Pioneer’s Zeigler scores 16, but North White advances to regional

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Nathan Miller scored 28 points, and Hunter Pogue hit five 3-pointers and added 19 to lift the No. 5 North White boys basketball team to a 65-46 win over Pioneer in the Class 1A, Sectional 52 final at Tri-County Saturday.

Senior Jacob Zeigler scored a career-high 16 points in his prep finale for Pioneer, who finished 9-16. Zeigler had scored in double figures just once in his career prior to Saturday, and he did not score at all in a 68-40 loss to North White on Feb. 19 in their regular season meeting.

But he scored nine points in the first quarter this time, helping Pioneer stay within 18-13 after one quarter.

Zeigler had Pioneer’s only field goal in the second quarter as North White extended the lead to 27-18 at halftime.

The Panthers held Bentley Buschman, who scored a game-high 20 points for North White in their semifinal win over Caston Friday, scoreless in the first half. A 1,000-point career scorer, he finished with just four points overall.

But Miller tacked on 10 more points in the third quarter as the lead reached 50-30.

Gavin Clem added eight points for Pioneer.

Pioneer made more free throws (nine) than North White attempted (six) but could not prevent the Vikings from winning their first sectional since 2014.

Pioneer and North White have met in the sectional each of the last four years with both teams winning twice.

North White 65, Pioneer 46

NORTH WHITE (65) (21-3)

Miller 12 1-1 28, Pogue 6 2-2 19, Buschman 2 0-0 4, Denton 2 1-1 7, Stevens 2 1-2 5, D. Hood 0 0-0 0, Orr 1 0-0 2, Reames 0 0-0 0, Stearns 0 0-0 0, Buswell 0 0-0 0, B. Hood 0 0-0 0, Hathaway 0 0-0 0

TEAM: 25 5-6 65

PIONEER (46) (9-16)

Brock Robinson 1 0-0 2, Gavin Clem 3 0-0 8, Christian Scott 2 1-3 5, Oscar Solano 2 2-3 6, Jacob Zeigler 6 3-4 16, Luke Blackman 0 0-0 0, Drew McKaig 2 3-4 7, Rylahn Toloza 0 0-0 0, Brayden Erickson 0 0-0 0, Caleb Sweet 1 0-2 2, Caleb Couch 0 0-0 0

TEAM: 17 9-16 46

Three-point field goals:

North White 10 (Pogue 5, Miller 3, Denton 2),

Pioneer 3 (Clem 2, Zeigler)

Total fouls: North White 14, Pioneer 11

Turnovers: North White 6, Pioneer 8

Score by quarters

North White 18 9 23 15 – 65

Pioneer1351216–46