Elk Mound boys’ basketball squeezes out wins over SCC and GC
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By Amber Hayden
ELK MOUND — For the first time all season, the Elk Mound boys’ basketball team was able to register back-to-back wins with victories over St. Croix Central and conference rival Glenwood City Hilltoppers.
Opening a four-game home stand last Monday evening, the Mounders snapped a three-game losing skid with a 58-51 non-conference win over St. Croix Central in the January 7 contest. Elk Mound head coach Michel Kessler said the seven-point win was the first complete game he had seen his Mounders play so far in the season.
The Mounders kept the momentum going against Glenwood City last Friday, January 11. The Elk Mound men stepped up their intensity in a way that coach Kessler has been hoping for all season. Despite two technical fouls and eight other fouls in the second half Elk Mound held on for a 45-33 win over the pesky Hilltoppers.
The dozen-point victory against Glenwood City, helped Elk Mound remain in a two-way tie with Durand for third place in the boys’ D-SC standings behind leader Spring Valley and second-place Colfax at 3-2. The Mounder are 5-6 overall.
Elk Mound hosted the Mondovi Buffaloes last evening, Tuesday, January 15 and will welcome Durand to their home court this Friday, January 18. The following Monday, January 21, will see Elk Mound make a trip to take on the number two-seed in the Cloverbelt conference – the Eau Claire Regis Ramblers.
St. Croix Central
The Mounders squeezed out a 7-point win against the St. Croix Central Panthers on Monday, January 7, taking the victory on a 58-51 count for the team’s first win since the middle of December.
“The kids played the most complete game of the year on both ends, we played with great energy on D all night and made some clutch shots,” said Mounders head coach Michael Kessler. “We were able to withstand runs with composure and poise.”
Brett Lew was impressive from the foul line going eight-of-ten from the line, Lew also found the net from outside the paint for a pair of triples to finish the evening with a team high of 14 points against the Panthers.
Guards Rian Flynn and Nate Lew each put up nine points a piece stemming from four triples, a double and Lew was four-of-six from the charity stripe.
Going into halftime it looked as if the Mounders were about to suffer another loss by mere points, but with 17 field goals and going seventeen-of-twenty-two from the line put the odds back in Elk Mound’s favor.
“Our guys had a great mindset offensively and really attacked the lane and basket well,” Kessler said. “They made good decisions when they got into the lane.”
Marcus Kinblom was four-of-four from the foul line against the Panthers as well as hitting the backboards for four doubles. With only 12 points in the game this marks Kinblom’s fourth lowest point total thus far in the season.
Senior point guard, Colton Ward, was quiet for a majority of the evening getting off just one trey and a bonus shot.
Adding to Elk Mound’s winning score were teammates Cade Hanson with four points and Blaze Todd with six points all from the inside.
“We also played inside-out consistently, and got our bigs lots of touches down low. Hope to see the same energy moving forward,” stated Kessler.
ELK MOUND 58, ST. CROIX CENTRAL 51
Elk Mound 29 29 – 58
St. Croix Central 30 21 – 51
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)
Elk Mound— R. Flynn 3-0-2-9, N. Lew 2-4-2-9, C. Ward 1-1-2-4, C. Hanson 2-0-0-4, B. Lew 2-8-0-14, B. Todd 3-0-0-6, M. Kinblom 4-4-1-12.
St. Croix Central—T. Kopacsz1-0-0-2, J. Pettit 1-0-2-3, P. Nogal 10-0-3-26, J. Hueg 1-0-2-2, A. Kopacz 2-0-3-4, G. Siler 1-0-2-3, K. Klin 1-0-3-2, Z. Jourdeans 3-1-3-9
THREE-POINTERS
EM— R. Flynn 3, N. Lew 1, C. Ward 1, B. Lew 2; SCC— J. Pettit 1, P. Nogal 6, G. Siler 1, Z. Jourdeans 2.
Glenwood City
In a physical game from start to finish, the Elk Mound boys found an intensity that according to coach Kessler is something they have been working to find all season.
And it paid dividends in the 45-33 conference victory.
“It’s been something we have been stressing the past couple weeks,” explained coach Kessler. “We’re not young in terms of age, but young in terms of experience and we finally got our feet wet. Now it’s just about bringing the intensity.”
It’s Kessler’s belief that a few of the players who also play football don’t mind getting a bit more physical on the court, which for the Mounders is helpful to translate into a huge presence on the hardwood.
The first minute and a half was a rough start for both the Mounders and Hilltoppers as one turnover after another plagued both of the teams.
After a 30 second time out called by Glenwood City, the Mounders’ Marcus Kinblom made his way to the net at 16:21 of the first half, but the Topper’s Dillon Hierlmeier wouldn’t let the score stand as he took it back down for a double of his own to tie up the game 20 seconds later.
Kinblom went on to finish his evening with four doubles and several rebounds and steals against Glenwood City.
The score was back and forth over the following five minutes with baskets from Brett Lew followed seconds later by a shot from Toppers’ Gavin Janson.
Glenwood City took the lead from the Mounders with eight minutes off the clock from a Gavin Janson bonus shot giving the Hilltoppers a 6-5 lead.
Nate Lew stepped up for Elk Mound and found the shot for two to take back the lead and a score of 7-6.
The Lew brothers had successful nights against Glenwood City with both Brett and Nate putting up 10 points a piece. Brett hit three doubles, a trey, and was one-of-two from the line while younger brother Nate hit the backboards for two doubles, a triple and was three-of-four from the charity stripe.
The lead bounced back and forth in the next few minutes before baskets from Brett, Nate Lew and Marcus Kinblom gave the Mounders an 18-16 lead going into half which continued into the second 18 minutes of play.
The referees called a technical foul on both Brett Lew and Cade Hanson during the second half sending Gavin Janson to the line each time who netted each of the foul shots. Janson finished with ten points to led the Toppers.
“I certainly don’t like when we get technical fouls, which is something we will talk about this week,” Kessler said. “Hopefully we will correct them and find better ways to channel it.”
But Elk Mound outscored Glenwood City 27-17 in the latter half to take the 12-point win.
Junior forward, Cade Hanson, earned his season high last Thursday evening with seven points over all, Hanson hit the net for three doubles and was one-of-two from the foul line.
Rian Flynn, along with Brett and Nate Lew led the Mounders with ten points each. Flynn had three triples while Nate and Brett each added a trey.
ELK MOUND 45, GLENWOOD CITY 33
Elk Mound 18 27 – 45
Glenwood City 16 17 – 33
TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-TP)
Elk Mound— R. Flynn 3-1-0-10, N. Lew 3-3-3-10, C. Hanson 3-1-3-7, B. Lew 4-1-2-10, M. Kinblom 4-0-2-8.
Glenwood City— B. Hallquist 1-1-1-3, D. Hierlmeier 3-0-5-7, G. Janson 2-4-2-10, H. DeSmith 3-1-5-7, T. Davis 2-2-4-6.
THREE-POINTERS
EM— R. Flynn 3, N. Lew 1, B. Lew 1; GC— D. Hierlmeier 1, G. Janson 2.