The Waterloo Bulldogs saw their injury and illness-plagued 2012-13 boys basketball season end Tuesday night in the Class 3A Waterloo Regional Semifinals, going down in a hard fought contest to the Althoff Crusaders, 54-47.

Waterloo was hampered by two stretches of cold shooting in which baskets were hard for them to come by, while Althoff continued to score. The Bulldogs also had to sit Justin Kretchmer in the first quarter and into the second frame when the 6-foot-7-inch center was called for two fouls early in a very physical game.

Waterloo mounted several scoring challenges during the contest, drawing to within one point, 31-30, at the end of the third quarter, but was never able to take over.

The game saw the finish of the high school basketball careers of seniors Jared Lengacher (eight points) — one of the players who suffered an extended illness at the end of the season — and Kretchmer (17 points).

Coach C.J. Cruser’s Bulldogs end their season above .500 at 17-11.

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