HUXLEY — If one team can be said to have consistently vexed the Perry boys basketball squad the past several seasons the answer would have to be Ballard.
The Bombers entered Friday’s game having topped the Bluejays in 10 of their most recent 11 games, a stretch that, from Perry’s point of view, has included both blowout losses and a few upsets along with a few maddening escapes.
With those memories fresh in the mind of the current crop of Jays, Perry’s 48-43 victory at Huxley meant not only a third consecutive win and a 3-2 mark in Raccoon River Conference play but also a small taste of revenge.
The game was tight save for a brief spurt from Perry in the third quarter, a surge that proved enough to salvage victory. The teams were tied at 9-all after one frame, with the Jays scoring the final three points of the first half to both give the visitors a 19-17 lead at the intermission and mark the last time the hosts would have the edge on the scoreboard.
Perry (3-4, 3-2) steadily began to pull away in the third quarter. The visitors were eventually able to open a double-digit lead, with key baskets from Drew Levan, Janier Puente and Kyle Nevitt fueling the rally.
Entering the final eight minutes it appeared Perry, up 35-24, might waltz to an easy win, but Ballard (2-7, 1-4) had other ideas.
The Bombers moved to a 2-3 zone that suddenly seemed to perplex Perry, stifling the Jay offense and allowing the Bombers to shave their deficit to 38-33 after five minutes of play in the fourth frame.
A pair of 3-pointers from Bomber guard Max Stoltz led a final charge, with Rashon Ivory continually sent to the foul line for the Jays. The junior guard did just enough, sinking 8-of-13 from the charity stripe in the final moments — with Brandon Kenyon adding 1-of-2 at the line — to help stave off the Bombers, who had closed to within 45-41 with 54 seconds remaining.
Perry struggled at the line throughout the game, connecting on just 12-of-22 attempts while Ballard finished 12-of-18 at the line.
Tyler Ihle led Ballard with 12 points, with Isaac Schafbuch adding 10 points, Stoltz eight points and Austin Edwards seven. Four points from Trey Drummond and two from Ethan Torkelson capped the Ballard scoring.
Nevitt splashed four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 17 points, with Levan hitting two triples to join Ivory for a nine-point performance. Puente and Connor Nielsen had six points apiece, with Kenyon adding a free throw.
Perry is at Roland-Story today, with the girls game to start at 1 p.m. and the boys to follow. Both Perry squads will visit Boone Tuesday before hosting Bondurant-Farrar Friday.
