Dukes defeat Cards for PAC perfect

The Wellington High School Dukes boys basketball team doesn't have a lot of height, but they know how to get the ball through the hoop, and that's enabling them to carry a perfect 3-0 record in the PAC.

They hit the courts three times last week, and garnered a conference win against Brookside on Tuesday.

On Friday, they triumphed over Columbia, outscoring them by 33 points. The Dukes broke their five-game winning streak on Saturday when they fell to Western Reserve in a non-conference game for an overall record of 6-3.

The Dukes had a tough battle against the Cardinals on Tuesday night. Wellington was trailing 28-21 at halftime but outscored Brookside in the third quarter to take the lead going into the fourth quarter. Brookside closed the gap, and with only 25 seconds remaining in the game, the Cardinals tied the score. Wellington's Robert Shays drove for a layup in the final five seconds and the Dukes won the game 51-49.

On Friday, the Dukes had a tough battle in the first half against Columbia and went into halftime with a seven point lead. They came out of the locker room fighting and outscored the Raiders 24-7 in the third quarter. Wellington maintained the strong lead to win the game 64-31. Four Dukes - Justin Kidd, Jason Perry, Robert Shays, and Nathan Starkey - all scored in double digits.

Wellington traveled to Western Reserve on Saturday and lost 63-55. Kidd, Perry, Shays, and Starkey were again the high scorers of the night.

This week, the Dukes play at Lutheran West on Friday.