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Abe Paulzine Nate Kleven
The MCC boys’ basketball team would be in action for the home opener Tuesday night as the C and B squads would each get their first action of the year and the varsity would compete in their third contest of the season.
The C-Team is made up of 11 Freshman, making the jump from Jr. High basketball to high school basketball. An exciting time for these players filled with anxiousness and nerves as for any first game you never quite know what to expect.
The game started out looking like both teams were just trying to settle into the game as the defenses prevailed early, neither team able to connect on different shots. But MCC would be first to score and never looked back, leading the entire game, but Lakeview definitely put pressure on the Rebels in the second half. Scoring 17 points in both halves, MCC had a balanced offensive attack, the biggest difference in the first half to the second half was the MCC defense. Four players would find their way into the scoring column as Hudson Schryvers led the charge with 24 points, Gavin Gillette had 4, Andrew Holm 2, Dylan Kluis 3, and Jackson Kramer 1.
In frame one the Rebels gave up only 6 points, in the second half Lakeview scored 25 points. Some big baskets down the stretch and timely stops allowed the C-Team to win their season opener 34-31.
The B-Squad would be in a similar contest, jumping out to a nice lead in the first half with strong defense and balanced offense leading into a second half of balanced offense but not as stingy of defense.
The Rebels would score 16 points in the first half and 17 in the second and the defense gave up 8 points in the first half and 19 in the second. Clutch free throws down the stretch would help secure the 33-27 victory for the Rebels as the B-Squad was able to get their season off to a 1-0 start. Six rebels would get their name in the score book, as Dylan Kramer and Ross Englekes would lead the way with 8 points apiece. Owen Gillette would end the game with 7, Wyatt Loosbrock and Hudson Schryvers each had 4, and Talan Felber would connect on 2 FT’s to end the game with 2.
The varsity game would get off to a similar start as the first two games of the night, but only the inverse as Lakeview’s athleticism would cause the Rebels issues in the first half. Connecting to bodies and boxing out would prove to be challenging as well as transition defense as the Rebels seemed to be a step behind most of the first half. Digging a hole that would be tough to climb out of against a very good Lakeview Laker squad, but the Rebels didn’t quit and turned in a strong second half performance to give themselves a chance as the game went on.
Lakeview would knock down 18 shots, counting free throws compared to MCC’s 9 made shots also counting free throws in the first half. A recipe for falling behind. Boxing out and securing rebounds would be a big part of the discrepancy as Lakeview would have multiple second and third shot attempts on possessions whether it be after a field goal attempt or a free throw. As poor as that aspect of the game may have been the Rebels were only down 33-17 at the break thanks to a Derek Kluis free throw to end the half.
The second half is where the game would get interesting. MCC would score as many points as they did in the first half in the first 6 minutes of the second half putting pressure back on the Lakers. Chant Mitchell and Nate Kleven would go to work as Mitchell would score 10 of his 14 points in the half and Kleven would connect on 6 of his 14 points for the Rebels. The seniors would go a combined 13-22 from the field and secure 9 rebounds apiece for the Rebels, giving the team an established post presence.
Playing through Kleven and Mitchell would open up opportunities from beyond the arc, unfortunately on this night the Rebels were ice cold from deep, shooting 3-26, or 12% from downtown. The shots were rarely contested, but Lakeview’s athleticism looked to speed up some of the shots, creating unbalanced footwork before the release. Ultimately though, great looks for the Rebels that will prove to be a strength of this team moving forward.
With the Rebels playing even basketball with Lakeview in the second half, with both teams scoring 28 points, you could see the fight in this group and the competitive drive. You could also see the potential early in the season against a very good team from the North section, of what type of basketball this Rebel squad is capable of.
It’s a game of fundamentals, looking back on this ball game, a couple possessions finished with defensive rebounds, a couple more made free throws, and a couple more made three point shots, a couple less high percentage shots given up, and you make up the 16-point deficit in a hurry. Fixable aspects of the game for the young squad early in the season, making for an exciting and great opportunity for the Rebels as they move forward this year.
Scoring: Chant Mitchell and Nate Kleven with 14 each. Tanner Graphenteen had 6, Derek Kluis 5, Aidan Dierks 3, Ryan Risacher 2, and Abe Paulzine 1, rounded out the scoring.
Rebounds Chant Mitchell and Nate Kleven 9, Tanner Graphenteen with an impressive 7.
Assists: Tanner Graphenteen led with 3.
The Rebels were 17-51 from the field. 3 of 26 from beyond the arc and 8-15 from the charity stripe. The final score of the Varsity game was Lakeview 61, MCC 45.
