Chargers pull away

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Minnesota Valley Lutheran outscored New Ulm Cathedral 47-26 in the second half and won their sixth straight game with a 71-51 win over the Greyhounds Tuesday night in Tomahawk Conference boys basketball.

Dan Unke, who was held to three points in the first half, finished with 15 points for the Chargers (9-2, 7-1). Aaron Madson tossed in 13, Jacob Firle 12 and Justin Ohm 11.

Will Moeller paced Cathedral (4-6, 3-4) with a game-high 25 points.

"I think that we played a night and day game," said Charger head coach Craig Morgan. "We didn't play well in the first half (21 points, seven turnovers, 6-of-21 from the field). But in the second half, we made some adjustments. We got some playing out of some kids that I was really happy with."

"We played exceptionally well in the first half," commented Hounds' head coach Dan Wolfe. "We wanted to slow the game and spread the floor out because they will come out with a lot of overplay. We wanted to try and take advantage of that and spread them out. Once we got them a little bit back, then we could run our regular offensive set. In the first half, the kids did a great job executing the game plan."

MVL took a 9-6 lead after one quarter -- a quarter that saw Danny Liggett, Tom Metzger and Jesse Pfeifer whistled for their second fouls.

The Chargers would use 3-balls from Ohm and Madson to take a 17-9 lead with 5:09 left in the first half and then take a 24-15 lead when Unke, who did not take a shot in the first quarter, canned a trey with just under two minutes left in the first half.

But a Dave Groebner rebound basket and ensuing free throw jump-started the Hounds. Moeller hit a bank shot and followed that with a turnaround jumper to cut the lead to 24-22 with :22 left in the first half. Moeller then gave Cathedral their first lead of the game when he sank a a shot from beyond the arch with :02 left in the half for a 25-24 Hounds' lead.

Moeller accounted for 14 of Cathedral's 25 first-half points.

"They executed well," said Morgan about the 10-0 run by the Hounds to close out the first half. "Will is a guy that can light it up at any time. He can score from anywhere."

But the Chargers opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run to assume a 32-25 lead as Jason Lohmiller and Liggett each scored. Liggett then dished off back-to-back assists to Pfeifer for that lead.

The Hounds came back to tie the game at 32-32 on Joey Schugel's trey with 3:55 left in the third quarter. But Unke's three-point play started a 7-0 run that saw MVL take a 39-32 lead -- a lead that they would not lose.

Leading 46-36 after three quarters, the Chargers saw Cathedral's Moeller hit a jumper to slice the lead to 48-40, but those would be the last Hound points until Moeller hit a bucket almost three minutes later. By then, the Chargers had a comfortable 58-42 lead with 3:32 left in the game.

"We just played an overall better second half," said Morgan.

"We put together two good quarters tonight, but that is not enough to win a game," said Wolfe.

The Chargers also won the C- and B-squad game. The C team won 39-31, with Joe Basel scoring eight for MVL. Dustin Hillesheim led CHS with eight.

The MVL B team won 43-28. Jimmy Vancura scored 11 for the Hounds and Nathan Nass and Andy Harpestad each also scoring 11 for MVL.

MVL 9 15 22 25 -- 71

CHS 6 19 11 15 -- 51

MVL (71): Unke 15, Madson 13, Firle 12, Ohm 11, Metzger 6, Lohmiller 6, Liggett 4, Pfeifer 4.

CHS (51): Moeller 25, Schugel 8, Schreiber 8, Groebner 7, Osborne 2, Goblirsch 1.