Downed, defeated, beaten, conquered…
Not this time.
The C-squad boys basketball team put it all together on Thursday and beat visiting Alden-Conger 35-23 for their first win of the season.
And they did it without eighth grader Carson Lyons and freshman Bode Bartell. The precocious pair was saved for the B-squad and varsity games.
Gavin Karels scored the game’s first basket. The Knights, who beat the Clippers by two points on their own floor nine days prior, responded with a basket, but Elijah Mons put in a bucket, and the Clippers took a lead they would never abandon. Karels and Nathan Seeman (on the drive above) each added six more points, and the Clippers led 16-7 at the siesta.
The Clippers had trouble finding a grip on the ball early in the second half, and the Knights went on a six-point spurt to pull within three. But Karels pumped in a basket from behind the arc to extend the Clipper advantage.
The Knights echoed Karels though to again narrow their deficit to three, 19-16. From there, Seeman put up a shot that caromed off the rim, but he circled inside, grabbed the rebound and put it up for two. Mason Kluntz made a pair of fouls shots to widen the Clipper lead to seven, 23-16.
The Knights put in a pair of freebies, but Mons plopped in a basket. The Knights drove the baseline and scored, but Nathan Brink stole and assisted Seeman with a three-point basket that put the Clippers in front 28-20.
While the Knights were off target after that, the Clippers took over. Seeman put in a jumper, and Brink swiped an in-bound toss and cruised the length of a floor for a layup that put the Clippers up 32-20. Kluntz sunk a free throw, and Mons grabbed a rebound and scored for the final Clipper basket.
Seeman led the Clippers with 13 points. Karels contributed 11 points. Mons added six points. Kluntz had three points, and Brink chipped in a basket.
The C Clippers return to action tomorrow when they host Martin County West.
Elijah Mons watches the ball roll out of reach after he knocked it out of an Alden-Conger player’s hands.
Gavin Karels stretches for a jump shot.
Nathan Brink goes up for a layup after a steal and shore-to-shore drive.