Visiting Alden-Conger/Glenville didn’t give the JV boys a ton of trouble in their season opener on Monday as the Clippers easily rolled to a 60-32 triumph.
Tanner Simonette grabbed Mason Kluntz’s winning jump ball and took it in for a bucket to get the party started.
The Knights responded with a three, but Garrett Heldberg dove the baseline for a bucket, and Simonette scored inside for lead the Clippers would never relinquish.
Up front 6-4, Heldberg scored inside to start an eight-point Clipper run that also featured a Kluntz basket from under the rim, an Alex Kortuem basket from outside and a Sam Ternes basket from near the goal that put the Clippers in front 12-4.
With Kluntz dominating the offensive boards for baskets, two threes from Ternes and a three from Kortuem, the Clippers led 34-16 at the intermission.
Fresh off a stellar performance in the C-Squad game, Miles Tomaszewski put in a layup to start the second half. Alden-Conger responded with a layup, but Gavin Karels grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for a bucket to start a nine-point Clipper spurt that also included a Ternes three and a running jump shot for two points, a Kluntz free shot and a Heldberg layup that put the Clippers comfortably in front 46-18.
From there, Karels twisted in for a bucket and scored on a running jump shot from the paint, Killian Kunkel tossed in a bucket from inside, Heldberg made a couple of scoring drives, and the Clippers cruised to the triumph.
With 13 points, nine of them from three-point land, Ternes paced the Clippers. Kluntz had 12 points, four of them from the foul line. Heldberg also contributed a dozen points. Karels and Simonette each had six points in one half played. Kortuem posted five points in one half played, Tomaszewski had four points in one half played, and Kunkel chipped in a basket.
The Clippers put in four threes and eight of 11 foul shots. Alden-Conger made a pair of three-point shots and were four of nine in free throw shooting.
The JV Clippers are back in action tonight (Friday) when they road trip to the Fitzgerald gym to take on Mankato Loyola.
Above: Tanner Simonette dashes between two defenders to the hoop.
