Galena went head-to-head against East Dubuque in their home gym on January 29. It was a great defensive game, with both teams scoring under 40 points. It was a very packed house with fans of both teams watching the game as passionately as the boys played.
In the first quarter, the Pirates took an early lead with the help of Andrew Koenigs ‘26 in the paint. After the first quarter succeeded, it was 6-6. “It felt great to be in the game from the start. Everyone doubted us and counted us out but it was nice to prove to anyone that we can play with the best,” said Koenigs ‘26.
In the second quarter, 6-man Braden Kevern ‘25 was the spark the Pirates needed, hitting a big-time three to give the Pirates life going into the half up 2. “It felt great coming off the bench and being able to bring my team the energy that was very much needed in this heated game,” said Kevern ‘25.
After half-time, the Pirates outscored East Dubuque 12 to eleven to keep their lead and even extend them to a three-point lead going into the fourth. “I felt confident that we could win but we lost.” said point guard Owen Hefel ‘26, “It’s hard to accept but our shots weren’t falling and it just didn’t go our way. ”
In the fourth quarter, East Dubuque’s Adian Colin ‘25 decided to take matters into his own hands, scoring 6 of his team’s 13 points in the fourth and eventually taking the lead and the game 31-35.
This game was a great defensive battle, with not one player scoring over double-digits on either team. It was a devastating loss for Galena after leading in three of the four quarters.
