Barneveld boys win rematch with Argyle

By John Dalton

With 1st place on the line in the Six Rivers-East Conference last Thursday, the Barneveld boys’ team visited Argyle with both teams tied atop the conference at 7-1.  

Barneveld’s only conference loss was to Argyle back in December, a game where the Orioles won handily 55-37.  Argyle scored first in the game, but Eagle Kasey Helgeson would hit back-to-back 3-point shots and a quick 6-2 lead.

But Argyle’s Willie Helfvogt would answer with a 3-point shot to set the tone in this tight-knit game.  Inching towards halftime, Eagle Gavin Fishnick would hit a 3-point shot from the top of the arc to put Barneveld up two.

Then the Orioles defense would clamp down and they would go on a 7-0 run to close out the first half.  Jeremiah Collins hit a 3-point shot from the top of the circle, and then Ike Waage would hit two buckets and Argyle had a 26-21 lead at the half.

But just like the start of the game, it was Helgeson getting Barneveld going in the second half as he hit another 3-point shot to cut the lead to two.  Helgeson hit five, 3-point shots on the night and led Barneveld in scoring with 18 points.

Argyle would answer as Helfvogt would hit another 3-point shot of his own.  He had three for the game and led the Orioles in scoring with 18 points.  

In a defensive, physical game, shots were hard to come by as nearly all shots were contested.  But late in this ball game, Barneveld’s Terek Marx would steal the ball and take it the length of the floor for a basket tying the game at 38.  Then after a missed Argyle basket, Eagle Tucker Shipman got the ball, made a move, and drove it to the hoop and Barneveld regained the lead 40-38.  

Free throws helped secure the win for the Eagles.  Argyle's last shot bounced off the rim in the closing seconds and Barneveld avenged an earlier loss to Argyle 46-42, and now sits alone on top of the conference at 8-1.  Pecatonica is 8-2 and Argyle is 7-2.

Barneveld Head Coach Tyler Sullivan after the game, “The way they took it to us in Barneveld earlier in the year. our kids were hungry for it, but we knew we had to get better.  Argyle is really, really good.  They are strong and physical.  Our boys got a little talking to at halftime,” he said.

“We were down five at halftime but I didn’t feel like we played as physically as I’d of liked them to play.  We played hard, but there’s a difference between playing hard and playing physical.  Argyle outmatched us in the first half and I thought we did a much better job in the second half.  But that was one heck of a game, a playoff-type atmosphere as there was a lot of the line tonight.  I’m proud of our boys, they fought hard,” coach Sullivan said.

For highlights of this game, visit The Dodgeville Chronicle Facebook page.  Barneveld played at Juda on Tuesday night and you can find that story in this section.  

BOX SCORE

Barneveld 21 – 25 – 46

Argyle      26 – 16 – 42

Barneveld (fg-ft-tp); Helgeson 6-1-18, Esch 2-3-7, Poad 2-1-6, Fishnick 2-0-5, Owens 0-3-3, Marx 1-1-3, Bomkamp 1-0-2, Shipman 1-0-2.

3-pointers; Helgeson 5, Fishnick 1, Poad 1.

Argyle (fg-ft-tp); Helfvogt 5-5-18, Waage 5-2-12, Collins 1-1-4, Godfrey 1-2-4, McNett 2-2-4.

3-pointers; Helfvogt 3, Collins 1.