BIRD’S HOUSE

Bird Comes Off The Bench, Scores 38 In Championship Win

When the Gallatin starting lineup was announced Saturday prior to the Gallatin Tournament championship game, one name was noticeably absent — Isaac Bird.
The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-5 guard was nursing an ankle injury, but when the Winston Redbirds held a lead midway through the first quarter, Gallatin head coach Chad Sullenger’s hand was forced.
With a trophy on the line, Bird entered the game and proceeded to score 38 points, leading Gallatin to a 68-58 victory and the tournament championship.
“Anytime you can have Isaac on the floor he creates so many opportunities for everyone,” Sullenger said. “His scoring is important for us, but so is the attention he creates because of his high level of play.”
Bird’s presence was felt almost immediately as he knocked down a three-pointer and cruised through the lane for a layup. A trailing Gallatin squad surged ahead, closing out the opening frame on a 7-2 run to take a 14-11 advantage.
Winston, however, wasn’t about to go away. The upset-minded Redbirds stayed within three points through the second quarter and used a 21-point effort in the third frame to carry a 49-46 lead into the final quarter of play.
Gallatin had not been challenged in wins over Lathrop, Trenton and Braymer to open the season, winning each game by comfortable margins. The championship marked the first time the Bulldogs had trailed at any point in the second half of a game. But the team’s resolve was on full display over the final eight minutes. Gallatin played its best quarter when it needed it most, outscoring the Redbirds 22-9 over the final eight minutes of the ball game.
“I was really proud of how we played in the fourth quarter,” Sullenger said. “We struggled defensively through three quarters and to see us gut it out in the end was nice.”
Bird added three assists, five rebounds and two steals to his season-high 38 points. Payton Feiden was a consistent second option, going for 20 points, 15 rebounds and four steals. Gallatin also got seven points from Durk Stout. Three points from Brett Hemry and two from Layton Shubert rounded out the Bulldogs’ total.
With the win, Gallatin moved to 4-0 overall on the season.
The Bulldogs will be back in action tonight, playing host to Northland Christian. Action tips off with a girls’ contest between the two schools at 6 p.m. and the boys’ contest will follow.