Central too much for up and coming Red Raiders

By Kenny Varner

BELLEFONTE – Coming in just a game short of the .500 mark, the Bellefonte boys basketball team was hoping to reach that mark Thursday as it welcomed in Central in a District 6 showdown.

Things started well for the Red Raiders (7-9) opening up the game strong but as the game gold older, the Dragons (9-7) roared and ended Bellefonte hopes, for a couple days at least, downing them 55-42 at the Red Raiders gym.

“You have to give credit to them (Central) they made shots. We are really struggling with our defense and our offense and a lot of things right now. We haven’t had a whole lot of practices and it really shows,” Bellefonte coach Darin Hazel said. “It’s hard for us to get in and out of offenses and a team switches things up we are really struggling. But tomorrow’s another day. We got to try to get better and we have to do a better job staying out of foul trouble. That really hurt us a lot too.”

Brandon Volfommer led the offensive charge for the Dragon posting three triples en route to a game-high 15-point effort while teammate Colton Kensinger rounded out the double-digit scorers for Central with a 10-point performance.

Bellefonte tallied just one player in double figures, it was Danny Caprio who posted 12.

Teammates Trent Fortney and Hunter Knisely finished with eight in a losing effort.

Things started out on a positive note for the Red Raiders to start the game off as they opened the game going on a 10-2 run.

Tyler Keger got the game off and running posting up and hitting a quick jumper with 7:30 showing on the opening clock.

On the following possession, Central tied the contest at two when Josh McKnight hit a floater in the lane.

The defense got an early present stealing the ball and getting it to Caprio on the fastbreak, upping the lead to 4-2.

After a missed basket by the Dragons on their next possession, Bellefonte got to work the ball around looking for the open man. They found him in Trent Fortney. Fortney got the ball and went straight at the heart of the Dragons defense and was fouled in the process, putting him at the foul line. He hit one-of-two.

The defense once again stood tall for Bellefonte as it stopped another Dragon drive and set up its offense. When the ball got around the key to Caprio, he sent the ball sailing from beyond the three-point line and hit nothing but net and opened up an 8-2 advantage with 4:02 left in the quarter.

The shot forced Central to call its first time out of the game to regroup.

Bellefonte got the lead to 10-2 as it forced another Central miscue and celebrated with a Knisely bucket at the 3-minute mark.

However, the Dragons were just finding its stride and went at the Bellefonte defense inside and out.

With 2:41 left in the quarter, Central started its first big run of the game, blanking Bellefonte 9-0, taking a 12-10 advantage with 35-seconds left in the period.

Vance Przybys ended the quarter scoring for Bellefonte hitting one-of-two from the charity stripe, making it a 12-11 Central lead.

Opening up the second quarter, the Dragons picked up where they left extending its lead to six, thanks to a 5-0 run.

Colton Kensinger got the scoring started as he scored the first bucket on a fast break attempt.

After a Bellefonte missed shot, the Dragons got the ball into the hands of Vollfommer. Volfommer did not disappoint and he stood back from beyond the three-point line and sunk the buckey, extending the lead to 17-11.

Central extended its lead to as many as eight points in the second quarter before the Red Raiders attempted comeback run.

Trailing 25-17 with 2:55 left in the half, the Red Raiders cut the lead to four at the buzzer thanks to an offense that was able to outscore Central 11-6.

At the intermission, Bellefonte was still within striking distance trailing only 31-27.

It was a strong battle in the third quarter as Central outscored Bellefonte 11-9, extending its lead to six points, 42-36.

But in the final stanza, the Dragons’ defense clamped down even harder on the Red Raider offense, allowing it just six points while its offense pounded out a hard earned 13 for the victory.

There will be no rest for the weary for both teams as these two teams will meet again today but this time it will be at Central.