Lions Roar Past Whitko Wildcats
February 28, 2018 at 5:41 p.m.
By Steve Krah-
The Wildcats saw the 2017-18 season slip away with a 62-53 loss to Bremen Tuesday in the first game of the Class 2A Westview Sectional boys basketball tournament.
Whitko cut the Lions’ lead to 44-39 early in the fourth quarter.
Every time the Wildcats inched closer, Bremen got the basket that took the spread back up to eight points or higher.
“Poor execution on defense – that’s all it was,” said Whitko coach Eli Henson. “You don’t want to see your seniors go out like that. But, defensively, it was bad. You’ve got to make teams work. We didn’t make them work tonight.”
While the Wildcats finished the season 9-16, the Lions (6-17) advance to play Central Noble (12-10) in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.
That game will be followed by a matchup of No. 2 Westview (24-1) and No. 3 LaVille (23-0). Westview beat Prairie Heights 62-31 in Tuesday’s other contest.
The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Wildcats shot 22 of 53 from the floor while the Lions went 24 of 44.
“We had a lot of good looks (at the basket),” said Henson. “When it’s sectional, you tense up a little bit and some players play a little differently. Some players rise to the occasion. River (West) rose to the occasion. Others tried to, it just didn’t work out.”
West produced 30 points and 10 rebounds in his last high school game. Whitko will also lose Brian Collins (11 points) and Shad Ebbinghouse to graduation.
Ryan Caldwell (20 points), Justin Zumbrun (14) and Jacob Wunder (10) paced the Bremen attack.
Bremen scored the game’s first five points and led 11-2 just over 4-1/2 minutes in.
Whitko cut the gap to 11-9 by the end of the first quarter.
The second period remained close. The Lions enjoyed the biggest differential of the period at 25-19. Bremen led 25-21 at the half.
The Lions canned 9 of 20 attempts from the field – 3 of 5 behind the arc – and committed five turnovers in the first two quarters, including no giveaways in the second quarter.
The Wildcats made 9 of 25 attempts – 1 of 6 on three-pointers – with eight turnovers in the opening half.
Bremen pulled out to a 31-21 advantage in the first three minutes of the third quarter and held a 44-36 lead by the end of the stanza.
The Lions kept adding to their lead in the fourth quarter, pushing it up to 56-41 with just under three minutes to go.
BREMEN 62, WHITKO 53
W 9 12 15 17 – 53
B 11 14 19 18 – 62
Whitko – Brian Collins 5-9 1-1 11, River West 12-22 2-2 30, Cade Bechtold 0-2 0-0 0, Shad Ebbinghouse 0-5 0-0 0, Brett Sickafoose 1-7 0-0 2, Clayton Ebbinghouse 0-0 0-0 0, Devin Blaine 1-2 0-0 2, Micah Cokl 2-4 0-0 6, Drake Lewis 0-0 0-0 0, Cameron Sapp 0-0 0-0 0, Luis Stanley 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 22-53 3-3 53.
Bremen – Brooks Feldman 3-6 1-2 7, Justin Zumbrun 6-13 2-4 14, Bryce Ginter 0-3 0-0 0, Jacob Wunder 4-7 2-2 10, Ryan Caldwell 7-9 2-2 20, Evan Manges 1-2 0-0 2, Reece Willis 0-0 0-0 0, David Slos 2-3 2-2 6, Bryce Sterling 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 24-44 9-12 62.
Three-pointers – Whitko 6 (West 4, Cokl 2), Bremen 5 (Caldwell 4, Sterling 1); Rebounds – Whitko 26 (West 10), Bremen 26 (Feldman 5, Zumbrun 5, Wunder 5, Ginter 4); Fouls – Whitko 14, Bremen 9; Fouled out – Sickafoose; Records: Whitko 9-16, Bremen 6-17.
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The Wildcats saw the 2017-18 season slip away with a 62-53 loss to Bremen Tuesday in the first game of the Class 2A Westview Sectional boys basketball tournament.
Whitko cut the Lions’ lead to 44-39 early in the fourth quarter.
Every time the Wildcats inched closer, Bremen got the basket that took the spread back up to eight points or higher.
“Poor execution on defense – that’s all it was,” said Whitko coach Eli Henson. “You don’t want to see your seniors go out like that. But, defensively, it was bad. You’ve got to make teams work. We didn’t make them work tonight.”
While the Wildcats finished the season 9-16, the Lions (6-17) advance to play Central Noble (12-10) in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.
That game will be followed by a matchup of No. 2 Westview (24-1) and No. 3 LaVille (23-0). Westview beat Prairie Heights 62-31 in Tuesday’s other contest.
The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Wildcats shot 22 of 53 from the floor while the Lions went 24 of 44.
“We had a lot of good looks (at the basket),” said Henson. “When it’s sectional, you tense up a little bit and some players play a little differently. Some players rise to the occasion. River (West) rose to the occasion. Others tried to, it just didn’t work out.”
West produced 30 points and 10 rebounds in his last high school game. Whitko will also lose Brian Collins (11 points) and Shad Ebbinghouse to graduation.
Ryan Caldwell (20 points), Justin Zumbrun (14) and Jacob Wunder (10) paced the Bremen attack.
Bremen scored the game’s first five points and led 11-2 just over 4-1/2 minutes in.
Whitko cut the gap to 11-9 by the end of the first quarter.
The second period remained close. The Lions enjoyed the biggest differential of the period at 25-19. Bremen led 25-21 at the half.
The Lions canned 9 of 20 attempts from the field – 3 of 5 behind the arc – and committed five turnovers in the first two quarters, including no giveaways in the second quarter.
The Wildcats made 9 of 25 attempts – 1 of 6 on three-pointers – with eight turnovers in the opening half.
Bremen pulled out to a 31-21 advantage in the first three minutes of the third quarter and held a 44-36 lead by the end of the stanza.
The Lions kept adding to their lead in the fourth quarter, pushing it up to 56-41 with just under three minutes to go.
BREMEN 62, WHITKO 53
W 9 12 15 17 – 53
B 11 14 19 18 – 62
Whitko – Brian Collins 5-9 1-1 11, River West 12-22 2-2 30, Cade Bechtold 0-2 0-0 0, Shad Ebbinghouse 0-5 0-0 0, Brett Sickafoose 1-7 0-0 2, Clayton Ebbinghouse 0-0 0-0 0, Devin Blaine 1-2 0-0 2, Micah Cokl 2-4 0-0 6, Drake Lewis 0-0 0-0 0, Cameron Sapp 0-0 0-0 0, Luis Stanley 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 22-53 3-3 53.
Bremen – Brooks Feldman 3-6 1-2 7, Justin Zumbrun 6-13 2-4 14, Bryce Ginter 0-3 0-0 0, Jacob Wunder 4-7 2-2 10, Ryan Caldwell 7-9 2-2 20, Evan Manges 1-2 0-0 2, Reece Willis 0-0 0-0 0, David Slos 2-3 2-2 6, Bryce Sterling 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 24-44 9-12 62.
Three-pointers – Whitko 6 (West 4, Cokl 2), Bremen 5 (Caldwell 4, Sterling 1); Rebounds – Whitko 26 (West 10), Bremen 26 (Feldman 5, Zumbrun 5, Wunder 5, Ginter 4); Fouls – Whitko 14, Bremen 9; Fouled out – Sickafoose; Records: Whitko 9-16, Bremen 6-17.
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