MVL runs streak to 5

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers boy's basketball team won their fifth straight game to improve to 5-3 in the Tomahawk Conference and 7-5 overall with an 82-64 win over Springfield Tuesday night in Tomahawk Conference play.

Nathan Nass was one of three Chargers in double figures with 18 points. Jake Firle added 15 and Karl Struck 10. Thirteen Charger players scored in the game.

Sophmore Bill Vogel led Springfield (3-6, 3-8) with a game-high 24 points. Matt McNutt tossed in 11.

"I was pleased with my team's performance," said Charger coach Craig Morgan, who saw his team's defense force 23 Tiger turnovers in the game. "We got a lot of kids in -- they got some minutes and some game experience. We tried a few different things tonight which did help us out -- it gave us a different look. We can go eight or nine players deep now without a drop-off in quality which has made a difference."

The Chargers, who play at Cedar Mountain Friday before hosting GFW next Tuesday, trailed only once in the game -- that at 2-0 -- before MVL outscored the Tigers 15-2 to take a comfortable 15-4 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter.

It was a four minute span where the Charger defense -- and poor passsing by Springfield -- resulted in seven turnovers and nine points off of those Springfield miscues.

"We have had problems with unforced turnovers early in the game all season," said Tiger coach Dennis Youngerberg. "They just took us right out of our game -- and it is not that MVL's defense was awesome. We just were very careless taking care of the ball. We have worked hard on it all season in practice -- we have changed starting line-ups so many times. Maybe continuity is a problem but I have not been able to find five players that have been consistent to put out there."

That 11-point lead would swell to 26-8 to end the first quarter as the Chargers would score the final nine points of the first eight minutes on baskets by consecutive baskets by Nathan Nass, a three-point play from Jake Firle and two charity shots by Andrew Harpestad.

"Anytime that you have to play catch-up, you cannot go to what you want to do," said Youngerberg. "It is hard -- we were outmanned and outhustled."

The Chargers kept up the intensity, taking a 34-14 lead midway through the second quarter on baskets by reserve Mark Thiesfeldt and Karl Struck -- both coming courtesy of Tiger turnovers -- before taking a 24-point lead of 43-19 with 2:25 left in the first half on a three-point play from the hands of Ben Polzin.

Despite the big lead, the Chargers retained the intensity and did not let down.

"We changed defenses and talked about the little things like denying the pass to the wing and looking for the guy going backdoor," said Morgan. "We want to put more pressure on the post area and we tweaked it a little bit."

MVL then built their biggest lead of the game of 59-27 with 4:45 left in the third quarter thanks to a 9-0 run highlighted by a steal and dunk by Firle.

For the Tigers, it was a quarter -- and eventually a half -- that displayed the skills of the sophmore Bill Vogel. He canned 22 of his game-high 24 points in the second half.

"He played well -- he is a good shooter. That was not an accident," commnented Youngerberg. "He can really shoot."

MVL would hold leads varying from 29 to 17 before takng home the 18-point win.

'"We have string of three and four tough games coming up here" said Morgan. "I was happy that we were able to get all the players in -- this is a very unselfish team -- they dish the ball off well. That is what makes it fun to watch when one guy makes a great play and dishes the ball off," said Morgan. "It is catchy."

MVL also won the "B" game 65-44.

David Petersen led MVL with 26 points while Abe Krueger led Springfield with 13.

SPRINGFIELD 8 17 13 26--64

MVL 26 22 17 17--82

SPRINGFIELD (64): Vogel 24, McNutt 11, Wilhelmi 7, Larson 6, Lyle 5, Tews 4, Potter 3, Marz 2, Moritz 2.

MINNESOTA VALLEY LUTHERAN (82): Nass 18, Firle 15, Struck 10, Lendt 7, Beilke 7, Petersen 5, Polzin 5, Harpestad 5, Shoop 2, Holzhueter 2, Halvorson 2, Thiesfeldt 2, Krohn 2.

SESM 55, McLeod West 42

SLEEPY EYE -- The St. Mary's boys came out strong against McLeod West and went on to beat them 55-42 Thursday.

The Knights outscored the Falcons 26-8 in the first quarter, and even though they scored just four points in the fourth quarter, they had a large enough margin to win.

The Knights also shot 11-15 free throws, and they shot 43 percent from the floor, just two percent better than McLeod West.

Matt Gangelhoff led the Knights with 10 points, Kyle Ludewig scored nine and grabbed six rebounds, and Joey Wahl also scored nine. Rob Brandle had eight rebounds. Matt Mathiowetz had four assists and five steals for the Knights.

Darrin Rosenau and Lance Bussler each made 10 points for McLeod West.

The Knights are now 10-0 overall, 8-0 in the Tomahawk, and McLeod West is 1-8 overall and 1-7.

McLeod West plays at Springfield Friday, and St. Mary's hosts Sleepy Eye High School.

McLEOD WEST 8 9 8 17--42

ST MARYS 26 13 12 4--55

Nicollet 75, Cleveland 54

NICOLLET -- Nicollet controlled the boards and handed Cleveland a 75-54 loss in Valley Conference boys basketball action Tuesday.

Mike Rosin and Jamie Mettler had 10 rebounds each for the Raiders, who had a 39-22 edge on the boards, 19 of them offensive rebounds.

The Raiders dominated the first quarter action, taking a 19-7 lead. Cleveland battled to stay even, but couldn't cut into the Raiders's lead.

Paul Nourie led the Nicollet scoring with 19 points and eight rebounds. Rosin had 16 points and Mettler had 10 points and four assists.

Tony Hulke had eight points and eight assists for Nicollet.

Cleveland was led by Tavish Satrom with 17 points.

Nicollet, 4-1 in the conference, 7-1 overall, faces Lake Crystal-Welcome Memorial in Garden City on Friday.

Nicollet 19 18 20 18--75

Cleveland 7 17 11 19--54

Cathedral 66, BL-H 63

HECTOR -- New Ulm Cathedral held off BL-H to get a 66-63 win in Tomahawk Conference boys basketball Tuesday.

Cathedral jumped out to a 22-12 first quarter lead but the Mustangs crawled back in it and tied the game with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

But down the stretch Cathedral made the free throws they needed to and that was the clincher. Tom Hazuka poured in 29 points for the Greyhounds and Joe Hazuka added 13 points.

BL-H, who falls to 3-9, was led by Brandon Miller who had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Mitch McCormick had 13 points and Josh Vandervort scored 11 points for the Mustangs.

Cathedral, 3-5 in conference, 4-7 overall, plays next at Wabasso on Friday.

BL-H, 2-6 in conference, 3-9 overall, travels to Winthrop to face GFW on Friday.