While they played most of their game against host Immanuel Lutheran rather uninspired, the Clipper boys managed to come from behind for their first win of the season on Friday, 24 hours after getting flogged a half mile away at Mankato Loyola.
“It started out and we had no energy in the first half,” said head coach Mike Meyer about the Friday game. “The guys didn’t come ready to play. The second half wasn’t much different right away, but then they finally put it together.
Starting for the injured Kolby Gens, Ethan Fuller (above) rebounded and scored for the game’s first basket. Lucas Walechka scored inside, but the Clippers turned the ball over on four-straight possessions after that, and the Trojans knotted the game 4-4.
With a couple more Walechka baskets and drives by Carter Dylla and Blake Lyons, the Clippers scored the next eight points, but Immanuel dropped in a three and took advantage of more Clipper turnovers to pull within two, 17-15, at the break.
IL pulled ahead after halftime, but Lyons, Devens and Walechka added baskets, and the Clippers took over for a 48-38 victory.
“We put out a full-court press and once we did that it was like a switch flipped in their head, Meyer said. “They all started to work a lot of harder and to play like they should have all game.”
Walechka led the Clippers with 15 points and a dozen rebounds. Dylla had 10 points and seven rebounds. Lyons scored nine points and had three assists. Devens had seven points and four steals. Fuller added four points.
“We had some guys that don’t typically get a lot of playing time like Ethan Fuller,” Meyer said. “He worked really hard tonight. He’s not a big scorer, but defensively he came in with a lot of energy and flustered them.”
Colin Krenik had two points. Braeden Hastings put in a free throw.
“Typically if the game is on the line I’m going with my starters, but tonight we didn’t have Kolby,” Meyer said. “We had the young guys step up tonight, and that is really good to see what the future looks like.”
The Clippers put in no threes and were 10 of 15 from the free-throw line. They had a dozen turnovers. The Trojans had five threes and were five of 11 in foul shooting.
The Clippers fell to Mankato Loyola 63-32.
On a pair of three and three twos, the Crusaders jumped out to a 12-0 start before took a Hastings pass in for a basket.
Gens assisted Dylla on a jumper for two more Clipper points, but the Crusaders, hot on the steal, scored the next 20 before Devens broke the streak with a jumper from the paint.
Dylla scored again, and Devens hit a pair of free shots. Just before halftime, Gens got undercut and came down on his back and did not return. The Clippers trailed 39-10 at the break.
With a pair of twos and a pair of threes, the Crusaders posted the first 10 points of the second half. Lyons pair of freebies but a break in the run.
Walechka put in 10 points in the second half, and Dylla plunked in the Clippers’ only three of the night, but the Crusaders never lost control.
Walechka led the effort with a dozen points. Dylla had 10 points. Devens added four points. Hastings, Lyons and Krenik each chipped in two points.
The Clippers made seven of 15 foul shots. Loyola had seven threes and was two of six from the free-throw line.
The Clippers turned the ball over 14 times. Walechka had six rebounds. Lyons had three assists, five rebounds and two steals.
The varsity boys return to action on Tuesday when they take on visiting LCWM.
Wyatte Devens runs into a couple of Loyola defenders.
Braeden Hastings makes an acrobatic move to the net.
Lucas Walechka stretches for a basket against Immanuel Lutheran.
Gabe Sullivan launches a shot on the Immanuel Lutheran court.