Chargers throttle BLH

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota Valley Lutheran boys basketball team improved to 9-2 on the season Friday, routing Buffalo Lake-Hector 82-40 in Tomahawk Conference action at MVL gym.

"We wanted to play good defense tonight, and I think our kids played flawlessly in the first half defensively," Charger coach Craig Morgan said. "If there were any flaws it was our free-throw shooting, but the unselfishness and the defense were excellent. The kids came ready to play."

The game started slow, tied 1-1 before a Jason Lohmiller basket off a feed from Danny Liggett started MVL on a 10-0 run. Fast-break buckets from Liggett and Dan Unke would stretch the lead to 15-3, but the big play was an alley-oop dunk by Justin Ohm off an inbounds pass from Unke that got the crowd to its feet. The Chargers held a 21-7 lead at the end of one quarter.

"We weren't patient enough on offense (early on)," Morgan said. "We rushed shots ... it was the first look and we were shooting. We just needed to step back, dial it back a little bit, and look for a better shot. Once we did that we were OK."

Ohm would score the first four points of the second quarter, spurring the Chargers to a 13-2 run to up the lead to 34-9. BLH's Cole Carlson would stop the streak with three free throws, only to see MVL go on a 16-4 run to end the half with a 50-16 edge.

The starters came out after half and scored the first six points before being pulled. The second team kept up the pace as an Ohm 3-pointer put the finishing touches on a 15-0 run for a commanding 65-16 advantage.

The bench was emptied at that point, and 15 different Charger players would score points in the win.

"We have to get our bench guys some more time," Morgan said. "They put in a lot of time in practice, and they work like crazy. They're getting better and better each day, and they're challenging me a lot as to who gets to play and who doesn't."

The Mustangs (0-11, 0-7), behind two baskets from Luke Battes, would end the third quarter on a 12-4 run, but reserve guard Jeff Dolan got MVL going again with two nice dishes to Bryant Polzin and Shawn Black to begin the fourth. Battes and Justin Fredrickson each drained treys for the Mustangs in the fourth, but by that time the Chargers held a 77-28 edge. Battes scored nine points to lead BLH, with Fredrickson adding seven.

Liggett, Ohm, and Jesse Pfeifer each scored 11 points to lead the MVL attack, with Unke and Tom Metzger each adding eight. The Chargers will travel to face Cathedral Tuesday.

BLH 7 9 12 12--40

MVL 21 29 19 13--82

BLH (40): Battes 9, Fredrickson 7, Carlson 5, Stromley 4, C.McCormick 4, Kramer 3, Berg 2, Wittman 2, D.McCormick 2.

MVL (82): Liggett 11, Ohm 11, Pfeifer 11, Metzger 8, Unke 8, J.Beilke 5, Firle 5, Dettman 4, J. Beilke 4, Polzin 4, Lohmiller 3, Madson 3, Black 2, Leyrer 2, Bendix 1.