SWC BEATS REBELS IN CLOSE GAME AT HOME

The Rebel fans were in for three highly competitive games Thursday night as SWC came to town. All games would be decided by 7 points or less as a great crowd created an outstanding atmosphere to play ball in.

The C-Squad would kick things off with an outstanding effort against the team that beat them two days prior, 52-33. An outstanding defensive effort saw the Rebels playing defense in sync as they forced 20 turnovers, 15 were steals. Another effort category is rebounding, in the first match-up MCC didn’t fare to well, in this game it was a different story as you watched players fundamentally box out and go after the ball. 12 offensive rebounds for MCC almost matched their total amount of rebounds from the first match-up. Combine their effort on the defensive end and the will to play physical, MCC would cut the number of points they gave up in half and won the rematch 28-26.

The B-Squad would be in for a barn burner as well. Although MCC would get off to a slow start, giving up the first three scores to SWC before answering back on offense, from then on it was anyone’s game. As mentioned the slow start was full of turnovers and tentative offensive play, but then MCC started to ramp up their efforts on the defensive end, which turned into aggressive offense. The game would go between one or two possession leads for almost the entirety of the first half for both teams, but SWC would end the half with a score to take a 23-18 lead.

The second half played out a lot like the first where neither team would pull away. One of the differences was free throws. MCC would only attempt 3 and make 1, as SWC would attempt 10 and make 7. Take the free throws for the entire game, SWC 11-15 and MCC 1-3, and the 11 offensive rebounds SWC secured, it proved to be just a bit too much to overcome. SWC earned the win 46-42.

In a battle of two 5-1 Red Rock Conference teams, the 11-4 SWC Eagles and the 8-7 MCC Rebels put on a show for all the fans in attendance in person or watching from home. The two teams slugged it out like a heavy weight prize fight, delivering different types of blows and bouncing back over and over again. In the end it’s too bad one team had to lose, because both teams looked physically exhausted, putting forth great efforts, but that is the beauty of competition, dealing with defeat and coming back the next game to give it your all again.

This game started with MCC taking the early 3-0 lead on a Tanner Graphenteen free throw and a Chant Mitchell attack and finish up the right lane line. The lead wouldn’t last for long as Dawson Rieck would drill a long three-point shot to tie the game up. The teams would trade turnovers, but SWC would hold an early edge in offensive rebounds and possessions ending with a shot, scoring the next 6 points and leading 9-3. Then entered Aidan Dierks. On his first possession in Christian Tentinger found Nate Kleven for a post touch, and the Senior kissed it off the glass for two. But the Dierks fireworks wouldn’t ignite for a few more minutes, we will get to that. SWC went for another mini run, leading 13-5, until Chant Mitchell scored again in transition. The two teams would stay deadlocked at 13-7, until Christian Tentinger finished an acrobatic lay-up in transition, making it look easy. But SWC doing what they do would drill a 3 on their next possession to lead 16-9, MCC would turn it over a couple of times with some less than strong pass ing and a travel which led to another SWC bucket in transition. Up 18-9, MCC looked a little out of sorts on both ends, but they continued to play hard. SWC would again score, creating the first double digit lead of the game at 20-9, both teams would trade turnovers and then Dierks would begin to ignite the crowd. Back to back three-point shots from the left corner, had MCC back in the game, the crowd was pumped up, the defense started to get stops and we had ourselves a ball game and Dierks wasn’t done yet.

Physical play would ensue, as both teams would dig in and make each other earn everything. SWC would answer with a bucket, but Dierks would answer again with a three-ball from the corner, his third of the half. Tanner Graphenteen and Chant Mitchell would each add free throws to the mix, along with Connor Degreef, as a balanced attack made both teams tough to stop. Add the free throws to a little helter skelter play and the next thing you know a ball that bounces off of three different players ends up with a Nate Kleven hustle play, dishing to Mitchell for the deuce and it’s a three-point game. 24-27 in favor of the Eagles. SWC would drill another three on the ensuing possession and on the next dead ball Aidan Dierks would reenter the game, about 8 seconds later he would knock down his 4th three of the game. SWC would score on a couple free throws on their next possession and the score was now 30-32 in favor of SWC, but someone forgot about the left corner, and it wasn’t Aidan Dierks, he drilled his 5th three point shot. The sophomore brought excitement, energy, and passion to the game as Dierks and Chant Mitchell led the charge in the first half, scoring 15 and 10 respectively.

When the dust settled in the first half, SWC had 34 and MCC had 33 points. The biggest question would be going into the second half could either team keep up this style of play, high energy, high effort, just competitive ball.

SWC would start with the ball in the second half, but the Rebels would stop them on their first two possessions before Nate Kleven would give the Rebels their first lead of the night on a baby hook in the lane. SWC would go on a 4-0 to answer back before Chant Mitchell scored 2 of his 21 points from the right block. The two teams would trade 2’s a SWC dunk and 2 Mitchell free throws had the score 40-39 at the 13:49 mark. MCC would take a charge on the ensuing possession as Nate Kleven would put his body in harm’s way to pick up the big call. Guess who scored on the next MCC possession, Kleven would again use a baby hook and a soft touch on the rim to score the two. MCC would regain the lead 41-40.

Carter Van Hulzen would have a nice second half and he would drill back to back deep three point shots to give the Eagles a little cushion. Another bucket by the Eagles had them leading 48-42, but Dierks and Kleven would answer back with free throws and a lay-up. Down only 3, the Rebels would get a stop an offensive rebound and a big three point make from Mitchell to tie the game. At the 10:52 mark the score was deadlocked at 48-48.

Both teams would struggle to score for the next two minutes, but then SWC went on the next run. They pushed the score up to 60-53 by the 6-minute mark in the half. Free throws and high percentage post touches being the main mean of scoring. Free throws being one of the biggest keys to the game when it was all said and done. SWC ended the day 12-15 from the charity stripe while MCC would go 13-25. Going 7-17 in the second half. Both teams would play even from the 60-53 score, each scoring 10 more points in the last 6 minutes, giving the SWC Eagles a 70-63 win.

Scoring Leaders: Aidan Dierks 22, Chant Mitchell 21, Nate Kleven 8, Christian Tentinger 6, Tanner Graphenteen 5, Connor Degreef 1. Rebound Leaders: Nate Kleven 10, Chant Mitchell 5, Abe Paulzine and Christian Tentinger 4. Steals Leaders: Nate Kleven 3, Chant Mitchell, Christian Tentinger, and Tanner Graphenteen 2 each. Assist Leaders: Chant Mitchell, Christian Tentinger, and Tanner Graphenteen 3 each, Nate Kleven and Aidan Dierks 2 each.