Scoring struggles continue as Bluejays fall to Comets

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Perry guard Kato Dougan looks for a screen from Avery Meister as he takes the ball to the top of the lane against North Polk Monday.

Putting the ball in the basket has been troublesome for the Perry boys cagers all season, and those woes continued Monday in a 65-33 non-conference loss to visiting North Polk.

Perry was playing without leading scorer Brendan Ivory (illness), who averages just shy of 20 points per game, but his presence would likely have made little difference.

The Comets (8-11) held only a 9-5 edge after the first quarter, but used a 22-9 second quarter to create a 31-14 halftime lead. The third of three long scoreless stretches by the hosts, this one in the third frame, allowed the visitors to expand their advantage to 46-21 as the fourth quarter began.

The loss dropped Perry to 3-17 overall, but was not without bright spots for the Jays.

Senior Keghan West continued his domination under the rim with 15 more rebounds. West leads Class 3A with 234 total rebounds and with an average of 11.7 boards per outing. Those numbers are 11th best and tied for 8th best, statewide, respectively. His 164 defensive rebounds leads 3A by a wide margin.

West led all scorers with 21 points and also blocked four shots, but it was a basket he allowed that served as the feel-good moment of the contest.

The Perry forward allowed Comet player Josh Gering, a special needs student, to shoot an uncontested shot under the basket with just over a minute remaining in the game. West had the rebound fall into his hands, but he gave Gering a short pass, with the Comet cager scoring on a put-back for his first points of the season.

The crowd responded with loud applause, and the Comet team and many of the fans made a point of thanking West for his sportsmanship after the game.

Chase Archer had five points and five rebounds for Perry, with Kato Dougan, Avery Meister and Jeremy Mateso scoring two points apiece while June Reisberg had one point.

Coby Bouchard scored 15 points on five 3-pointers to lead the guests, with Marcus Haupert scoring 14 points, Austin Parkins 12 and Jevin Sullivan 11. Andrew Weig’s seven points and two from Luke Maring, Thomas Jones and Josh Gering completing the scoring.

Perry will complete their regular season Thursday by hosting Hampton-Dumont-CAL for a freshman/junior varsity/varsity boys only set beginning at 4:30 p.m.

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