KNOXVILLE — The Knoxville High School boys basketball team fell to Peoria Heights 50-38 on Friday night in Prairieland Conference action at Jensen Gym in a contest that Blue Bullets coach Eric Hughs termed "disappointing."
"We had absolutely no energy tonight," said the first-year coach after watching his team slip to 2-4 in the league. "We were a step slow and a dollar short all night against them. Not only did we struggle on the defensive end but we had all kind of problems offensively against their zone."
The Patriots packed it in forcing the Blue Bullets to shoot a lot from the outside. Knoxville managed just 13 field goals including only five from beyond the arc in over 30 attempts.
“You have to give them a lot of credit. They did a good job of forcing us deep and we just didn't get into many kind of a rhythm,” Hughs said.
Peoria Heights jumped out to a 9-4 advantage early but Knoxville came back to take a 25-24 lead into the locker room at the half as junior Colton Ericson canned a pair of inside hoops in the final minute of the half.
However, the roof caved in on the Blue Bullets in the third quarter. Peoria Heights outscored them 17-5 for a 41-30 lead heading into the final stanza.
The charge was lead by the Patriots’ J.J. Wittmer, who scored the first eight points in the quarter as Peoria Heights opened a commanding lead. The junior finished with 12 points in the third on his way to a game-high 21 point night.
"The third quarter just killed us," Hughs said. "We were slow on defense and unable to convert offensively. Those eight minutes certainly were the difference in the game."
Trailing by 11 to start the fourth quarter, Knoxville's Cade Shonkwiler completed a four point play — making a free throw following a three point basket — to cut the Peoria Heights lead to 41-34. That was as close the Blue Bullets would get for the remainder of the game.
Patriots joining Wittmer in double figures were Trevor Heath with 13 points and Mark Tangel with 10.
Knoxville was led by Shonkwiler with nine while Terrence Dickerson and Dylan Anderson each finished with eight points.