Visiting Nicollet had no answer for Brennan Kortuem in a a 71-59 Clipper win on Tuesday.
Two days later, the Clippers road tripped to Granada where they beat GHEC/Truman/Martin Luther 65-58.
Kortuem’s 44 points against the Raiders was a single-game Cleveland record. It broke the previous record of 42 points, set by Bill Matejcek in 1959 and echoed by Tom Kraft (CHS 2013) and Austin Plonsky (CHS 2018).
“That’s the first game we’ve played where they haven’t faceguarded Brennan the whole night,” said head coach Mike Meyer. “That just shows what he can do if he gets a little room. I am really proud of him.”
The Raiders, who fell to the Clippers twice last year, scored inside for the game’s first basket. Foreshadowing what was to come, Kortuem responded with a three.
While Kortuem missed a couple of three-point shots from there, the Raiders followed a three with a two-point basket to lead 7-3.
But after Braeden Smith scored his first basket of the season, Kortuem went on the warpath, starting with a drive for a bucket and an ensuing free shot. From there, he cashed a quick steal into a bucket before canning a pair of threes for an 11-point run.
“I wasn’t feeling it right away, but then I started feeling good and kept shooting,” said Kortuem, who transferred into the Cleveland program last year.
The Clippers never trailed from there.
A Nicollet basket inside and a pair of free baskets interrupted the senior’s rally, but he came back with another pair of threes and two foul baskets for 18-straight Clipper points.
Carson Lyons got on the board with free shot, and Kortuem drove the lane for another bucket. Lyons made a jump shot from the paint, and Kale Kelly airmailed the first of two threes he had in the half to put the Clippers in front 32-15.
Later, Kortuem dropped in another three, and Smith scored from the baseline. Kortuem stole again, scored on a layup and made the following free shot, Kelley sunk another three, and with a pair of Tanner Simonette freebies, the Clippers went to the locker room with a comfortable 45-26 advantage.
Lyons drove the baseline for the first basket of the second half. Kortuem, mostly on drives through the paint, scored seven more buckets. Bode Bartell had a three and a pair of two-point baskets in the mix, and the Clippers cruised to the triumph.
Kortuem made six threes, 11 two-point baskets and four free shots Bartell contributed nine points. Kelly added six points. Lyons totaled five points, and Smith had four points in his debut. Simonette had two points, and Alex Johnson put in a free shot.
The Clippers made nine threes and 10 of 14 foul shots. The Raiders had seven baskets from behind the arc and 10 of 17 baskets from the foul line.
Brennan Kortuem had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Smith had five rebounds, two steals and a block. Lyons had six rebounds, four assists and one steal. Bartell had four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kyle Connor had one rebound, one assist and two steals. Kelley had four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Johnson had one rebound and one steal. Simonette had one rebound. Gavin Karels had one rebound. Alexander Kortuem had one rebound.
The Clippers turned the ball over 19 times, five less than Nicollet.
While the Clipper bench is never deep enough for Meyer, it is better than it has been, and Smith is a big part of it.
“Braeden is a good matchup for a lot of guys where we have struggled, the big guys who know how to handle the ball, and he is just athletic. He’s aggressive. He wants to be in the game. Eeryone has things they need to work on, and he is not an exception to that, but he will be a big help. It was good to get all those guys in tonight. Everyone touched the floor. We have some really good younger guys.”
The Clippers trailed GHEC/T/ML 32-28 at the intermission but held the Jaguars to just a free throw for the first five minutes and 46 seconds of the second half.
After a pair of Kortuem free baskets, Connor bucket tied the game 32-32, and the Clippers pulled ahead 34-32 on a Lyons bucket.
En route to 24 points, Kortuem scored 17 points in the scond half. Lyons added 10 points in the second half for 18 total points. Bartell finished the night with seven points including the Clippers only three-point basket. Kelley and Connor each had five points. Smith had four points, and Simonette had two points.
The Clippers were 10 of 18 from the foul line. The Jaguars put six threes and eight of 11 shots form the charity stripe.
Smith hauled in a dozen rebounds and made two steals and three blocks. Lyons grabbed 10 rebounds and made five assists and three steals. Kelley had four rebounds. Brennan Kortuem had three rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Bartell had five rebounds and two steals. Connor had four rebounds, one assist and two steals. Simonette had one rebound. Alexander Kortuem had three rebounds and one assist.
The Clippers had 15 turnovers, one less than the Jags.
Last year the Clippers beat the Jaguars at home but lost to them later on the road.
Tonight (Monday), the Clippers travel to Wells to take on non-conference USC, 1-3 with a win over Faribault BA and loses to MCW and Triton.
