Surpassing 1000 career points with the basket, Brennan Kortuem’s three with 8:32 left in the second half (above) put the Clippers in front of host Martin County West 57-55 on Friday.
The Clippers, strong from outside, and the Mavericks, who worked the ball into their 6-3, 215 lb forward Jacob Wilmes all night, exchanged punches from there, but with 6.9 seconds left Wilmes sunk a pair of fee shots for the last of his 43 points.
Kortuem rushed the ball down safely down court, but the buzzer beater the Clippers were hoping for didn’t fall through the mesh, and the Mavericks held on for a 76-75 triumph.
“We normally play a pretty aggressive style of help defense, but that defense was ‘how do we stop 21?’” said head coach Mike Meyer. “We have to put more bodies on him, but of course that creates more open shots around the court.”
The Mavericks put in a layup for the game’s first basket. Carson Lyons scored from near the rim and made the ensuing free shot for a brief Clipper lead, but leading 12-11, the Mavericks posted eight of the next 10 points.
Kale Kelley buried a three as did Kortuem, but the Mavericks, with their biggest lead of the night, were in front 29-20 when Kortuem sunk another three.
“Going into the game, I thought we maybe could push, but they’re a fast-paced team too, and I think they were expecting that style of play,” Meyer said.
But with eight points by Lyons, a quick steal and basket from Kortuem and three Alex Johnson free shots, the Clippers narrowed their deficit at halftime to four, 40-36.
In the second half, after Alex Kortuem canned a three and Brennan Kortuem drove for a basket, the Clippers were within two, 52-50. After Lyons hit a jumper from the baseline, Kelley scored on a layup to put the Clippers up by a point, 54-53 at the 9:08 mark.
Wilmes responded with a pair of free shots to retake the MCW lead, and then it was rapid-fire threes.
After Kortuem’s milestone three, the Mavericks took the ball down court for a three, but, stationed at the top of the arc, Bode Bartell did the same, and the Clippers led 60-58.
The teams exchanged blows after that. Bartell looped in another three, and down the stretch, Lyons made a pair of threes for a 75-74 Clipper lead with 1:10 left.
Hauling in a defensive rebound, the Clippers got the ball, but the Mavericks pinched it with 20 seconds to go.
After a timeout, the Mavericks worked the ball to Wilmes, who was poised just in front of the rim. Kyle Connor fouled out when he grabbed Wilmes’s arm to prevent the basket, but Wilmes made both free shots to give his team a one-point advantage.
After Brennan Korteum raced the ball across the mid-court line, the Clippers called a time out with 3.6 seconds left. They got the ball to Bartell up near the top of the key, but his shot was wide left, and the Mavericks hung on for the triumph.
“We got a great look,” Meyer said. “I would have Bode take that shot a thousand out of a 1000 times, but unfortunately it didn’t go in. Obviously, I wish the outcome were different, but it was a great game overall.”
The Clippers were successful in 10 of 33 (30 percent) three-point shots (three of 15 in the first half), 17 of 38 (45 percent) two-point attempts and 11 of 19 free throws.
Brennan Kortuem and Lyons each had 25 points.
Unique among any Clipper athlete who has reached any type of a career 1000 milestone, Brennan Kortuem hasn’t scored all of his 1000 points at Cleveland…but he hopes to score enough this year to make 1000 as a Clipper too.
Coming into Sherburn, the senior needed 22 points for the scoring landmark. Last year, his first at Cleveland, he racked up 501 points. With 321 points carried over from Blackduck school district (25 miles northwest of Bemidji), he needed 178 points this year to reach the mark.
Bartell had 10 points. Kelley had seven points, Alex Kortuem had five points, and Alex Johnson had three points.
“I thought Alex played really well for the second gamed in a row,” Meyer said.
A dozen of Brennan Kortuem’s points came from three-point territory. Lyons and Bartell each parked two three-point shots. Kelley and Alex Korteum each had one three.
The Clippers had 13 offensive rebounds and 19 defensive rebounds, eight steals and seven turnovers.
The Mavericks made three of 16 three-point shots (19 percent), 23 of 48 (48 percent) two-point attempts and 21 of 27 free throws. Outrebounding the Clippers, they grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and 33 defensive rebounds. They totaled six steals and 13 turnovers.
Lyons had one rebound, two assists and two steals. Kelley had six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Brennan Kortuem had six rebounds, two assists, three stelas and two blocks. Bartell had seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. Connor had one assist. Johnson had seven rebounds and two assists. Alex Kortuem had one assist.
The Clippers and the Mavericks are now both 3-2 in the Valley Conference. The Clippers host Madelia, 5-0 in the Valley tonight (Monday).
As a member of the Clipper 1000-point Club, Kortuem joins Ben Holden – 1,491 (CHS 2021), Austin Plonsky – 1,953 (2018), Carter Kopet – 1,905 (2018), Jaiden Zishka – 1,249 (2017), Tom Kraft – 1,859 (2013), Matt Miller – 1,211 (2008), the late Robert “Buck” Wendelschafer – 1,138 (1963) and Bill Matejcek – 1,554 (1960).
