BROOKINGS The Huron Tigers came into the game short-handed, but they executed the game plan well and were able to pull away in the second half for a 52-38 victory over the Brookings Bobcats at Bob Jostad Gym in Brookings on Tuesday.
With multiple major injuries affecting the lineup, the Tigers saw senior Kolby Hofer make his first start, but the team was obviously out of sync on offense early on.
Coach Tim Buddenhagen explained that his team has to play fast on both sides of the ball when theyre out some of their dudes and thats what they did throughout the game.
We had a ton of contributions. If were going to play 10 guys, we have to play at a tempo like we did tonight, Buddenhagen explained and then added a laugh.
We just missed too many layups, so this was closer than it should be going into the second half.
Defensively, the Tigers were aggressive and got their first basket from Bubba Peterson in transition. Jones Huntimer answered with a three for Brookings, the only lead in the first half for the Bobcats at 3-2.
Blake Ellwein hit a three from the right side and then found Mason Jurgens on a backdoor cut to open up a 7-3 Huron lead.
Bergan Tetzlaff was able to get a putback and then a turnaround in the lane to knot the score, 7-7. Ellwein then again found Jurgens on a backdoor cut and then Ellwein made a steal and dunked the ball for an 11-7 lead for Huron.
Tetzlaff was able to get the ball over a Huron defender and Trace Wenz answered with a transition layup for a 13-9 Huron lead at the end of the first quarter.
Wenz made a steal and got a layup for Huron to open the second quarter. Gavin Smith cut backdoor for Brookings to make it 15-11 Huron.
Anderson Porisch got a layup on the backside of a Tiger steal and then he drove down the lane with a finger roll to beat the shot clock and make it 19-11, Hurons largest lead of the first half.
Brookings would get a hoop and harm for Jase Bauer in the lane and Huntimer hit his second three to trim the lead to 19-17.
Wenz would get a layup on the back side of a press break steal. Jonathan Kahler hit a fadeaway jumper in the lane to close out scoring in the first half with Huron in the lead, 21-19.
Brookings junior guard Brodie McCarty and Ellwein scored the first 12 points of the second half, as McCarty converted on a pick and roll and then made a hard drive to the hoop to open the second half, giving Brookings a 23-21 lead.
Ellwein would hit one of two free throws and then hit a turn around jumper to get Huron back the lead, then he dunked in transition to make it 26-23.
McCarty would be fouled on a three-point shot, sinking all three foul tries to make it 26-all.
Peterson got a steal and a layup, then Ellwein got a steal and his third dunk of the game, and Peterson drove the side of the lane and kept his dribble, working under the hoop for a reverse layup to make it 32-26.
Huntimer would get a jumper for Brookings, but Ellwein answered with a left-handed drive.
Huntimre hit one of two free throws. Wenz hit a jumper in the lane. Bauer got to the line twice, hitting two of four shots, and Huron took a 36-31 lead to the fourth quarter.
Tetzlaff scored his first points since the first quarter on a free throw, but Peterson got an offensive rebound and hit a jumper in the lane for Huron and followed it up with a drive down the lane for a reverse layup. Ellwein hit a bucket to make it 42-32.
Tetzlaff was able to get to the line for two foul shots but Ellwein answered right back with a dunk on a lob from Peterson.
Eighth-grader Carter Porisch got a putback and then hit a long jumper just inside the three-point line.
After hitting him for two easy shots in the first half, Jurgens returned the favor to Ellwein on a backdoor cut and Brookings couldnt get open looks on offense, allowing the Tigers to close out a 52-38 win.
Ellwein led all scorers for Huron, now 6-3, with 21 points.
Peterson added 11 and Wenz put in eight.
The Bobcats fell to 0-8 without a single player in double-figure scoring.
Huntimer, McCarty, and Tetzlaff each had nine points.
The teams split lower-level action, with the Tigers taking the junior varsity game 42-33 and the Bobcats winning the sophomore game 39-30.
The defensive effort encouraged Coach Buddenhagen that his team has the fire and desire he wants to see as the Tigers head toward the second half of the season.
With the defense we played tonight, I thought we did a fantastic job, Buddenhagen observed. We kicked these guys out of practice last night for not being there, and they could be down on themselves being down two dudes, but these guys want to go someplace, and you could see it tonight.
The Tigers will travel to Sioux Falls Jefferson Saturday.
Huron 13 21 36 52
Brookings 9 19 31 38
Huron (6-3): Trace Wenz 4 0-0 8, Mason Jurgens 2 0-0 4, Jonathan Peterson 5 1-2 11, Blake Ellwein 9 1-2 21, Anderson Porisch 2 0-0 4, Carter Porisch 2 0-0 4. Totals: 24 2-4 52.
Brookings (0-8): Jones Huntimer 3 1-2 9, Brodie McCarty 3 3-3 9, Jonathan Kahler 1 0-0 2, Jase Bauer 1 3-5 5, Bergan Tetzlaff 3 3-4 9, Gavin Smith 1 0-0 2, Winston Plummer 0 2-2 2. Totals: 12 12-16 38.
Leave a Reply