Zach Zernicke scored 20 points, Hunter VanderLinden added 11 and the Bonduel High School boys basketball team beat Oconto Falls 68-52 in the team’s home opener Thursday in Bonduel.
The Bears (2-0) roared out of the gates, taking a 15-2 lead halfway through the first quarter, boosted by 3-pointers by Zernicke and Connor Rosin.
“That was a great start to the game,” Bonduel coach Duke Copp said. “That’s exactly how I want my kids to play. We’ve been working on it in practice and they just came out ready to go.”
Zernicke, a 6-foot-4 senior, had 10 of his 20 points by the end of the first quarter.
“He’s going up against kids that are a lot bigger than him tonight,” Copp said. “For him to come through like that is huge. This a just a great start to the home season. I’m excited.”
Oconto Falls, limited after 6-foot-5 forward Riley Gruetzmacher went to the bench with two early fouls, was held to just six points in the first and 15 points in the first half.
Bonduel’s 40-15 halftime lead dwindled midway through the third quarter. Oconto Falls went on a 7-4 run and was within 12 points at 44-22.
The Bears battled back to scoring parity with the Panthers in the fourth, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout.
“We probably played as well as we could in the first half,” Copp said. “It’s hard to maintain that intensity. We talked about it. (Oconto Falls) came out fired up.”
The coach said the size advantage Oconto Falls (0-1) had — all of the Panthers’ starters are over 6-foot tall — could be a problem for his team.
“I was nervous tonight,” Copp said. “That’s a huge team. They play hard, but our kids executed and hit big shots. I’m really proud of them tonight.”
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