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Hopefully it will be a lesson learned.
The Dodgeville boys basketball team went to Sauk Prairie to face the Division 2 team in a non-conference game Thursday with a few empty seats on the bus. One player was on a family trip and the rest who missed the game were absent for violating a team rule. For their actions they were given a game suspension.
But the nine who wore the varsity uniform that night gave it all they had in the guts department and came up 11 points short against a bigger, talented team. Sauk won the game 68-57.
Coach Ryan Bohnsack moved Jordan Larson up from the junior varsity and he responded with a 17 point outing to lead the Dodgers in scoring. He drilled five three pointers before fouling out.
Also moved up was Jordan Olson who had one quarter left after the JV game to contribute.
Four Dodgers got into double figures as they spent the night sharing the basketball and finding the open shot. Nate Hottmann and Levi Nagel both had 13 and Ryan Raess added 11.
Riley Berning rounded out the scoring with a three pointer.
The Dodgers never led at the end of a quarter but were within six with a minute and a half left. They tried a three pointer but missed and had to change their plans.
"We were forced into a strategy change and had to foul," Bohnsack said. The Silver Eagles then put the game away at the free throw stripe.
"They had us in the post and probably in talent but we battled and did things together," Bohnsack said. "The kids gave us the opportunity."
"It was good, hard team basketball," Bohnsack said about the line-up that had never played together before. "Everything a coach could ask for they gave us."
Bohnsack said the positions are there for those who step up and work for them.
"We looked good because we played as a team," Bohnsack said. "No matter who is on the floor we have to figure out how to play as a team."
Bohnsack said the coaches saw things in the game that should help the Dodgers down the stretch.
"We have to work on our team chemistry and figure out who fits together the best," Bohnsack said. "Those will be who will be out on the floor."
The Dodgers host Platteville Friday. The state tournament teams from 1963, 1964, 1993, 1995 and 2004 will be honored before the game. The 1964 team won the state tournament.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
D 12 9 19 17 57
SP 16 14 22 16 68
BOX SCORE
DODGEVILLE  57: (fg-ft-tp) Berning 1-0-3, Hottmann 4-4-13, J. Larson 5-2-17, Nagel 4-4-13, Raess 4-3-11, Elsner 0-0-0, Olson 0-0-0, Shepler 0-0-0, Dalsing 0-0-0 Totals 18-13/17-57 Fouls-16 Fouled out-J. Larson
SAUK PRAIRIE 68: S. Breunig 2-5-10, B. Breunig 1-3-5, Fiene 7-6-20, Holler 0-1-1, Kostroski 5-2-14, Leister 6-4-16, Spray 1-0-2 Totals 22-21/27-68 Fouls-18
3 point goals:
D-J. Larson 5, Nagel 1, Hottmann 1, Berning 1
SP-S. Breunig 1, Kostroski 2