The goals for the Perry boys basketball team Tuesday were simple: play well, win and do not get anybody hurt. Check, check and check.
Perry wasted little time to racing to a big early lead, then coasted through the second half to record a 73-41 non-conference victory over Saydel.
Alex Long, Trey Dantzler, Shammond Ivory, Solomon Pierce, Ryan Rathje, Sean Riley and J.R. McCord played their final game on the PHS hardwood in the victory.
Perry, now 12-9 overall, won consecutive games for the fourth time this season. Monday they will try to do something they have not yet done this campaign — string three wins together. Doing so would mean avenging last year’s bitter 73-70 overtime loss to DC-G in the Substate Finals. The teams will meet at 6:30 p.m. in Adel, with host ADM facing Boone in the 8 p.m. contest.
Janier Puente scored seven of the first 11 Bluejay points Tuesday as the hosts opened on early 11-2 gap, with a Pierce 3-pointer and two treys from Kyle Nevitt helped Perry post a 24-9 advantage after eight minutes of play.
Saydel (2-19) was held scoreless for nearly six minutes, from late in the first period to the 4:14 mark of the second, when Devin Porter snapped the drought. By then Perry had a 39-11 lead, with the Jays entering the locker room leading 47-14. Nevitt had 15 points in the first half, with Puente adding 11 and Ivory eight.
The Eagles fought valiantly to avoid a 35-point deficit and continuous clock, but a Rathje 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third put Perry ahead, 65-29, instituting the mercy rule.
Reserves from both teams played the fourth period, with Saydel outscoring their hosts 12-8 to set the final score.
Puente finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, with Nevitt adding 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Ivory had 10 points, Rathje nine and Pierce and Rashon Ivory six apiece while baskets from Conner Nielsen, Sean Riley and J.R. McCord closed the scoring sheet. While held without a point, Long aided the winning cause with seven assists.
Andrew Smith led Saydel with 13 points, with Kole Walker and Rece Martin adding nine each. Porter’s six points and four from Jacob Philipsen capped the Eagle offense.
