Undefeated and ranked eighth in the state, Cedar Mountain came to town on Tuesday, and although the Clippers came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to lead by a basket with just under 11 minutes remaining, the Cougars regained control for an 82-69 victory.
“The first half was garbage for us,” said head coach Mike Meyer. “We came out and played like we didn’t belong on the court with that team. That was my fear because I know how good of a team we have, the talent and ability we have, and to see them come out and play timidly and not as aggressive as they have the last for games…”
Meyer rallied his team during the break. The Clippers responded but couldn’t keep up.
“We came out and played more aggressively and chopped the lead up, but a lot of the loss was just legs.”
The Clippers were coming off a 59-57 win over host USC 24 hours earlier where three Clipper free-throws in the final 17 seconds made the difference.
Cedar Mountain 82, Cleveland 69
After the Cougars stole and plopped in a three and followed with a score on an inbounds play to lead 5-0, Brennan Kortuem plopped in a three, and Kale Kelley took a Carson Lyons assist in for a basket to knot the score 5-5.
But the Cougars pulled down an offensive rebound and scored, made all the free shots after a three-shot foul and put in a three to lead 13-5.
Braeden Smith took an offensive rebound up and in, and Lyons got on the board with a three, but the Cougars rallied form there with 14 of the next 16 points for a 27-12 advantage.
The Clippers never threw in the towel though. Bode Bartell snatched a defense board and took it down the court for a layup, and Smith scored seven points. After a baseline drive for a bucket, Kortuem closed out the half with a three, but the Clippers still trailed 42-30.
The Cougars scored on a jumper to start the second half, but, starting with a Kelley three, the Clippers were back in business with 15 of the next 19 points to pull within four, 49-45.
With a basket and ensuing free shot, the Cougars posted the next three points, but Lyons and Kortuem popped in threes, and Smith sank the second of two foul shots to deadlock the game 52-52 with 11:39 remaining.
The Clippers had a brief lead when Lyons took a downcourt Smith pass in for a layup, but after Smith, breaking up a Couger layup, picked up his fourth infraction.
“Braeden is a gamechanger when he comes in,” Meyer said, “especially coming off the bench with fresh legs. He brings a real exciting type of play to the court, but he’s got to understand there’s a time to go up and make a swat and make bigtime plays, but if it is going to put him in foul trouble and put him on the bench anyways, we’ll give up a layup so he can stay in the game. I hate to take something like that away from him because he’s so good at it, but there is a time and a place for it.”
Making both foul shots, the Cougars cashed in on the play and, with Smith on the sideline, put in the next basket to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Cedar Mountain scored the next two baskets as well. With Smith back on the floor, Lyons hit a three, but the Cougars cancelled it after their next trip down the floor to lead 63-57.
Down the stretch, Lyons sank a pair of threes, but the Cougars did one better with three threes to hang on to the victory.
The Clippers couldn’t keep up, Meyer said.
“Bode, Brennan and Carson were all tugging, and that is just the stye of game we want to play, but it is frustrating because it was really good to see Carson come alive in the second half and not be afraid to shoot. Bode played great, Kale played great. Everyone had great minutes.”
The Clippers made half of their 32 two-point shots, 10 of 27 three-point shots and seven of eight free throws. The Cougars put in 23 of 50 two-point shots, eight threes of 24 three-point attempts and 12 of 15 foul shots.
With 25 points, 15 launched from three-point land, Lyons led the effort. Korteum had 10 points, a dozen from behind the arc. Smith added 10 points, and Kelley had seven points, including one three. Bartell, Alex Johnson and Kyle Connor each chipped in a basket. Tanner Simonette made a pair of free shots.
The Clippers totaled 10 three-point baskets. They were seven of eight from the foul line.
The Clippers had four steals, one more than Cedar Mountain. Lyons two steals. Kortuem had one steal and blocked one shot. Smith had one steal and blocked one shot.
While the Clippers had three more defensive rebounds than Cedar Mountain, 28-25, the Cougars pulled down 16 offensive boards compared to six by the Clippers.
“That’s how they score most of their points,” Meyer said. “That’s got to change. We did a lot better in the second half keeping them off the boards.”
Smith hauled in nine rebounds. Brennan Kortuem had six rebounds. Bartell had five rebounds. Lyons and Conner each had four rebounds. Johnson, Alex Kortuem and Kelley each had one rebounds.
Lyons had six assists. Bartell and Brennan Kortuem each had three assists. Smith, Connor and Kelley each made two assists. Simonette had one assist.
The Clippers gave up a dozen turnovers, six more than Cedar Mountain, and the Cougars capitalized on them for 23 points.
“That’s a playoff team,” Meyer said. “As long as it registers in our heads that we are as good as them, we’ll be fine. Every time we make a mistake, we have to learn from it, and hopefully we learned from tonight.”
Cleveland 59, USC 57
USC led the Clippers 33-28 at the break.
“As part of our defense, we run a help style, and we were really good at that first layer of defense, but that secondary help wasn’t there, and they kept getting buckets underneath,” Meyer said. “Their big guy really went to work on us.”
After the Clippers pulled down a couple of offensive boards, Lyons’ three put the Clippers in front 38-37, and the teams kept neck and neck from there.
With 24 seconds left, after knocking the ball out of bounds, USC picked off a long Clipper inbounds pass and scored on a jump shot from the paint to go in front 57-56. Fouled on an inside shot, Smith went to the line with 17 seconds left where he made the second of two shots.
On the Rebels' ensuing possession, Lyons reached out for a steal, got held on the play and rolled in both free throws with 3 seconds left. Smith picked off a long pass after to end the Cougar’s chance at a last-second shot.
The Clippers made 18 of 40 two-point shots, five of 23 three-point attempts and eight of 11 free shots. USC put in 22 of 34 two-point attempts, two of 17 shots from behind the arc and seven of 13 free throws.
Brennan Korteum paced the Clippers with 17 points, nine of them from three-point territory. Bartell had 14 points. Lyons had just two points in the first half but finished with 13 points, including a pair of threes.
“Carson did something to his thumb, his shooting right hand” Meyer said. “He said it wasn’t bugging him, but I think it was a little bit.
But overall, Meyer said when Lyons and Bartell realize their talent, the Clippers will really start to hum.
“It’s going to be tough for teams to try to lock in on Brennan when you have two guards as good as Carson and Bode. We trust them just as much as we trust Brennan, same with Kale. Anybody who touches the ball, we want them to attack. We never shy a guy away from scoring if he has an opportunity.”
Smith had five points. Connor put in a couple of baskets in the first half for four points. Kelley, Johnson and Mason Kluntz each put in a bucket.
Cleveland had one fewer rebound than the Rebels, three more steals, three more blocks and six fewer turnovers.
Smith grabbed 10 rebounds and had one steal and two blocks. Lyons had three steals, two assists and seven rebounds. Bartell had one steal, one block, three rebounds and one assist. Brennan Kortuem had five steals, five rebounds and three assists. Connor had two rebounds and one assist. Johnson had two rebounds. Alexander Kortuem had two rebounds and one assist. Kelley had two steals, four rebounds and two assists.
The varsity boys return to action with a make-up game in LeSueur on January 3.
Above: Kale Kelley hooks in a shot at home vs. Cedar Mountain.
