Worth County’s winning streak rolled on, growing to five games Monday as they turned back East Atchison 58-36. The Wolves had recently gone on a nine-game tear in which they had scored 60 or more points in six of those games. But they came into Monday’s game fighting a slump, in which they had dropped games to Albany and Rock Port. They are working on their best season in recent memory, and still have a lot of returning players for next year.
The Tigers were still battling sickness, with Hayden Sanders out and Brock Healy gutting it out. Coach Les New was in survival mode before the game. “Caleb was the one player who was healthy against LeBlond. Everybody else was sick,” he said about Caleb New’s 40-point outburst against the Golden Eagles. The running joke among some of the players was that they and Caleb had combined to score 41 points that night.
Caleb continued to click Monday, getting 20 points despite getting face-guarded all night. Brock Healy was also sick, and was also being face-guarded, but he managed to get 18. Jordan Dannar got his second straight double figure game, and three other Tigers made it into the scoring column. Cole Ruby did not score, but rebounded well and fed everyone else, getting 7 assists.
The game started off well for the Tigers. Carter Oswald knocked down a 3-pointer for the Wolves, but Brock Healy countered with one of his own and Caleb New added a steal and a three point play. Cole Ruby got the ball into Ryder Smyser to make it 8-3.
The Wolves’ high-powered offense started clicking as Mason Kingery and Brody Wennihan both cut inside to score, and Parker Livengood heated up to bring his team to within 13-12 after one. Carter Oswald, their other shooter, started heating up to start the second as he scored the next eight points for the Wolves and shot them into the lead at 20-18 in the second.
But then Brock Healy countered with a 3-pointer for the Tigers to put them back up 21-20, and then Brody Wennihan, the Wolves’ most physical defender, picked up his third foul and sat. Without Wennihan on the floor, the Tigers found a lot more daylight. The Tigers only outscored East Atchison by two when he was on the floor and outscored them by 20 when he was on the bench with foul trouble.
Healy promptly hit another triple for the Tigers and then Caleb New went coast to coast after Cole Ruby fed him a quick outlet. Mason Kingery countered with a putback for the Wolves, but Brock Healy hit his third triple of the quarter to put the Tigers in front 29-22 at the half.
But Wennihan came back for the Wolves to start the second half. Caleb New’s triple put the Tigers up 32-24 early in the third, but with Wennihan hounding the Tigers on defense, the Wolves began to come back as they went on a 5-0 run to close to within 32-29.
After Wennihan picked up his fourth foul trying to help out on Caleb New, Caleb hit both free throws to restore order for the Tigers. Caleb New found daylight without him on the floor and took on three defenders and scored to make it 36-29. Mason Kingery countered with a putback, but Brock Healy drove and set up Dylan Smith for a baseline jumper to put the Tigers in front 38-31 after three.
Jordan Dannar slashed and scored after Cole Ruby got him the ball to start the fourth. Dylan Smith converted a third-chance putback try after Ethan Lininger had kept it alive, and Caleb New got loose for three to make it 45-31.
But Wennihan was still making his presence felt, and it was still carrying over to the other players. Kingery, a post player, jumped out on a ball screen and got a steal, converting it on the other end to make it 45-33. East Atchison started swarming and pressing with under five minutes to make up their deficit, and anything was still possible.
But the bottom dropped out for the Wolves after Wennihan fouled out trying to help on Ryder Smyser in the post, and he knocked down both free throws. Jordan Dannar showed a newfound ability to score in bunches, starting with a pair of free throws, hitting a 3-pointer, and getting a steal to make it 54-33. Caleb New added two more free throws to make it 56-33, and the Tigers were able to run out the clock for the win.
Caleb New had 20 points for the Tigers. Brock Healy had 18, Jordan Dannar 11, Ryder Smyser and Dylan Smith 4, and Ethan Lininger 2.
Caleb New and Brock Healy had 1 block each.
Cole Ruby had 6 boards. Ryder Smyser and Caleb New 4, Ethan Lininger and Dylan Smith 3, Jordan Dannar 2, and Brayden Combs, Brock Healy, and Mason Hiatt 1.
Cobe Ruby had 7 assists. Caleb New and Brock Healy had 3 and Brayden Combs and Dylan Smith had 2.
Caleb New had 3 tips. Ryder Smyser, Cole Ruby, and Mason Hiatt had 1.
Caleb New had 4 steals. Brock Healy had 3, Brayden Combs and Cole Ruby had 2, and Ryder Smyser, Ethan Lininger, and Jordan Dannar had 1.
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