The stars were in line for a couple of wins for the Clipper varsity boys as Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain’s Adam Heckman was on the Cleveland sidelines with street clothes on Friday, and 2-14 Sleepy Eye Public was a beatable team when the Clippers traveled to the Bethany tournament on Saturday.
The Clippers battled in both games but lost 52-45 to T/ML/GHEC and 63-52 to Sleepy Eye.
“Tonight, we had good effort, especially on defense,” said head coach Mike Meyer after the Friday contest. “We kept the momentum up the whole game. Offensively we got a little slow and sluggish for a while, but if we could have stayed out of foul trouble, I think that’s our game.”
Carter Dylla fought his way to the basket for the game’s first two points, and Braeden Hastings airmailed a Lucas Walechka throw from three-point territory to put the Clippers up 5-0. The Jaguars drove twice for baskets, but Kolby Gens scored, and Dylla stole and sashayed down the floor for a layup that put the Clippers up 9-4.
Later, Colin Krenik scored on back-to-back baskets, the second after Dylla dove to keep the ball in bounds.
But as the half drew to a close, Dylla took a seat with three fouls. Walechka made the second half of a pair of foul shots, but the Jaguars went on a 5-point run from there to knot the game at 20 going into the break.
The teams traded baskets early in the second half. The Jaguars scored first, but Hastings’s off-balance shot went in. After the Jaguars rebounded and scored, Gens followed up with a baseline drive. The Jags scored again, but Krenik put in a pair of free shots.
From there, the Jaguars scored six unanswered points to take a lead they would never surrender. Gens looped in a three, but the Jaguars cancelled it on their ensuing trip down the floor.
While most the Clipper shots from three territory were off the mark, the Jaguars went on another 5-point run, and the Clippers trailed 40-31.
“We had a lot of opportunities to work the ball inside,” Meyer said. “We were struggling with that, but I think our big guys played a really good game down there and worked hard. We missed some layups when we got opportunities but kept working. The three pointers...we made a few, and then I think the guys started rushing their shots because they wanted that open shot instead of setting up and taking it."
Later, Gens plopped in another three, and the Clippers, although had four players with four fouls, never stopped fighting, but the Jaguars made enough free shots to hang on for the win.
With a three to close out the game, Dylla led the effort with 11 points.
Dylla, a senior point guard, said that losing another close one was tough, but he has nothing to grumble about.
“We’ve had too many heartbreakers, but you can’t complain about a game like this because it’s obviously better than we played in the past. It was an intense game, but if we played like that we’d see a lot less blowouts. Our team is constantly getting better, and you can see that in the game scores. Everyone played really well. We got the best out of them. I think everyone left it out there.”
Krenik and Gens each had 10 points. Walechka and Hastings both had seven points. The Clippers had four threes and were five of nine in free-throw shooting.
Walechka pulled down eight rebounds. Gens and Dylla each clutched six rebounds. Dylla and Krenik each had three steals. Gabe Sullivan had three assists. Hastings, Krenik and Gens each recorded a block. The Clippers turned the ball over 10 times.
The Jags put in a pair of threes and were 14 of 31 from the free-throw line.
The shot clock was in use on the Bethany court on Saturday, but it didn’t bother the Indians that much as they kept a frantic pace.
The Clippers never could get a lead. A Krenik three was the first bucket for the Clippers, but the Indians already had four points. From there, Walechka (above) went to work for the next five Cleveland baskets, Dylla stole and drove the floor for a layup, and with a Sullivan three, it was all even at 18 midway through the first half.
But Sleepy Eye made a three on their next trip down the court to regain the lead. They were in front 33-29 at the break.
Gens found an open slot through the paint for the first basket of the second half. Walechka grabbed a loose ball under the rim and put it up for a bucket and then scored on a jump shot to tie the game 35-35 at the 16:35 mark.
But the Indians put in a two and a three for the next five points before Walechka took a Sullivan pass sin for a basket. Krenik hit a jumper, but the Indians bowed in a pair of threes to extend their lead.
Hastings fouled out with 7:35 remaining. From there, Dylla, Gens and Walechka each added a bucket from the floor, and Walechka put in a couple of shots from the free line, but the Indians made enough free throws to keep their hands on the triumph.
With 28 points, Walechka led all players. He also had a dozen rebounds.
“We played hard tonight; we attacked the rim a little bit more,” said Meyer. “They are definitely not as good as a team as we faced last night, and I think we should have had it. They’ve got pretty good three-point shooters on their team and were hot tonight, and we weren’t, so that made the difference, but Lucas played a heck of a game, so we’re happy for him.”
Dylla and Gens each had eight points. Krenik had five points including one of the Clippers’ two baskets from beyond the arc. Sullivan had the other three for three points. The Clippers made eight of 13 foul shots.
Dylla and Gens each hauled in eight rebounds. Dylla had six steals and six assists. Gens posted two blocks. Hastings had five assists. The Clippers suffered 13 turnovers.
Sleepy Eye put in five threes and was 14 of 18 in free throws.
The Clippers travel to Madelia tonight (Monday).
Braeden Hastings was off balance but still made this shot on Friday.
Kolby Gens goes up for an inside shot against T/ML/GHEC on Friday.
Colin Krenik dishes off at Bethany on Saturday.
Carter Dylla goes up for a layup after he made a steal during the game against Sleepy Eye on Saturday.
Kolby Gens goes up for a contested shot against Sleepy Eye.