By DELBERT PETERS

Staff writer

Goessel’s boys got to within one point of a taller Inman team in the second quarter of their season opener Friday before the Bluebirds’ offense sputtered to a 53-23 loss.

In contrast, the Bluebird girls overcame a seven-point deficit with a 19-2 third-quarter run to record a 48-33 victory over Inman.

Both Goessel teams will have three chances for victories this week at their Bluebird Classic tournament, including games Friday and Saturday evenings.

In Friday’s boys’ game, Inman got off to an early lead. Free throws by Jordan Griffin and Rhett Makovec and a three by Josh Schmidt closed the gap, but Goessel trailed, 5-9, after one period.

A three by Trevor Beisel and a basket by Dylan Lindeman got Goessel as close a 10-11, but a 15-1 run by Inman closed out the second quarter, and Inman never looked back.

Lindeman and Griffin each scored four points in the third period, but three-point shooting by the Teutons and a complete dearth of field goals by Goessel in the fourth quarter led to the final score.

Lindeman ended with 7; Griffin, 5; Makovec and Schmidt, 4 each, and Beisel, 3.

For the girls, Eden Hiebert provided all the Bluebird scoring to start the game with a 7-2 lead, but Inman responded with a buzzer-beating three and four more three-pointers in the second period to take a 18-10 lead. Baskets by Olivia Duerksen, Brittney Hiebert and Leah Booton helped close the gap to 20-17 at halftime.

Turnovers plagued the Bluebirds early in the second half, and Inman extended its lead to 24-17 before Goessel’s defense shut down long-range shooting and Brittney Hiebert exploded for 12 third-quarter points as the Bluebirds went on a 19-2 run to take a 36-26 lead at the end of three.

Inman’s deliberate offense for Inman made little progress thereafter, and the Bluebirds extended their lead.

Although committing 26 turnovers, Goessel out-rebounded Inman 23-16. Brittney Hiebert led with 17 points. Eden Hiebert had 15; Duerksen, 6; Hannon, 4; Booton, 3; Jennifer Meysing, 2 and Jenna Nightengale, 1.