Six days removed from defeating Bourbon in overtime, Bland Bear basketball welcomed Owensville’s Dutchmen to western Gasconade County for a Highway 28 middle school hoops showdown Monday night.

Nursing a 7-5 lead after one quarter, Jacob Walton’s 7th grade Bears outscored the visiting Dutchmen 22-16 the rest of the game to earn a 29-21 victory over their Highway 28 rivals.

In the opening minute of the game, Bland buckets from Glayden Woodruff and Lukas Smith put the Bears in front 4-0.

Seeing Owensville come back to tie the game at 5-5 with 46.4 for the first quarter, Smith scored a basket in the closing seconds of the opening six minutes for a 7-5 lead.

Scoring six of Bland’s eight points in the second quarter, Smith helped the Bears to a 15-9 halftime lead over the visiting Dutchmen.

Nearly recording a double double in the first half, Smith led all scorers and rebounders at halftime with 11 points and seven boards.

Almost doubling up the Dutchmen 7-4 in the third quarter, Bland went into the final six minutes of basketball against Owensville with a 22-13 lead.

Bland’s opening basket of the fourth quarter was a special one for Walton and the Bears.

Thomas Harrott scored his first two points of the season moving the Bland lead into double digits.

Surviving an ensuing 5-0 Dutchmen run, Walton’s Bears held on for their second victory in as many games.

Smith finished the game with a double double of 20 points and 11 rebounds followed by six points from Woodruff.

Harrott’s basket and a Jon Valley free throw in the fourth quarter rounded out Bland’s scoring in the seventh-grade contest.

Going for a sweep of the Highway 28 twin bill, Bland’s 8th grade Bears took on the Dutchmen after they were recognized with their parents along with the 8th grade cheerleaders before the game.

8th Grade vs. Owensville

Trailing 19-8 after six minutes of basketball, Bland was only able to make seven of their 24 free-throw attempts the rest of the game before falling to the visiting Dutchmen, 48-38.

Myles Butler opened the game for Bland with the first points giving his team a 2-0 lead that quickly vanished after an ensuing 8-0 Owensville run.

Carter Kinkead paced the Bears with a team-high 12 points followed closely in double figures by Brayden Cadwallader with 10 points. Butler added six markers to go along with five points each from Logan Straatman and Baylar Smith.