If there were a theme to Perry’s lopsided win over Boone Friday it would have to have been “team.”
The Bluejay defense looked sharp and energetic, and the hosts recorded a quite favorable ratio of 26 assists on 36 made field goals while having 10 different players score.
Boone had scored a 77-58 win over a flat and seemingly uninterested Perry squad Jan. 15, but the Bluejays were having none of that in the rematch and dominated from the second quarter on for an 88-59 victory.
Boone (6-13, 5-9) were without starter Johnathan Herrick, who had 15 points and eight rebounds in the first game, but his presence would likely have made little difference Friday as Perry was clearly the better team on the floor.
The game was tied at 16-all in the first period, but Janier Puente converted a three-point play and Solomon Pierce landed one of Perry’s nine 3-pointers to give the hosts a 22-16 lead after eight minutes.
The run continued for over three minutes into the second quarter as Perry rattled off a total of 16 consecutive points — the last two on a Puente dunk — before Boone scored on an Ethan Lewis trey to make stop the bleeding a 32-19.
Conner Nielsen scored for Perry (11-9, 8-6), with Ryan Rathje sandwiching a triple with a pair of buckets as the home team entered the locker room with a 43-22 advantage, a far cry from the 36-14 deficit they had faced at the break in first game between the two foes.
Puente was a beast in the paint, sinking all nine of his shots while clearing six rebounds. He scored six of the first 11 points for Perry after the break as the lead swelled to 57-29. Boone was unable to recover and found themselves staring at a 66-40 hole as the period ended.
Perry head coach Ned Menke had started an all-senior lineup in honor of senior night, but went with his reserves early in the fourth quarter before putting an all-senior quintet on the floor for one final bow.
The victory was the final home appearance in conference play for Alex Long, Trey Dantzler, Sean Riley, J.R. McCord, Pierce, Rathje and Shammond Ivory, the school’s all-time leading scorer who topped the 1,600-point mark in his final game on the PHS hardwood.
Puente and Rathje — who hit 8-of-10 from the floor — each finished with 19 points. Rashon Ivory had 10 points and Shammond Ivory and Long had nine points apiece, with Pierce adding eight points and Kyle Nevitt with six. Four points form Nielsen and two apiece from McCord and Dane McCarty closed the scoring list.
Long had nine assists in the game, with Rashon Ivory making six assists and Shammond Ivory five.
Lewis led Boone with 21 points, with Trevor Van Pelt adding 14 and Tanner Schminke nine. Lane Losh had five points, Daniel Anderson and Dresden Wilson four each and Trey Smith two.
Perry will host Saydel for a frosh/JV/varsity set beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Perry opens post season play against DC-G, at Adel, at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22. Boone plays ADM in the 8 p.m. game, with the winners to meet Feb. 25 for the Class 3A District 15 title in Johnston at 7 p.m. The Substate 8 Final (Glenwood, Creston, Atlantic and Winterset are in D16) will be played Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. at site that is to be determined.