In an eighth-grade game only, the junior high boys fell to visiting St. Clair 46-36 on Friday.
While the Clippers hung around in the first half, St. Clair went to the outside shot after the break to take the game over.
“Last year we lost to them twice, so we knew we really needed to be physical, and in the first half we were very physical with them,” said head coach Sean Pickle, who moonlights as a student assistant coach on the Minnesota State University Mavericks men’s basketball team. “In the second half, their number two, a fantastic player, made three threes. It was a 10-point game, so it was a one-point difference there, so those were big shots.”
The Clippers started the season strong, but with Tony Hollerich and Jack Mons moving up a level at the start of the new year, they have had to reinvent themselves. Now on a three or four-game slide, they were coming off a lopsided loss to host Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther when St Clair came to town.
But with the upper teams having the night off, Hollerich and Mons were back with their former teammates, and they sparked the Clippers as they took on bigger, faster St. Clair, Pickle said.
“They bring a different energy to our team, that sense of putting the ball in the hoop.”
The lead see-sawed early.
Pierce Lyons made a couple of baskets, and Luke Kortuem put in a free throw for a 5-4 Clipper lead. Taking advantage of their height, the Cyclones posted the next seven points, but Hollerich ran in a layup while Kortuem, fouled on a shot from behind the arc, made two of the three ensuing shots from the charity stripe.
With another Hollerich breakaway for a layup, the Clippers deadlocked the game 11-11.
Lyons hauled down an offensive rebound and put it back up for a bucket and floated in a basket. Mons drove for two points, and Brayden Seeman made a bucket from the baseline. As the half wound down, Bray Lassiter, a seventh grader playing up, made a free shot and a basket from the floor, but the Clippers trailed 25-22 at halftime.
Setting the tone after the break, the Cyclones parked a three to start a seven-point run. After limiting the Clippers to three free baskets, they plopped in two more threes and a basket from the floor to lead 41-25.
With a Lyons basket, eight Hollerich points and a Kortuem free shot, the Clippers fought hard from there, scoring 11 of the next 16 points, but time ran out on any chance of a comeback.
Hollerich made a pair of first half baskets and three more baskets along with two free throws in the second half for a dozen points. Lyons had four first-half baskets for eight total points. Mons made a bucket in each half for four total points.
Lassiter put in a free shot and a basket from the floor for three points. Jake Mueller made three free throws. Kortuem made four three throws. Seeman chipped in a basket.
Despite the loss, Pickle was pleased with the effort.
“This game brought our confidence up. Thirty-six points is really good for our team with how good St. Clair is.”
The junior high teams travel to Sherburn on Tuesday to take on Martin County West.
Above: Luke Kortuem goes up for a contested shot.
