Despite playing down a pair of starters, Platte County spent most of the first half Tuesday night looking rejuvenated and upset-minded.
Platte County junior guard Jordy Moore dribbles up court against Grain Valley on Tuesday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Eli Herbert took over from there in a demonstrative manner and changed the course of the Suburban Conference White Division matchup at Pirate Fieldhouse. Grain Valley pulled away for a 58-29 victory after the star senior guard scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in a runaway third quarter for the Eagles.
Platte County (3-10) ended a losing skid less than a week earlier but has again dropped three straight with Smithville responsible for the other two.
Grain Valley (11-3) trailed much of the first quarter with Herbert relatively held in check. The Pirates’ first three made field goals were all 3-pointers before senior forward Bryton Bertram’s putback basket put them ahead 11-7. He started in place of junior Brock Dye, who was unavailable for the game.
Platte County hit five shots from beyond the arc in the first half total with junior Jude Brown’s giving the Pirates their final lead at 16-14.
Grain Valley responded with an 11-0 run capped with senior guard Anthony Juarez’s 3-pointer. Platte County junior guard Jordy Moore responded with a 3 of his own, the last of five for the Pirates in the first half, to go into the break down 25-19.
Platte County did the damage from the outside on offense despite playing without junior guard Jacoby Keith, who suffered a head injury five days earlier in a loss to Smithville to conclude Kearney’s Bulldog Classic and also dealt with illness. He leads the Pirates in 3-pointers made so far this season.
The shooting didn’t hold up, and Herbert scored the first five out of halftime.
Platte County senior guard Jayden Martin hit a 3 for his only points, and Herbert answered with one of his own. A three-point play from Bertram briefly brought the Pirates back within 10 only for Herbert to continue the onslaught. He did most of the damage in a 13-0 run to conclude the third quarter, providing a dunk off of a turnover and then capping the stretch with a 3.
After beating North Platte in a pool game at the Bulldog Classic, Platte County finished fourth in the tournament after Smithville won the third-place game 52-49. The two teams met again Friday night in Smtihville with the Warriors (13-3) pulling the sweep with a 45-36 victory.
Platte County hopes to end the three-game losing skid in this week’s Grain Valley Invitational. The Pirates are scheduled to play East (Kansas City) at 4 p.m. Monday, weather permitting, in pool play before a rematch with Grain Valley on Thursday. The placement games will be played Friday, barring an adjustment to deal with the weather.
