La Crosse Aquinas opens with a win over Caledonia

The Aquinas Excessive College boys basketball crew knew it must defend Friday night time.

Caledonia does not have the identical crew because it has for the previous eight years or so, however the Warriors will put strain on their opponents with tempo, ball motion and loads of taking pictures choices.

The Blugolds fought again, lower down on turnovers within the second half and held on for a stable 74-64 victory over Caledonia within the opening sport of the Midwest Gamers Basic on the La Crosse Middle.

“We knew they have been going to unfold us round and actually come at us off the dribble,” Aquinas coach Brad Reinhart stated of the Warriors. “It is actually exhausting to defend whenever you’re specializing in 4 landing streaks in a row. You are going to hand over some 3s, however you have to do what you’ll be able to.”

Caledonia (3-5) was restricted to 6 3-pointers – sophomore Mason King had 4 for a team-high 24 factors – and Aquinas (10-1) discovered a option to maintain them to 2 within the second half. regularly pulled away and took his second straight victory.

Junior Tanner Peterson scored 25 and junior teammate Walter Burns added 22 for the Blugolds, who trailed solely as soon as within the second half after a tie at halftime and at all times appeared to have a solution when the Warriors scored just a few targets. baskets.

A 14-3 run early within the second half ended with a basket by Kole Keppel to offer Aquinas a 51-43 lead with 10 minutes, 59 seconds left.

Caledonia was capable of make it one possession twice — a basket by Garrett Konz made it 52-49 at 9:03 and a layup by King made it 54-51 at 7:23 — however the Blugolds at all times discovered a solution. .

“I really feel like our depth within the sport was higher,” stated Burns, who’s averaging 21.7 factors per sport and has scored 48 factors in his final two video games. “We positively needed to improve our depth to play higher like we did.”

Peterson scored 12 factors within the first half and 13 factors within the second half. He hit two free throws after King’s basket lower the result in three, then hit an enormous 3 to offer Aquinas a 62-53 lead with 4:43 left.

“It is a massive win in opposition to an excellent crew,” Peterson stated. “This can be a actually good crew. They do not have a variety of expertise, however they discovered from Eli (King, who’s now at Iowa State) and noticed the crew win a variety of video games. They’ve tasted it.”

The Warriors took a success when 6-foot-3 sophomore Ethan Stendel received into foul hassle early. He picked up his fourth at 14:39, creating rebound issues for the Warriors.

“I do not know what Aquinas has for offensive rebounds, nevertheless it was greater than us,” stated Caledonia coach Brad King, whose crew additionally received 20 factors from junior Lewis Doyle. “Every part adjustments lots with Ethan popping out. “I nonetheless felt like I needed to play him, nevertheless it was troublesome for us.”

Stendel fouled out at 9:59 and Aquinas led 52-47.

The Warriors appeared to have the tempo they needed, and Burns stated the Blugolds have been able to play that manner, too. Neither crew scored greater than six factors within the first half, and Caledonia scored three straight baskets to take a 35-33 lead earlier than Sam Dickinson compelled a 35-35 tie on a layup for Aquinas.

“Offensively, I really feel like we received a variety of photographs that we needed,” Brad King stated. “I do not suppose we have executed too a lot of them, aside from Mason.”