Four Reach Double Figures as Mustangs Have Much Easier Time with King City

North Nodaway got everything they could handle in King City earlier in the season and somehow came away with a 51-41 win. Something similar was expected for Tuesday’s rematch, but this time, North Nodaway came out of the gate swarming, pressing, and trapping King City all night long as they led wire to wire and beat King City 64-31 in the rematch.

The rebounding was as different as night and day for the Mustangs, as they didn’t give up their first offensive rebound to King City until the 4:45 mark of the second quarter and only gave up six for the whole game. By contrast, they gave up 26 offensive rebounds and King City attempted 31 more shots than North Nodaway did in the first meeting. The turnover battle was drastically in the Mustangs’ favor as well; they surrendered the ball only eight times and King City threw it away over 20 times.

The hunger was there for the players after last year; they had just come off a five win season, but they were playing a full intensity pickup game before the athletic banquet, and Owen Martin in particular was lost and looking for something to do after the final buzzer sounded last year. The hunger has been there all year, and it has been growing and growing as the season progressed. They fell to South Holt, but they played a good game and lost by single digits to the Knights in Oregon. They then went into the dragon’s den at Platte Valley and lost by a lot there, but they handled it the right way as they came out strong right out of the gate.

The hustle plays started right off the bat when Brice Trimble stuffed a shot, Aydan Blackford grabbed it, and aired it out to Ethan Fry, who finished. Jonothan Garlock countered for King City, but then Mason Casner drove and converted a three point play. Then, Ethan Fry dove on the floor to knock a ball loose, Mason Casner picked it up, and Aydan Blackford converted a third chance opportunity at the free throw line to make it 7-2. Ethan Fry only scored the first two points of the game, but he had a huge impact on the game with his pressure defense and his hustle plays.

With North Nodaway pressing, King City kept dribbling into the corners, where Ethan Fry and the rest of the blue shirts were waiting, and the lead continued to grow as Fry got the ball twice into Blackford to make it 14-2. At that point, King City took five out and put five in to try and stop the bleeding.

Cayden Wainscott and Cooper Mooney stopped the bleeding for King City, getting the Wildkat deficit down to 16-6, but then Brice Trimble got the first of his many 3-pointers and Owen Martin drew a foul at the buzzer and made one of two to make it 20-6.

Trimble knocked one down in the high post and then Owen Martin got a tip, Ethan Fry got a steal, and fed Martin for two to make it 24-6. The teams traded buckets through the next stretch as Mooney got loose again, Garlock hit a 3-pointer, and Josiah Schellhorn, who tormented the Mustangs on the boards in the first game, finally started to get untracked. But North Nodaway had five different people score in the period to stay afloat. Finally, Aydan Blackford got a drive and then Mason Casner drove and spun and finished at the buzzer to put the Mustangs up 36-18.

The third quarter belonged to Brice Trimble, who had the hot hand in the period and had nine in the quarter. Owen Martin scored off a drive and stepped back and hit a 3-pointer and Blackford contributed two. The lead grew to 52-25 after three, and then Mason Casner cut inside and Aydan Blackford scored off a steal to trigger the running clock with North Nodaway up 56-25.

Aydan Blackford had 19 points. Brice Trimble had 17, Mason Casner 12, and Owen Martin 10. Ethan Fry, Blaine Clements, and Kaeden Nave had 2.

Brice Trimble and Blaine Clements had 1 block.

Aydan Blackford had 7 rebounds. Owen Martin had 5, Brice Trimble and Ethan Fry had 4, and Mason Casner 2.

Aydan Blackford and Owen Martin had 6 assists. Brice Trimble and Ethan Fry had 3, Mason Casner 2, and Kaeden Nave and Blaine Clements had 1.

Owen Martin had 7 tips. Ethan Fry had 5, Mason Casner 3, Blaine Clements and Brice Trimble 2, and Aydan Blackford 1.

Brice Trimble had 5 steals. Mason Casner and Ethan Fry had 3, Aydan Blackford and Owen Martin 2, and Blaine Clements 1.