Wildcats Take Roar Out Of Bremen Lions
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
The Wildcats, however, shook it off, righted themselves, held off a third-quarter rally and eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 80-69 win over the Lions at Westview High School.
“We made about two more (runs) than they did,” said Whitko head coach Roger Fleetwood. “The way the game started, it looked like bad news.”
After senior Devon Adkins scored on Whitko’s first possession, the Wildcats turned the ball over on three straight possessions. Bremen started off by hitting its first four shots and taking an 8-2 lead in the first 2-1/2 minutes.
Fleetwood opted to let his team play through the start, rather than taking a timeout that conventional wisdom dictates in that situation.
“I believe in these guys,” he said. “Most guys would have called a timeout when it was 8-2, but I didn’t want them to panic and think I was panicking. I normally don’t call that timeout during the regular season.
“I wanted to, bad, but I held back and we came back and took the lead 9-8, so it kind of averaged out. I told them this was the most nervous they’d been before any game. They had nothing to lose and we had everything to lose, and that’s why they came out and made all their shots, and we came out and played the way we did. I didn’t want that kind of start, but I expected that kind of start.”
Bremen kept things close early by pounding the ball inside and trying to push the Wildcats around.
“Why wouldn’t you? Our arms are like spaghetti and they look like they just got back from the state championship football game,” Fleetwood said. “Most teams have been physical with us, especially with Nate (Walpole) and River (West). I may just make them watch practice (Thursday); they’ll need the rest.”
Once the Wildcats got the lead, they only gave it back once – midway through the third quarter when Bremen seniors Ryan topper and Brett Louderback hit back-to-back threes to give the Lions a 40-39 advantage.
Whitko got a stickback from freshman Spencer Sroufe to regain the lead for good.
West’s four-point play early in the fourth quarter gave Whitko some breathing room, and Walpole scored 10 of his game-high 28 points in the final period to help put the game away. West finished with 20 points, senior Tanner Gaff had 13 and Adkins 12 for the winning squad.
Fleetwood had plenty of praise for the Lions after the game.
“We knew they were much better than their record. They had the best schedule, by far, than anyone else in this sectional,” he said. “If the rest of us in this sectional had played their schedule, we wouldn’t all have the number of wins we have.
“They’re a very physical team and they’re much stronger than us. It looked like a varsity against a JV team out there physically at times.
“But, our skills were better. So we told them ‘play as hard as them, and then let our skills win the game.’ For a four-win team, they played hard; they came to win. And if you saw the scores from (Tuesday) there were a bunch of upsets and a bunch of teams that won by one or two that were supposed to win by a lot.
“So any win in the sectional is a sweet win.”
Whitko improved to 14-9 on the season and will take on host Westview at 6 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Bremen finished its season with a record of 4-19.
On the other side of the bracket, Prairie Heights beat LaVille 62-53 and Central Noble nipped Fremont 57-55, setting up two Northeast Corner Conference teams in the other semifinal and assuring an NECC team in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
WHITKO 80, BREMEN 69
W 15 19 18 28 – 80
B 17 13 19 20 – 69
Whitko – Tanner Gaff 3-3 7-9 13, Alex Bechtold 0-0 0-0 0, Devon Adkins 5-9 0-0 12, Hunter Sroufe 0-0 0-0 0, Roger Helblig 0-0 0-0 0, Robby Owsley 1-2 0-0 2, Alex Robbins 0-0 0-0 0, Nate Walpole 7-14 14-16 29, River West 7-10 3-3 20, Colin Craig 1-1 0-0 2, Austin Platt 0-0 0-0 0, Spencer Sroufe 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-40 24-28 80.
Bremen – Evan Martin 0-0 0-2 0, Grant Klockow 4-4 0-0 8, Matthew Box 7-14 4-4 18, Bryce Cassel 6-12 0-0 15, Chandler Snyder 0-0 0-0 0, Ryan Topper 6-12 0-0 14, Brett Louderback 2-3 0-0 6, Justin Baker 2-3 0-0 4, Jacob Strehler 2-4 0-2 4. Totals 29-52 4-8 69.
Three-pointers – Whitko 6 (West 3, Adkins 2, Walpole), Bremen 7 (Cassel 3, Topper 2, Louderback 2); Rebounds – Whitko 33 (West 7), Bremen 12 (Box 3); Turnovers – Whitko 14, Bremen 11; Fouls – Whitko 10, Bremen 23; Fouled out – Klockow; Records: Whitko 14-9, Bremen 4-19[[In-content Ad]]
The Wildcats, however, shook it off, righted themselves, held off a third-quarter rally and eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 80-69 win over the Lions at Westview High School.
“We made about two more (runs) than they did,” said Whitko head coach Roger Fleetwood. “The way the game started, it looked like bad news.”
After senior Devon Adkins scored on Whitko’s first possession, the Wildcats turned the ball over on three straight possessions. Bremen started off by hitting its first four shots and taking an 8-2 lead in the first 2-1/2 minutes.
Fleetwood opted to let his team play through the start, rather than taking a timeout that conventional wisdom dictates in that situation.
“I believe in these guys,” he said. “Most guys would have called a timeout when it was 8-2, but I didn’t want them to panic and think I was panicking. I normally don’t call that timeout during the regular season.
“I wanted to, bad, but I held back and we came back and took the lead 9-8, so it kind of averaged out. I told them this was the most nervous they’d been before any game. They had nothing to lose and we had everything to lose, and that’s why they came out and made all their shots, and we came out and played the way we did. I didn’t want that kind of start, but I expected that kind of start.”
Bremen kept things close early by pounding the ball inside and trying to push the Wildcats around.
“Why wouldn’t you? Our arms are like spaghetti and they look like they just got back from the state championship football game,” Fleetwood said. “Most teams have been physical with us, especially with Nate (Walpole) and River (West). I may just make them watch practice (Thursday); they’ll need the rest.”
Once the Wildcats got the lead, they only gave it back once – midway through the third quarter when Bremen seniors Ryan topper and Brett Louderback hit back-to-back threes to give the Lions a 40-39 advantage.
Whitko got a stickback from freshman Spencer Sroufe to regain the lead for good.
West’s four-point play early in the fourth quarter gave Whitko some breathing room, and Walpole scored 10 of his game-high 28 points in the final period to help put the game away. West finished with 20 points, senior Tanner Gaff had 13 and Adkins 12 for the winning squad.
Fleetwood had plenty of praise for the Lions after the game.
“We knew they were much better than their record. They had the best schedule, by far, than anyone else in this sectional,” he said. “If the rest of us in this sectional had played their schedule, we wouldn’t all have the number of wins we have.
“They’re a very physical team and they’re much stronger than us. It looked like a varsity against a JV team out there physically at times.
“But, our skills were better. So we told them ‘play as hard as them, and then let our skills win the game.’ For a four-win team, they played hard; they came to win. And if you saw the scores from (Tuesday) there were a bunch of upsets and a bunch of teams that won by one or two that were supposed to win by a lot.
“So any win in the sectional is a sweet win.”
Whitko improved to 14-9 on the season and will take on host Westview at 6 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Bremen finished its season with a record of 4-19.
On the other side of the bracket, Prairie Heights beat LaVille 62-53 and Central Noble nipped Fremont 57-55, setting up two Northeast Corner Conference teams in the other semifinal and assuring an NECC team in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
WHITKO 80, BREMEN 69
W 15 19 18 28 – 80
B 17 13 19 20 – 69
Whitko – Tanner Gaff 3-3 7-9 13, Alex Bechtold 0-0 0-0 0, Devon Adkins 5-9 0-0 12, Hunter Sroufe 0-0 0-0 0, Roger Helblig 0-0 0-0 0, Robby Owsley 1-2 0-0 2, Alex Robbins 0-0 0-0 0, Nate Walpole 7-14 14-16 29, River West 7-10 3-3 20, Colin Craig 1-1 0-0 2, Austin Platt 0-0 0-0 0, Spencer Sroufe 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-40 24-28 80.
Bremen – Evan Martin 0-0 0-2 0, Grant Klockow 4-4 0-0 8, Matthew Box 7-14 4-4 18, Bryce Cassel 6-12 0-0 15, Chandler Snyder 0-0 0-0 0, Ryan Topper 6-12 0-0 14, Brett Louderback 2-3 0-0 6, Justin Baker 2-3 0-0 4, Jacob Strehler 2-4 0-2 4. Totals 29-52 4-8 69.
Three-pointers – Whitko 6 (West 3, Adkins 2, Walpole), Bremen 7 (Cassel 3, Topper 2, Louderback 2); Rebounds – Whitko 33 (West 7), Bremen 12 (Box 3); Turnovers – Whitko 14, Bremen 11; Fouls – Whitko 10, Bremen 23; Fouled out – Klockow; Records: Whitko 14-9, Bremen 4-19[[In-content Ad]]
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