BERNIE, Mo. - The Bernie Mules varsity boys basketball program reached the 20-win plateau yet again Friday night with a 76-61 win against the Malden Green Wave.
Malden played Bernie even in the second half after being outscored 41-26 in the first half.
Four Malden players fouled out before the final buzzer sounded as the Mules shot 30 of 43 from the charity stripe.
"Solid win for us tonight," Bernie coach Brad Botsch said in a press release to Dexter Daily Statesman. "Malden came in and competed hard and our kids had to really fight and claw to get the win. Caleb really played well offensively for us tonight and we needed it from him. I thought part of their strategy was to foul us and make us make free throws, and fortunately we made enough to win. Matt and Caleb both shot free throws well, so we tried to keep it in their hands as much as possible."
Caleb Ellenburg paced Bernie with 36 points. Matt Vernon tallied 16 points and Brandon Sparks recorded 12 points for the Mules.
Shaeen Perkins hit four of Malden's six treys. Trever Ison hit the Green Wave's other 3-pointers. Both players finished with a team-high 16 points.
Bernie (20-4), which supports a record of 16-1 away from home, is on the road the rest of the way starting Tuesday night at Richland.
"It was nice to see our seniors go out with a win," Botsch said of his team's final home game. "Our six seniors are great young men, have had a nice run here and are going to be productive adults. We've got one more week of the regular season and then it's win or go home. Hopefully, we'll get everything we can out of them and compete well in our district."
Notes: Malden beat Bernie 58-22 in the junior varsity contest.
Varsity Bernie 76, Malden 61
MHS 17 9 12 23 - 61
BHS 21 20 13 22 - 76
MALDEN (61) - Alejandro Gordon 6, Shaeen Perkins 16, Dremond Robinson 6, Orlandis Farr 4, Dashawn Butler 3, Malcom McBride 2, Tyler Ison 6, Trever Ison 16, D. Triplett 2. FG 26, FT 3/8, F 32. (3-pointers: Perkins 4, Trever Ison 2. Fouled out: Perkins, Robinson, Farr, Tyler Ison)
BERNIE (76) - Matt Vernon 16, Login Wood 3, Brandon Sparks 12, Caleb Ellenburg 36, Devin Trammell 3, Gavin Smith 4, Gavin Brown 2. FG 21, FT 30/43, F 13. (3-pointers: Sparks 2, Ellenburg 1, Wood 1. Fouled out: none)