Northeast Nodaway’s boys faced a Mercer squad that was headed into unfamiliar territory – rebuilding mode. They had only one player from last year with significant varsity experience, and they had to build a team of ten players from scratch. The Cardinals showed flashes of potential, but Northeast was able to come away with the 67-36 win last Tuesday.
Mercer had nobody who could match up with Auston Pride, who grabbed 23 points and 11 boards for the Bluejays. They posted three in double figures and two others with six or more in the win.
Northeast started off by scoring the first 12 points of the game. Lane Dack started off the scoring with an inside shot, Dylan McIntyre got loose in transition and got a pass from Ben Boswell, Lane Dack hit Auston Pride backdoor, Ben Boswell hit Chris Kephart in transition, and then Auston Pride scored inside off a pass from Zach Pride. Auston then aired one out to Zach Pride, who missed a layup, but Auston showed a burst of speed, hustling down the court to get the offensive glass and clean up. Auston Pride had six points and six boards in the first six minutes of the game.
Wes Cashman cleaned up on a miss to put Mercer on the board, but Ben Boswell scored off a steal. Auston Pride and Dylan McIntyre picked up their second fouls, but then Brayden Munns, who gave the Bluejays some quality minutes last Tuesday, got a block, Zach Pride got the board, and Ben Boswell fed Kephart with the assist. Kephart added a free throw and then Zach Pride got a steal and got it to Boswell to make it 19-2 after one.
Ben Boswell scored four points to start the second quarter, but then Mercer’s trapping defense started to take its toll as they scored the next six points to cut it to 23-8. But Auston Pride and Dylan McIntyre came back in and restored order. Dylan McIntyre hit Pride in transition for a three point play, Auston Pride scored off a drive, and Lane Dack scored off a Zach Pride steal to make it 30-8.
Dylan McIntyre scored in transition, Auston Pride hit a free throw, Ben Boswell kept a possession alive and hit Pride backdoor, and Boswell hit a 3-pointer to put Northeast up 38-8 at the half.
Mercer, which had missed a ton of long 3-pointers in the first half, finally got some to drop in the third quarter. Auston Pride picked up his third foul, and the Cardinals got as close as 40-15 two minutes into the third. But then Pride came back in, and Dylan McIntyre cut inside and got a pass from Lane Dack, Auston Pride scored off a Dack offensive board, and Pride got loose in transition to put the Bluejays back up 50-19.
Kaden Graham cut Northeast’s lead to 56-30 to start the fourth, but then Zach Pride hit a free throw and Auston put back the second, Pride hit Dylan McIntyre backdoor, and Ben Boswell added a steal to put the Bluejays up 63-30 and trigger the running clock.
Auston Pride had 23 points. Ben Boswell had 15, Dylan McIntyre 12, Chris Kephart 8, Lane Dack 6, Brayden Munns 2, and Zach Pride 1.
Chris Kephart, only a freshman, led the rebounding for Northeast with 12 boards despite only playing half the game. He established himself as a rebounding machine in junior high and picked up right where he left off in his first varsity game. Auston Pride had 11, Zach Pride 8, Lane Dack and Ben Boswell 6 each, Dylan McIntyre 4, and Brayden Munns 1.
Zach Pride had 8 assists. Lane Dack had 6, Ben Boswell 5, Auston Pride and Dylan McIntyre 2, and Brayden Munns 1.
Zach Pride had 8 tips. Ben Boswell had 5, Chris Kephart 3, and Lane Dack 2.
Ben Boswell had 6 steals. Zach Pride had 4, and Chris Kephart and Lane Dack had 1.
The girls lost 50-12 to a brutally physical Mercer squad that is seeking to make another run at a state title; they brought Dan Owens out of retirement to coach the squad.
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