Tuesday, December 19, 2017

NEN Boys Can’t Buy a Stop, Fall to Knights

Northeast Nodaway couldn’t buy a stop when they needed to and fell to once-beaten South Holt 54-46 Tuesday to wrap up the first half of their schedule. South Holt came into the game giving up 41 points per game; Northeast scored 46 in the effort, but couldn’t buy a bucket in the third quarter as South Holt grew its lead to double digits at one point. Then, NEN got it back to two in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer.

Northeast did all they could to beat most teams; they sport a 7-3 record going into the break. But they could not get enough tips and steals on South Holt, only getting 12 tips and 5 steals for the night. They took care of the ball, only surrendering it 11 times. They rebounded well, only giving up 8 offensive boards.

Both teams came out hot in the first quarter, trading buckets throughout the period. Northeast moved in front when Eli Scroggie got a putback and Spencer Weir drove down the left side of the lane for two free throws to make it 17-14 after one. Cameron Staples hit Dylan Mildfeldt for an NBA 3-pointer early in the second to make it 20-14, but then South Holt started coming back, and Colton Egbert scored off a steal to put them back in front 21-20 with 5:22 left.

The teams continued to trade buckets for the remainder of the first half, but then Reagan Morris hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 30-26 and give his Knights the momentum.

Northeast was ice cold throughout the third, with Spencer Weir the only player putting the ball in the basket, getting five points. Eli Scroggie tipped a defensive board out to him and he went coast to coast on one play and he hit a 3-pointer on another. But in between, Reagan Morris ran wild in the period, getting to the rim at will and getting 8 points as South Holt built up a 41-31 lead after three. It was similar to the Christian game, when NEN let Malik Tucker run wild on them in the second half.
Northeast finally got going in the fourth as Cameron Staples hit Spencer Weir for a 3-pointer, Staples hit Chet Spire cutting in to make it 43-38, and Chet Spire hit Dylan Mildfeldt for a 3-pointer to make it 43-41.

But once again, Northeast couldn’t buy a stop on defense as South Holt was in too much of a rhythm offensively. Eric Ottman scored off a drive, Morris drove and dished to Colton Egbert, and T.J. Mitchell, who had burned NEN in the first half, scored two free throws off a drive to make it 50-41.

Northeast chipped away at their deficit as South Holt missed some free throws. Dylan Mildfeldt hit Eli Scroggie inside with 21 seconds left to make it 52-46 and Ottman, shooting the first of two free throws, saw his first shot balance on the rim without dropping in. But he hit the second and Eli Scroggie’s 3-pointer attempt was long and Colton Egbert hit another free throw to make it eight with 9 seconds left.

Spencer Weir had 19 points to pace Northeast. Eli Scroggie had 14, Dylan Mildfeldt 9, and Brayden Welch and Chet Spire 2 each.

Eli Scroggie had 2 blocks.

Eli Scroggie had 9 boards; Brayden Welch had 4, Dylan Mildfeldt 3, Mitchell Sherry 2, and Spencer Weir and Cameron Staples had 1 each.

Cameron Staples did all he could to keep his team in the game, always finding the open man on offense; he had 10 assists to lead the team. Dylan Mildfeldt and Chet Spire had 2, and Brayden Welch and Mitchell Sherry had 1.

Dylan Mildfeldt had 4 tips to lead Northeast. Cameron Staples had 3, Brayden Welch and Eli Scroggie 2 each, and Spencer Weir 1.

Dylan Mildfeldt had 2 steals, while Brayden Welch, Cameron Staples, and Eli Scroggie had 1 each.

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