EM boys drop close games to Stanley-Boyd and Fall Creek
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
The Elk Mound boys four-game winning streak was snapped when they lost a pair of close non-conference basketball games to the Cloverbelt West leaders in between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The Mounders found themselves trailing by ten points, 14 to 24, when they hosted Stanley-Boyd (6-5) Tuesday, December 28. Despite a furious rally that saw the home squad score 34, second-half points the visiting Orioles held on to take the 55-48 victory.
Two days later, Elk Mound traveled to Fall Creek to face the 7-1 Crickets on their home court. The Mounders offense was clicking in the first half as it built a 33-24 advantage over their hosts. But, the Crickets outscored the Mounders 39-29 in the second half to take the one-point win, 63-62.
Both Stanley-Boyd and Fall Creek sit atop the Western Cloverbelt with unbeaten records.
Elk Mound, now 6-3, has a busy first week of the new year with three games slated. The Mounders played at Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Monday, January 3 and will be at Durand on Friday before returning home to welcome Prescott on Saturday.
Stanley-Boyd
The Orioles flew out to a ten-point lead at intermission as the host Mounders had a difficult time finding the hoop during the first half.
Elk Mound netted just six hoops in that opening 18 minutes of play, three by Kaden Russo which included a three, two from Sam Wenzel and another off the hands of Ryan Bartig to trail Stanley-Boyd 24-14.
The Mounders offense finally came around in the second half, putting up 34 points but the Orioles kept pace scoring 31 to hold on for the 55-48 road win.
Lucas Smith, who had nine points in the first half for the Orioles, finished with 21 including three of his team’s five triples to lead all scorers. Teammate Carsen Hause added 14 in the win.
Stanley-Boyd not only out dueled Elk Mound from behind the three-points arc – five makes to four, the Orioles secured the win at the free throw line making 12-of-15 compared to just 4-of-6 for the Mounders.
Sam Wenzel finished with 13 points to lead the Mounders and pulled in three rebounds. Russo tallied a dozen points on 7-for-19 shooting with a pair of threes and six rebounds. Ryan Bartig scored nine points and added three boards, six assists and a pair of steals. Brex Todd and Cale Knutson each scored five points with Todd hauling down three rebounds and swiping a pair of steals.
Fall Creek
Kaden Russo and Brex Todd combined for 34 of the Mounders 62 points against host Fall Creek in a December 30 contest.
The duo each sank a trio of Elk Mound’s nine three-point shots as Russo netted 21 points and Todd added 13.
But it would not be enough.
The Crickets got 27 points and ten rebounds from Bo Vollrath while Cameron Martzke hit four of his team’s six triples to finish with 17 as the hosts scored a thrilling 63-62 victory.
Elk Mound canned seven of its nine, three-pointers in the opening half as it established a 33-24 lead. Russo made three from behind the arc as he tallied 13 of his team-high 21 points in the first half. Cale Knutson hit a pair of long-range hoops while Ryan Bartig and Todd each had a trey.
Vollrath and Martzke sparked the Crickets second-half offense. After being held to just six points in the first half, Vollrath scored 21 in the latter half with nine hoops and three free tosses. Martzke who had three triples in the first 18 minutes came through with another in the second half along with a hoop and a 3-for-6 effort at the line.
Elk Mound got seven points from Ryan Bartig and Sam Wenzel, and six each from Ethan Johnson and Cale Knutson.
The Mounders and Crickets both finished with nine free throws with Elk Mound having 14 attempts and Fall Creek 17.