Tuesday night Continental High Boys basketball at Pandora had the Rockets take each quarter in a close Putnam County League battle. The Rockets won the quarters and game by 8 points with 2 of the quarters being 1 point battles and one 2 point. The Rockets came out firing, hitting four 3 pointers in the first quarter but the Pirates almost matched it with 3. The Rockets opened up the scoring with a 3. The Pirates got a basket from Tyson Clementz to make it 3-2 Rockets. A Rocket basket and Pirate 3 pointers from Jackson Bidlack and Nolan Cordes put the Pirates up 8-5. A pair of Rocket 3s put them back up by 3. The Pirates would get 5 points from a Quinn Tegenkamp 3 and a Cordes 2. Pirates 13-11. A Rocket 3 left Rockets up 14-13 after 1. A Rocket basket and baskets by Tegenkamp and Bidlack put the Pirates back up 17-16. A 3 by the Rockets and a basket by Collin Hammond and the game was tied at 19. Both teams made baskets with Tegenkamp scoring for the Pirates 21 all. A basket by the Rockets and a 3 by Monty Rayle had the Pirates back in the lead 24-23. Three baskets by the Rockets put them up for good 29-24. Brady Thomsen would stop the Rocket rally by hitting a pair of free throws. Rockets 29-26. The Rockets would make the final basket of the half. Rockets 31-26 after 2.
The Rockets would open up the second half with a basket to take a 7 point lead 33-26. The Pirates would pour in the next 6 points with Thomsen making a pair of free throws, Clementz a free throw and a Tegenkamp 3. 33-32 Rockets. The Rockets would close out the third by hitting 3 baskets. Rockets 39-32 after 3. Clementz opened up the final quarter with a basket to make it a 5 point game. Rockets 39-34. A pair of Rocket baskets and they led by 9, 43-34. A basket by Tegenkamp was followed by a Rocket basket and 3. Rockets 48-36. The Pirates had an opportunity to reduce the game to a 3 point margin but did not connect. In the end, the Pirates would outscore the Rockets 8-4 in the remainder of the game with Tegenkamp hitting a 3 and a basket, Cordes a basket, and Hammond a free throw. Rockets 52-44 final.
Quinn Tegenkamp led the Pirates with 14 points. Nolan Cordes and Collin Hammond both scored 7. Jackson Bidlack and Tyson Clementz both scored 5. Brady Thomsen added 4. Monty Rayle put in 3. The Pirates made six 3 pointers with Tegenkamp making 3, Bidlack, Cordes, and Rayle all making 1. The Rockets also made six 3 pointers. The Pirates were 6-10 from the foul line while the Rockets were 4-7. Continental falls to 4-16 (1-5 PCL) and will host Fort Jennings on Friday night. This will also be Senior night and Cheer dance night. Pandora Gilboa improves to 9-14 (3-4 PCL).
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
