HBC 70 - MCC 68
Rebels Fall Just Short in Heartbreaker Against HBC. A week after playing top 10 ranked Hills Beaver Creek in Slayton and losing by 34, the Rebels boys basketball team played possibly their most complete game of the season in Hills Tuesday night. MCC led most of the game in the first half and the two teams went back and forth in the second half, with MCC having a shot at the buzzer to win. Losing by 2 points, 70-68. Quite the turnaround in a week’s time. Moral victory maybe, but the Rebels are looking for bigger and better things as they look to continue improving through the stretch run of the season, going into the playoffs.
The Rebel offense was efficient. Time and time again they broke the HBC 1-2-2 press and attacked the basket. They were taking care of the basketball and creating openings for high percentage opportunities around the basket. Getting stops on defense would also allow MCC’s offense to go against HBC’s man to man defense more consistently than their first match-up a week ago. HBC plays zone on made baskets and dead balls and man to man on live action. The Rebels were able to score against both, especially in the first half, putting up 39 points.
Junior Aidan Swenson led the Rebels with 24 points on an efficient 12-of-16 shooting performance, while Seniors, Gavin Gillette and Hudson Schryvers added 13 and 10 points respectively. The Rebels shot an impressive 52% from the field and were perfect from the freethrow line, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5-of-14 three-pointers.
The Rebels also struggled to keep HBC off the boards and take care of the ball in key moments. A couple of costly turnovers and second-chance points for HBC made the difference in the outcome, as the Rebels couldn’t capitalize on a final shot opportunity for the win. Despite the loss, the team showed resilience and determination, setting the stage for a strong response in their next contest.
Leading Scorers: Aidan Swenson, 24. Gavin Gillette, 13. Hudson Schryvers, 10. Leading Rebounders: Aidan Swenson, 9. Leading Steals: Gavin Gillette, Hudson Schryvers, and Andrew Holm all had 2. Leading Assists: Hudson Schryvers, 8. Dylan Kluis, 4. Gavin Gillette, 3.
