Minnewaska C-squad “Hoop Scoop”
Sports | Published on January 23, 2023 at 3:15pm CST
By Coach Brian Walker
The C-squad boys traveled to BBE last Monday night and were looking to make it two games in a row. They did just that by defeating the Jaguars 51-33. The Lakers trailed early, 9-4, but Minnewaska turned up its defensive pressure and turned steals into some points on the offensive end.
The team struggled shooting the ball as they connected on just 7-of-22 shots (32 percent) in the first half, but the Lakers were able to take a slim 18-14 lead at the break. Tristan O’Neil scored 11 of his 13 points to spark the team in the first half.
In the second half, the team cranked up its defense and paired that with better shooting from the floor, knocking down 13-of-22 shots from the floor, which included three 3-pointers by Drew Bleick, as he would score 15 of his game high 18 points in the second half.
Minnewaska Area also made all six of its free-throws in the game to play a very solid overall game. Besides Bleick’s 18 points and Tristan’s 13 points, Marshall Kopp played a solid game, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the second half to give the Lakers three players in double figures. Riley Week added four points, while Ben Johnson and AJ Svec each added two points. “It was nice to see the team get back to scoring some points as we hadn’t scored 50 or more points since our first game of the season in a win at Redwood Valley,” coach Walker said.
The Lakers C-squad won its third-straight game by defeating Barnesville, 45-31, last Thursday at home, improving to 5-7 overall. The team played a little short handed, but still played great defense from the start, taking a 19-12 lead by halftime. The Lakers had plenty of shot opportunities, but only connected on 6-of-23 (26 percent) from the floor in the first half. The team did a nice job getting to the free-throw line, hitting 6-of-10 in the first half.
Tristan O’Neil scored eight of his team high 16 points by halftime. In the second half, it would be the team’s shooting that helped break the game open to a double-digit lead.
The Lakers made 8-of-16 shots in the second half (50 percent) and connected on 8-of-9 free-throws down the stretch to hold on to the lead and secure the victory.
O’Neil lead the team with 16 points, while Riley Week had a solid game, scoring 13 points and making all four of his free-throws. Ben Johnson played a nice game, scoring seven points, while Drew Bleick scored five points and hit a big 3-pointer in the second half. Oliver VanderHagen added three points and AJ Svec closed the scoring with one point. Mason Danielson and Carter Huckle also played solid minutes and grabbed some rebounds and dished out some assists.
