The Demon boy’s basketball team kept the game close for as long as they could against Muscatine on Monday night, but in the end fell for their second straight game.
Washington led by 10 points in the second quarter, before Muscatine gradually pulled closer and eventually away with the game and the 58-54 win.
Washington started the game with quick passing and hardly any dribbling to sneak past the Muskie defenders and make some nice buckets, capping it off with a last second 3-pointer by Thomas Bump to have a 15-7 lead after one.
In the second the Demons extended their lead to 20-10, but would soon make a few too many mistakes and Adam Miller, who was held scoreless during the first quarter, found his grove and started making shots and the Muskies were right back in it down three going into the locker room at 27-24.
Out of the break the Demons had some trouble hitting the long ball, while Muscatine kept going to the line, and for the first time since the opening minutes took the lead after three 38-37.
With about three minutes left in the game, the Demons tied it up on a three-ball by Walker Breard, but that is the last time the Demons saw the lead as they fell down the stretch due to free throws and not enough time on the clock to make up the two possession lead.
Washington head coach Bryce Smeins said he was proud of his kids and he thought they played hard.
“I thought we played pretty well again for the most part, we had a couple of stretches, one in the second quarter and one in the second half where we just couldn’t get any buckets or any shots because we were turning it over too much, so we have to clean up the turnovers and some bad passes we made, they’re looking in the right spot, but it was either too late or too high,” Smeins said. “They have a pretty good idea of what they are supposed to be doing, they are not quite getting their yet, but you have to love the effort of the glass rebounding tonight, but it was a tough physical game, and a tough game to play tonight.”
Washington was led by Breard with 11 points on the night, while Garrett Covington and Gage Redlinger both had 10.
Washington falls to 0-2 on the season and opens up conference play on Friday against Fairfield.