After a 5-1 start, the last couple of weeks had been a struggle for the Buchholz boys basketball team.
Buchholz was 3-5 in their last eight games as the schedule toughened up and lost to Williston on Wednesday by 30 points.
Enter the Lakeland Dreadnaughts, which was exactly what Buchholz needed.
Senior Nate Muchnick knocked down six 3-pointers for 25 points and the host Bobcats never trailed in beating Lakeland,74-61, at Bud Seymour Gymnasium on Friday.
Senior Palmer Walton added 14 points and Gabe Thompson and Peyton Warring chipped in 10 points apiece for Buchholz, who improves to 9-6.
“It feels good to get a win,” Buchholz coach Elliott Harris said. “We beat a good 6A opponent, a playoff team, a physical team, and that’s the reason why you play these games. We needed this, especially after taking it on the chin against Williston.” Â
Lakeland falls to 10-2 as they saw a nine-game winning streak come to an end.
Buchholz got off to a hot start, knocking down three 3-pointers to lead 18-11 after the opening period. Muchnick, Walton, and Warring all hit from behind the arc.
The Dreadnaughts cut their deficit to three points early in the second period, but Buchholz then went on a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 30-17. The Bobcats led by as many as 15 points before settling for a 44-31 halftime lead.
Muchnick hit three more from behind the arc for a 15-point first half to get the Buchholz offense going.
“Nate has been out most of the season, missing 11 games, and he just got back against Williston,” Harris said. “He’s trying to get his legs back but he’s one of our best players.”
The third quarter was more of the same, as the Bobcats hit three more 3-pointers and led by as many as 16 points on a few occasions. The closest Lakeland would get in the second half was nine points.
Buchholz led 58-47 after the third period and kept the lead steady in the fourth quarter as the game devolved into a free-throw contest.
“It was a very physical game, and the refs let a lot of stuff go,” Harris said. “We were able to fight through it.”
Buchholz is right back in action on Saturday, hosting Fort White as part of the Gatortown Classic. Eastside plays Lakeland with Williston and P.K. Yonge is also in action.
