Dock opens states with win over Antietam

Hoyt Bultje did “yeoman’s work” inside and Nate Lapp still hasn’t cooled off since the district title game, as Dock began states with an impressive 59-40 victory over Antietam in the opening round of the PIAA-2A Tournament.

“Getting off to a (10-0 lead) like that is just an energy boost,” said Lapp, who poured in a gamehigh 19 points, including four 3-pointers. “We have our fans there and every time we score they erupt. It gives us a lot of confidence going forward.”

The District One Champs advance to the second round Wednesday, to take on Sankofa Freedom. A fine season for the Mountaineers (13-12), District

Three Runner-Ups, came to a close.

The Pioneers were in control the whole way Saturday night, book-ending the first half with 10-0 and 12-0 runs.

“This team is known for fast starts,” said coach Mike Fergus. “We’ve done it all year long. That’s been the M.O. of this team.”

The Pioneers burst from the gate.

Lapp quickly opened the scoring by draining a three. He would hit four 3-pointers in the first half.

Baskets by Bultje and Tony Martin and another three by Lapp pushed the margin to 10. A layup by Lane Bergey closed the first quarter strong for Dock, up 14-4.

Antietam made its move in the second quarter, closing to within 17-16, but a three by Lapp (14 points in the first half) provided some more separation for the Pioneers at 20-16.

Dock finished out the first half on a 12-0 run, capped by Bergey’s tap-in of a free-throw attempt with less than a second to go to make it a 29-16 margin.

“Lane’s tip-in was one of the key moments,” Lapp said. “Their body language just dropped after that.”

Lapp’s coast-to-coast layup kept the Pioneers moving in the third, as Dock blew out to a 34-18 advantage.

Dock was rocking. “Our crowd and our fans are awesome,” Lapp said. “They provide energy for us throughout the game and it just makes the game more fun and the atmosphere more fun.”

The Pioneers were thriving on the perimeter and down low. Bultje added 18 points and 15 rebounds for Dock.

“Hoyt did yeoman’s work inside — that’s what I would call it,” Fergus said. “And (Antietam) had some big kids. That was just huge. He was a man in there. He just really played his heart out.”

Noah Archambault’s 13 points were the game high for the Mountaineers. A.J. Washington provided solid defense for the Pioneers in a thorough victory.

“Everyone did their thing. We stress all year: star in your role,” Fergus said. “Everyone contributed.”