By Don Nelson
Two tough losses in district playoffs ended the Liberty Bell High School boys’ basketball season last weekend in East Wenatchee.
The Mountain Lions were edged by the North Central Washington 2B South division leaders, Mabton, 67-64, on Wednesday (Feb. 11).
On Saturday (Feb. 14), Liberty Bell lost a Valentines Day heartbreaker to Waterville, 51-45, to send the Mountain Lions home from the double-elimination tournament.
Liberty Bell finished the season with a 14-8 record, and will see leading scorers Connor Cooley and Micah Klemmeck — both juniors — return next year.
Against Mabton, said coach Kyle Acord, “I thought we played well overall, matching their athleticism with good overall offensive play.”
Liberty Bell took at 52-49 lead into the fourth quarter, but Mabton finished strong.
“Mabton used a few turnovers and some hot three-point shooting to take the lead halfway through the fourth quarter, and we were not quite able to come back at the end,” Acord said. “It was a game of momentum swings, and I felt like we were just about to come back with a run of our own, but time ran out.”
Micah Klemmeck led Liberty Bell scorers with 20 points. Cooley added another double-double to his resume with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Reggiatore and Willy Duguay each chipped in eight points.
Against Waterville, the Mountain Lions played to a 27-27 halftime draw, but Waterville made the third quarter decisive by outscoring Liberty Bell, 16-10.
“It was a close game throughout,” Acord said. “Waterville made a nice little run at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth that held up. Too many turnovers and poor shooting percentage cost us in this game.”
Cooley scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Micah Klemmeck added 11 points and Reggiatore eight.
Liberty Bell vs. Mabton
Liberty Bell 14 24 14 12 64
Mabton 10 24 15 18 67
Points/rebounds/steals/assists
Jorge Lara 2 0 2 2
Ben Klemmeck 3 4 1 1
Jose Dominguez 5 1 1 1
Andrew Reggiatore 8 3 0 1
Connor Cooley 18 12 3 4
Micah Klemmeck 20 5 3 4
Willy Duguay 8 5 3 1
Garrett Dornfeld 0 1 0 0
Liberty Bell vs. Waterville
Liberty Bell 11 16 10 8 45
Waterville 8 19 16 8 51
Points/rebounds/steals/assists
Jorge Lara 0 1 2 1
Ben Klemmeck 5 3 2 0
Jose Dominguez 2 2 3 1
Andrew Reggiatore 8 1 0 0
Connor Cooley 13 12 3 1
Micah Klemmeck 11 4 4 2
Willy Duguay 6 5 1 3
Garrett Dornfeld 0 2 0 0
