, outscoring the Thunder 14-4.
As the two teams went into the intermission, the Eagles led BMS 30-10.
Belleville offense started to warm up in the third and fourth quarters as they put 24 total points up in the second half but they weren’t able to get over the deficit Sunbury had put up on them in the first 16 minutes of the game.
Belleville will get right back at it today as it does battle with Juniata Mennonite at home.