BOYS CELEBRATE BACK-TO-BACK WINS AT HOME

January 15: RTR at MCC

The MCC Rebel Boys Basketball team was at home for the second time this week. The Rebels were playing host to the RTR Knights, a team that Rebels have not beaten since 2018. In fact, Coach Tim Cariveau was looking for his first ever win against the Knights. The Rebels and the Knights were both coming off losses to the Hills Beaver Creek Patriots. RTR lost to them a week earlier and the Rebels on Monday night. This would turn into the strangest game in a long time, but the Rebels would get the win.

The game started quickly for the RTR Knights, as they jumped out to a Drake lead. Jens Drake and Juhl Drake combined to score the teams’ first seven points and RTR led the Rebels 7-2. The two shots the duo made would be the only two made shots from the field for RTR in the entire first half. The Rebels were able to get the ball into the low post and Aidan Swenson scored eight first half points. That inside play would open up the outside shot for the Rebels, who got a three point basket from Cayden Veldhuisen and Max Mathiason in the first half. The Rebels led at the half, 17 to 10, one of the lowest scoring first halves I can remember from an MCC Rebel basketball team, in a game in which they actually had the lead.

The second half only saw slightly more offense, as the defense and missed shots dominated the play. The Rebels started slowly, but picked things up when the Rebels, for about three possessions, found the groove from the three point line. Dugan Kluis made a long three to beat the shot clock from the spiking line on the volleyball court and then Cayden Veldhuisen made a pair of triples, as the Rebels lead ballooned to double figures. RTR picked up their defensive pressure and forced the Rebels into one turnover after another. One shot would lead to two and three, as they claimed offensive rebound after offensive rebound. What didn’t come was points, as the Knights failed to score. Colten Thomson would score 10 second half points for RTR. The rest of the team scored 14. The Rebels, on the other hand, managed a total of 22 points in the second half and that would be enough for the win 39 to 34.

Aidan Swenson led the Rebels with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Cayden Veldhuisen finished with 9 points and Dugan Kluis added 7. Wyatt Thompson scored 6 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Thomson was the only Knight in double figures with 11. The next leading scorer were Lane Wichmann and Jens Drake who scored 6 points each. The Rebels shot 35% from the field but the Knights shot 14% from the field and just 6% in the first half. MCC turned the ball over 25 times and only forced the Knights into 11, but the Knights failed to score. The Rebels will be back in action on Tuesday against HLOF.

January 20: HLOF at MCC

The MCC Rebel Boys Basketball team was back at home Tuesday, looking for back-toback home wins after their victory over RTR last Thursday.

The Rebels began their second trip through the Red Rock Conference by playing HLOF for the second time this season. They struggled on December 22nd in Okabena against the Coyotes, trailing at the half before storming back in the second. Tuesday it was all Rebels from beginning to the end.

The Rebels played one of their best first halves of the season, and though they missed a few too many shots, it didn’t phase them. The Rebels played a very good defensive half, combining the defense with a balanced offense. The Rebels had 8 different players score in the first half, each with at least 4 points. Their top scorer at the half was Tayden Beerman, who finished with 8 points. The Coyotes scored 10 points the entire half. MCC outscored the Coyotes 36 to 5 over the last 10 minutes of the half, leading 44 to 10 at the break.

The second half flew by, with the running clock starting at the 9-minute mark. The Rebels scored 9 of the first 10 points of the half, increasing their lead. Dugan Kluis and Wyatt Thompson scored 4 points each in the second half to lead the Rebels. While the Coyotes scored more points in the second half, it was not enough to threaten the Rebels’ lead. The Coyotes final total did not match the Rebels first half scoring. Eli Gillette knocked down a big three that had MCC fans cheering. The Rebels got the win 65 to 24.

The Coyotes turned the ball over 19 times, compared to the Rebels 9. The Coyotes leading scorers finished with 4 points, while the Rebels had 8 different players score four or more points. The Coyotes finished the game shooting under 20 percent, compared to the Rebels 39 percent from the field. The Rebels leading scorers were Wyatt Thompson and Tayden Beerman, who scored 11 points each. Thompson led the Rebels with 9 rebounds. MCC is now 8-4 on the season heading into a Friday night showdown at Adrian Ellsworth.