Wildcats pull away from Mel-Min in second half

The Blair-Taylor boys basketball team went on a run midway through the second half to take control of the game.

B-T was tied with Melrose-Mindoro during Thursday’s road game, but the Wildcats started connecting on shots and pulled away for a 73-56 win.

The win evened B-T’s record at 1-1 before Tuesday’s game against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran. The team is set to host Cochrane-Fountain City on Friday and will welcome Whitehall next Tuesday. B-T’s last scheduled game of 2025 is next Friday at Alma Center Lincoln. 

B-T 73 Mel-Min 56

After being tied at halftime, the Wildcats slowly took control in the second half before pulling away late.

B-T went on a 10-2 run midway through the second half to gain an edge. The teams exchanged baskets early in the half before a pair of free throws by CJ Dummer and a three-pointer by Austin Olson gave the Wildcats a little breathing room.

Dummer then scored four straight B-T points with a Mel-Min basket in between. A free-throw by Johnson gave B-T a 44-36 advantage.

The teams exchanged points for the next couple of possessions before a jumper by Dummer gave B-T an eight-point lead and free-throws by Colby Dahl made it a 10-point game. The lead stayed around 10 for a few minutes, but Brady Thompson scored to break through and give B-T a 12-point lead with five minutes left.

The Mustangs got back within nine with about two minutes left in the game, but managed just one more basket while B-T put it away at the free-throw line. 

Dummer had a game-high 24 points for B-T, while adding eight rebounds. Collin Johnson added 14 points and Colby Dahl scored 11. Adam Halverson grabbed 10 rebounds and finished one point shy of a double-double while Brady Thompson scored seven points, Austin Olson five, and Kyle Jahr finished with three.