MOKANE - Senior guard Troy Hentges connected for a game-high 16 points to spur four players in double figures as the South Callaway Bulldogs roughed up the Van-Far Indians 73-44 in Tuesday night's season opener.
South Callaway head coach Tony Brandt only had his full squad together for two days prior to its first game. The Bulldogs football team had just ended its season last Saturday in the Class 2 state championship, falling to Lamar 30-15 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
South Callaway didn't seem to be affected Tuesday night, bolting to a 29-9 advantage after one quarter. The Bulldogs carried a 44-21 edge into halftime, then outscored Van-Far 21-9 in the third quarter to open up a 65-30 lead.
"It was good to see our team make the transition from football to basketball in two days," Brandt said. "All the work these guys put into the offseason helped us be able to make this late start something we can work with.
"We played extremely hard for four quarters and really got things started with our defensive pressure."
Senior guard Terry Miles followed with 15 points for South Callaway, while senior guard Dax Helsel and senior forward Jacob Smith both supplied 10.
Hentges also collected a team-high nine rebounds, while Smith pulled down seven and senior forward Luke Horstman had six. Helsel led the Bulldogs with five assists.
Lucas Robinson, with 11 points, was the only player to reach double figures for Van-Far.
Freshman guard Kaden Helsel tallied a game-high 22 points to spark South Callaway to a 63-45 triumph in the junior varsity game.
The Bulldogs remain at home for their Show-Me Conference opener against Tuscumbia at 6 p.m. Friday.