On the 11th try, the West Platte boys basketball team finally got its first win against Bishop LeBlond, defeating them 43-41 on Jan. 19.
In a back-and-forth contest, the Blue Jays turned to an unexpected underclassman, Dalton Burns, to provide scoring throughout the second half. The sophomore had a career night, achieving his first double-double by setting personal records with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
West Platte sophomore Dalton Burns had the best game of his young career, achieving a double-double in the win over Bishop LeBlond.
“I talked to Dalton a lot,” West Platte head coach Tyler Funk said. “He came out of the gates firing (this season), but he got into a little slump for a little bit. He plays hard and is athletically gifted as much as anyone else on the floor.”
West Platte jumped in front 8-2 early in the contest, a lead that was cut down to one before senior Drake Montez hit a triple to give the Blue Jays a 10-7 lead after the first quarter. Montezled West Platte’s second-quarter run, hitting a couple more triples as they leaped ahead 17-7 before Bishop LeBlond battled back, with the Blue Jays taking a 19-15 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
Bishop LeBlond took the lead back early in the third quarter, beginning a series of lead changes until West Platte established a two-possession advantage with Montez hitting another triple.
LeBlond drew level late in the third, and eventually took a 32-29 lead after hitting a triple.
“We came out stagnant in the second half,” West Platte head coach Tyler Funk said. “That’s my fault; I’ve got to get those guys moving a little bit more and be ready to play in the second half.”
The Blue Jays quickly erased the deficit in the fourth as Burns turned a steal into points before Montez knocked down a free throw. Again, the game tilted back and forth with Burns and Montez guiding the Blue Jays.
A Montez basket was followed by a Burns score, putting West Platte ahead 38-34. As the Blue Jays had hoped to be closing in on a historic victory, the Eagles had other plans.
Bishop LeBlond mounted the comeback once again, eventually taking a 41-40 lead with 43 seconds left. West Platte took a timeout as they looked to set up a play to get them back in front.
They eventually worked the ball to Montez, who drove to the basket but missed. In a heroic move, Burns came down with the rebound surrounded by three LeBlond players, and scored the basket to give the Blue Jays a 42-41 lead.
West Platte senior forward Jaxon Davis makes a pass to relieve pressure in the final moments of a the Blue Jays’ first-ever win on record against Bishop LeBlond.
LeBlond went streaking down the floor in response, but West Platte crowded out their drive with Jaxon Davis deflecting the outlet pass and taking the steal to set up Montez to hit 1 of 2 from the line.
With 7.5 seconds to play, LeBlond drew up a play out of a timeout, but Davis came up with another defensive play to disrupt it. They had one final shot on another in-bounds play, with LeBlond getting a good look for the game-winner from deep, but it hit off the back end before Burns collected his 10th rebound of the night.
“An ugly win is better than a pretty loss, so we’ll take it,” Funk said.
Funk made a point for his team to improve its body language and play harder throughout the second half. He got his team motivated and came out with a win on home court for the first time in over a month.
“There were no X’s and O’s or secret play or anything like that,” Funk said. “I told them it was just more about how we played and the attitude in which we played.”
It was West Platte’s first win on record against Bishop LeBlond, losing the previous 10 meetings with the Eagles since 2014. Funk has admiration for the way in which Bishop LeBlond has sustained success over the years, which included a trip to the Final Four in 2022.
“I really respect what he’s done for all those years and how long he’s done it,” Funk said about Bishop LeBlond head coach Mitchell Girres and the Eagles’ program. “I’ve picked his brain about a couple of different things he’s done, so they are a class program, they play hard and it’s always a good battle.”
Funk is pleased with the progress his team has made so far this season. He likes the progression his defense has made and is hoping to liven up its offensive production.
West Platte returned to conference action on Jan. 23, going on the road to defeat Penney 59-56. They will shift focus to the North Platte Invitational Jan. 26-31 before hosting South Holt on Feb. 2.