Wabasso tops Greyhounds

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Adam Schumacher led four Wabasso players in double figures with 20 as the Rabbits used balanced scoring and some lapses by the Cathedral defense to stop the Hounds 70-64 Friday night in Tomahawk Conference basketball.

Schumacher's effort was aided by 16 points from Dan Mathiowetzm, 12 from Matt Samyn, and 11 from Brett Baune to improve to 4-3 in the conference and 5-5 overall.

Tom Hazuka paced Cathedral (4-3,5-5) with a game-high 24 points. Billy Schreiber tossed in 15 and Jacob Mertz 13.

'"We're disappointed with the loss," said Cathedral coach Bailey Blethen. "I cannot fault the effort of our kids tonight -- they played as hard as any team. But we just threw to many passes away (25 turnovers) and that has been our achille's heel all season. We had been getting better at cutting those down but tonight, we reverted back.But (Wabasso) has a very good team and I like the way that they pass the ball."

And that ability to pass the ball -- to players who were left wide open on the weakside baseline -- had just as much to do with the Rabbits heading home with a win as the Cathedral turnovers.

The Hounds, who will travel to rival Minnesota Valley Lutheran Monday night, held a 16-13 lead after the first quarter thanks in large part to Hazuka. The 5-foot 11 junior nailed two 3-balls and his bucket off a scramble for a loose ball gave Cathedral that three-point first quarter lead.

But Wabasso would run off a small 6-0 run to give the Rabbits a 21-19 lead with just under three minutes gone in the quarter. Those points would come on passes to that weakside base line for easy, contested baskets not only in that second quarter but also the rest of the game.

'We did not rotate -- we should be rotating to cover that pass but we did not get it done," commented Blethen. "That is something that we really need to work on."

Wabasso would never relinquish that lead the rest of the game despite the fact that both Jase Guetter (who would later foul out) and Dan Mathiowetz were both whistled for their third fouls.

Turnovers -by both teams - resulted in a just under three minute scoring drought by both teams before a Jacob Mertz' free throw moved the scoreboard and his free throw with :25 left in the first half kept the Hounds close at 27-24 at the break.

Billy Schreiber's basket to open the third quarter pulled the Hounds to within one point before the Rabbit's Schumacker took a pass from Brett Baune when the Hounds failed to rotate down. That preceeded a trey by Baune and Matt Samyn's bucket on a Cathedral turnover for a 34-26 lead. That not only cost the Hound's momentum but starting guard Tony Moldan left the game with what was initially diagnosed after the game as a sprained ACL.

Wabasso built that lead to 40-30 on consecutive baskets by Schumacher on back-to-back turnovers by the Hounds.

However, Cathedral would get back into the game, cutting the magin to four points when Mertz sank four free throws 24 seconds apart with 2:15 left in the game at 60-56.

But a three-point play by Schumacher which resulted in Billy Schreiber's fifth foul, a two charity tosses by Baune lifted Wabasso to a 65-56 lead with 1:31 left in the game.,

"Billy (Scheiber) and Jacob (Mertz) stepped up tonight but Tom (Hazuka) is our go-to guy right now," said Blethen. "But again, our kids played with a lot effort tonight. We just cannot turn the ball over and we need to shut down those open passes."

Cathedral lost the "B" game 57-49. Adam Neubauer led CHS with 15 points while Cole Guetter paced Wabasso with 25.