Cobras earn split at Triton Invitational

The Triton boys basketball team kicked off their season with their annual Triton Invitational on Friday and Saturday afternoon. With a four team field that included the Cobras, Blooming Prairie, Kenyon-Wanamingo and Schaeffer Academy, Triton was able to split their two contests to wind up with a second-place finish.
The season opener for the Cobras took place last Friday night when they hosted Blooming Prairie in their first game of the tournament. Both teams battled closely throughout the first half as the Cobras went into the locker room with a 29-27 lead. When the teams emerged, Triton showed a new defensive intensity that allowed them to hold the Awesome Blossoms to 13 points in the second half.
The Cobras would also limit second chances for Blooming Prairie as they out-rebounded the Blossoms 38-20 including eight boards from Nick Roussopolos. Brady Essig would help pace the offense from there with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists and Drew Kelly pitched in with eight of his own as Triton would pull away for a 53-40 victory.
The following afternoon was a different story for the Cobras as they looked to improve to 2-0 with a matinee matchup with Schaeffer Academy. Triton was able to hang with the Lions over the first half and clung to another two-point lead heading into the half at 25-23. However, Schaeffer Academy would be the aggressor in the second