Ellwein takes over HHS all-time scoring spot from his father
by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
STURGIS — The No. 5 Huron Tigers came out of the gates by shutting out the Sturgis Brown Scoopers on Saturday afternoon in the first quarter and coasted to a 72-51 victory in Sturgis.
If the Tigers can play the way they did in the first quarter Saturday on both sides of the ball, they could be holding championship hardware after the final game of the Class AA state tourney.
Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen said his team was clicking on all cylinders in the first quarter against the Scoopers.
“They had to survive on one shot, and then we could set up our offense,” Buddenhagen observed. “Give the guys credit, we moved the basketball very well.”
The Tiger offense shared the ball well throughout the first quarter. Anderson Porisch opened scoring in the game, putting in a basket on a cut, with an assist from Blake Ellwein. The two connected again with Anderson lobbing up the ball to Blake.
Myles Ellwein was found on a backdoor pass by Mason Jurgens, and then he hit a quick release three to make it 9-0 Huron.
Blake got a backdoor pass from Carter Porisch for two, then Davis Chase hit a reverse layup in transition.
After a timeout, Chase got the next basket on a drive and short leaner in the lane. Anderson Porisch then drove in for a basket and James Shoultz, Jr. hit one of two free throws.
After Shoultz’s missed free throw, the team worked the ball around the perimeter until it found its way to Shoultz, and he hit Blake Ellwein in the corner for a three. That three-point basket tied Blake’s father Jay Ellwein for the all-time leading scorer in Huron Tiger boys’ basketball history, with 1,383 points. The Tigers would take a 21-0 lead to the second quarter.
Blake did not wait long to get the record-breaking shot. On the second possession of the quarter, brother Myles found Blake in the corner for a three to set the record.
Buddenhagen was effusive with praise for his 6-foot-10 senior after the game.
“Talent is your floor. Your ‘want-to’ is your ceiling,” Buddenhagen stated. “He has a huge ceiling. There’s no one who puts in more time than he does.”
Jack Jolley finally got Sturgis on the board, though he missed the and-one opportunity. Jurgens nailed a three from the corner to make it 27-2.
Hayden Rock then hit a three for the Scoopers. Chase got a bucket in the post, and Rock got another basket to cut the lead to 29-7.
Chase then hit one of two free throws, and Carter Porisch hit a free throw and got a bucket cutting to the hoop to make it 34-7 Huron.
Jolley got a steal and a basket. Shoultz hit a jumper in the lane, and then Rock drove into the lane to finally get Sturgis to double figures, 36-11.
Carter Porisch hit a reverse layup and was fouled. Chase then got a roller to fall underneath the hoop to push the Huron lead out to 41-11, their largest lead of the night.
Rock would make a scoop shot, and then as the first half buzzer sounded, he launched a shot from halfcourt that sank to cut the Huron lead to 41-16 as the teams headed to the locker room.
With the large lead, Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen used quite a few bench pieces in the second half, frequently running with just two starters on the court at a time. Blake Ellwein opened the second half with a basket on a putback of his own miss.
Rock hit a long jumper, and Blake responded with a jumper of his own.
Jaxon Cano got one of two free throws and then worked the baseline for a reverse layup. Chase was then able to get loose on the baseline for a dunk.
Jolley hit a long three, Blake got a bucket in the lane, and Rock hit a three to cut the Huron lead to 49-27.
Chase dropped in a pair of free throws and Nolan Stahly hit a jumper, but Rock then hit another three.
Blake got one of two free throws, Cano sank two for Sturgis, and Myles Ellwein hit a corner three to push the Huron lead to 57-32, but Rock sank another buzzer-beater to bring the score to 57-35 as the teams headed to the fourth quarter.
The Sturgis starters were able to chip into the Huron lead against Tigers junior varsity players mostly on the court in the fourth quarter, but Huron closed out a 72-51 win.
Huron, now 11-4, was led by Blake Ellwein with 17 points. Chase had 16.
Anderson Porisch chipped in nine points, Myles Ellwein had eight, and Carter Porisch added seven as Huron had ten players score in the game.
Rock led the Scoopers (4-10) with a game-high 28 points. Jolley finished with 12 points.
Huron swept the lower-level action, winning by a score of 57-32 in the JV game and 62-54 in the sophomore game.
With two winnable games upcoming on the schedule, Buddenhagen hopes his team retains its focus to prepare for potential huge games coming up.
“If we can get the Pierre and Aberdeen games, that sets us up for a big game with Watertown,” Buddenhagen explained. “We have to take care of ourselves, though, to get there.”
Huron 21 41 57 72
Sturgis 0 16 35 51
Huron (11-4): James Shoultz Jr 1 1-2 3, Myles Ellwein 3 0-0 8, Nolan Stahly 1 0-0 2, Mason Jurgens 1 0-0 3, Chase Schuchhardt 1 0-0 3, Blake Ellwein 7 1-2 17, Anderson Porisch 4 0-0 9, Ty Kleinsasser 1 0-0 3, Davis Chase 5 4-6 16, Carter Porisch 2 2-3 7. Totals: 26 8-13 71.
Sturgis Brown (4-10): Gage West 1 2-3 4, Jaxon Cano 2 3-4 7, Hayden Rock 11 1-1 28, Jack Jolley 5 0-1 12. Totals: 19 6-9 51.
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