SALINA – The Bulldogs needed a change of scenery badly, and they finally got it last week.
The Gunnison Valley boys’ basketball team snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 50-45 win over North Sevier on Wednesday, Feb. 2. The Bulldogs ended the week with a 43-38 loss to Duchesne to move their overall record to 4-12 on the season.
In addition to picking up their first region victory, the Bulldogs also scored the most points in a region game this season. And Gunnison Valley did it without leading scorer Jon Willden, who was unavailable for the game.
In Willden’s absence, the Bulldogs got 14 points from senior Myles Bartholomew, who drained a pair of 3-pointers during a critical stretch of the fourth period. His back-to-back 3-pointers gave Gunnison Valley a 10-point lead with under four minutes to play.
However, North Sevier went on a 7-0 run down the stretch to get back into the game.
With less than a minute to play, Gunnison Valley beat a North Sevier full-court press as sophomore Tysen Tucker found Bartholomew under the basket for an easy lay-up to seal the game.
The Bulldogs nearly pulled off a second win during the week. However, a low-scoring fourth period allowed Duchesne to escape with the win.
Gunnison Valley was shorthanded in the game due to suspension issues involving several Gunnison Valley starters. Senior Aiden O’Neal paced the team with 14 points.
The Bulldogs will conclude their regular season with a home game against North Summit this Thursday.