Duchesne High School Will Face Mexico For Sectional Matchup

The Duchesne basketball team shook the third-quarter blues at the perfect time Friday night.    

After struggling all season coming out of the halftime break, the Pioneers exploded for 19 third-period points to knock off rival St. Dominic 62-52 in the championship game of the Class 4 District 7 Regional at Duchesne High.    

Duchesne, which improved to 15-11, advances to face Mexico (25-1) in a sectional game Wednesday at Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, MO at 6 p.m.

The Pioneers will be making just their second sectional appearance in 36 years. Freshman point guard Sam Briscoe led the winning attack with 17 points and seven assists. Senior Jeff Swann and junior Trevor Tune added 12 points apiece. Ryan Tune had nine points.Senior Jake Woltering added eight points and a team-high six rebounds.   

The Pioneers, who trailed 26-25 at half, took control of the game with a surprising eight-point blitz in a span of three minutes in the third period.   

"At halftime, we made it a point to emphasize that we had to be ready for the third quarter," said Duchesne coach Wade Bouslog. "We warmed up a little better and the kids came out and moved the ball."

Briscoe led the second-half charge. He hit five of six shots from the both the field and foul line. Trevor Tune also hit some big free throws down the stretch.   

The Pioneers pulled in front to stay early in the third quarter and kept the lead between five and seven points throughout most of the final period.   

"We played really well the last three minutes," Bouslog said. "Hit our free throws and did what we had to do."   

The victory avenged the Pioneers' 46-37 loss to St. Dominic just 11 days earlier. Bouslog said his team was prepared for the rematch.   

"The main difference is we shot the ball better," he said. "We made a few adjustments and our kids were a little more focused in."   

St. Dominic (16-10) jumped to an early lead and used the shooting of Austin Kiel to take one-point lead at half. Kiel scored a game-high 18 points.   

The Pioneers, who last won a regional in 2006, will have their hands full with Mexico. The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the state. They won their first 19 games before dropping a three-point decision to Jefferson City Helias earlier this month.   

Duchesne has won three in a row and six of its last eight. Bouslog says his club is peaking at the right time. He is looking forward to Wednesday's challenge.    

"It's been fun to see these kids grow up," he said. "They've worked hard and it's starting to show."   

The St. Dominic girls team, which beat Visitation 49-40 in the girls title game Friday at Duchesne, will face Moberly (22-3) at Moberly on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. The Crusaders (26-0) are making their fifth successive sectional appearance.