HURON After leading by as much as 15 points early in the fourth quarter, the Huron Tigers survived a strong comeback attempt from the Sturgis Brown Scoopers to come away with a 60-54 victory Saturday at Huron Arena.
Despite a fast pace, turnovers and missed shots led to a scoreless first two minutes before Colt McNeil was fouled and hit both free throws.
Hayden Rock responded for Sturgis by getting fouled, hitting one of two. In transition, Teigen Wormstadt got a bucke to give the Scoopers the lead 3-2.
Trace Wenz hit a three on the wing, but Ryan Heinert responded with a deep three from the top of the key, and Rock hit a three to give Sturgis the 9-5 lead.
Blake Ellwein got fouled after a steal, hitting one of two free throws. Wormstadt worked through the Huron defense for a tough layup to make it 11-6.
Ellwein got a steal and a dunk, and Davis Chase was fouled on a post move, hitting both free throws. Ellwein was fouled and hit both free throws to bring Huron all the way back and to a 12-11 lead.
Rock would hit a short jumper as the clock wound down to end the first half with the Scoopers leading 13-12.
Ty Petrocco came off the bench and hit a short jumper for the Scoopers to open the second, and Dalyn Dschaak got a putback bucket on the next possession for a 17-12 lead for Sturgis, but Huron then took over.
With Anderson Porisch and Ellwein struggling from the field, Chase worked the pick and roll with Blake and got a bucket and foul. He then nailed a three from the wing on the next trip down the court to give the Tigers an 18-17 lead that they would never relinquish again the rest of the game.
Then, Myles Ellwein came off the bench and hit threes on back-to-back possessions to push the Huron lead out to 24-17.
Heinert would hit a jumper to make it 24-19, but Blake Ellwein hit a stop-and-pop three to send the game to the midway point with Huron up 27-19.
Wormstadt hit a baseline jumper to open the second half, but then Blake Ellwein went on a 6-0 run all his own, as he had a tip off a lob pass inside, a dunk after a steal and a pair of free throws.
Wormstadt had a drive and was fouled, hitting the free throw, Heinert had a pair of free throws, and Petrocco had a jumper in the lane to cut the Huron lead to 33-28.
Wenz had a pair of free throws to end the Sturgis run, but Heinert forced his way into the lane and hit another two free throws.
The Tigers would close the third quarter strong as Myles Ellwein hit a three from the win, Blake Ellwein had a dunk in transition and Chase had a post move for a bucket to make it 42-30 heading into the final period.
Wenz hit a three to open the fourth, giving Huron its largest lead at 15 points, but Heinert got a layup and hit a foul shot in response.
Blake Ellwein hit a fadeaway in the post, but Wormstadt worked in for a short jumper for Sturgis.
Blake hit a jumper and drew the foul, but he missed the free throw and Rock quickly got a transition layup for Sturgis.
The Tigers again got an and-one opportunity with Chase at the back end of a transition layup, but he also missed the free throw.
Sturgis big man Noah Schaefers hit one of two free throws and Rock got a jumper to bring it to 51-40.
Blake Ellwein would get one of two free throws, but Heinert quickly responded with a leaner.
After two Porisch free throw misses, Dschaak hit a three.
Blake would hit two free throws, then Dschaak drove in from the top of the key for Sturgis, and after a Porisch layup, Dschaak hit another three and Wormstadt had a steal and a layup to cut the Tiger lead to 56-52.
McNeil would hit one of two free throws and Porisch hit a pair of free throws after Dschaaks fifth foul.
Heinert drove hard to the hoop, but with just 20 seconds left, Peterson hit one of two free throws, and the Tigers defense prevented a clean Sturgis look to close out the 60-54 victory.
Huron picks up its 10th victory of the season, moving to 10-5 behind 23 points from Blake Ellwein as well as six rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Chase had 12 points, five rebounds, and five blocks.
Huron was recorded for eight blocks to Sturgis zero, and that was highlighted as an asset for the Tigers by coach Tim Buddenhagen.
When you can funnel guys inside to your shot blockers, it helps the defense overall. I believe (Davis Chase) had more than five, but they have him down for five, Buddenhagen laughed.
He and Blake were both tremendous today turning things away. That can simply change the game.
Sturgis fell to 5-10 despite four players in double figures, led by Heinert with 16. Wormstadt had 13. Rock and Schaak each had 10 points.
Rock and Heinert each had six rebounds to lead the Scoopers.
The Tigers came away with a weekend sweep, but Buddenhagen said theyre still growing as a team.
Weve got a lot of things to clean up, but at the end of the day we were 2-0 this weekend, he explained. We havent reached our ceiling yet. We still have to play in close games and have those growing pains. You have to make free throws down the stretch. You have to make plays.
The Tigers boys will travel to play Pierre on Tuesday.
Sturgis Brown 13 19 30 54
Huron 12 27 42 60
Sturgis (5-10): Teigen Wormstadt 6 1-1 13, Hayden Rock 4 1-2 10, Ty Petrocco 1 0-0 2, Dalyn Dschaak 4 0-0 10, Ty Ferguson 1 0-0 2, Heinert 5 5-5 16, Noah Schaefers 0 1-2 1. Totals: 21 8-10 54.
Huron (10-5): Trace Wenz 2 2-2 8, Colton McNeil 0 3-4 3, Myles Ellwein 3 0-0 9, Jonathan Peterson 0 1-2 1, Blake Ellwein 7 8-11 23, Anderson Porisch 1 2-4 4, Davis Chase 4 3-4 12. Totals: 17 19-27 60.
FG: S – 21/60 35%; H – 17/43 40%. 3-pt FG: S – 4/16 (Dschaak 2, Rock, Heinert); H – 7/19 (MEllwein 3, Wenz 2, BEllwein, Chase). Rebounds: S 31 (Rock, Heinert 6), H 37 (BEllwein 6). Assists: S 3 (Rock 3), H 12 (BEllwein 7). Steals: S 4, H 4 (BEllwein 4). Turnovers: S 9, H 9. Blocks: S 0, H 8 (Chase 5). Fouls: S 24 (Dschaak, Schaefers out), H 10.
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