By DELBERT PETERS

Staff writer

The Goessel boys’ basketball team let a halftime lead on the road against Pretty Prairie slip away Friday, losing 41-37.

Lucas Hiebert hit two free-throws and Lawton Makovec banked one off the glass as the Bluebirds opened with a 4-0 lead. They fell behind briefly, but baskets by Kellen Froese and Hiebert and a quarter-ending Makovec 3-pointer put Goessel back on top 14-7.

Goessel scoring slowed in the second quarter, and Pretty Prairie snagged the lead. A Froese 3-pointer near halftime kept the Bluebirds ahead 21-19 at the break.

The Bulldogs used a zone defense to put the brakes on Bluebirds’ scoring in the third. Zach Wiens hit a field goal, but the only other scoring was from the free-throw line as Pretty Prairie took a 29-25 lead.

Pretty Prairie called time out as the Bluebirds got within one point in the fourth quarter, 32-31. The last part of the game was a free-throw contest. Although slipping behind by five points, the Bluebirds’ success from the free-throw line allowed them to get within two before the Bulldogs sealed the win 41-37.

Goessel hit 84 percent from the charity stripe to stay close. Makovec scored 12 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Wiens hit 9 points, 7 of which were free throws. Hiebert scored a season high 8 points, and Froese ended with 7 points. Connor Davis rounded out the scoring with 1 point.

The Bluebirds, 1-6, played Tuesday at Centre. They play at home against Wakefield on Friday. Goessel is 0-2 in league play.