Chargers wear down Indians in fourth

By ANDY ROGERS

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- It was relatively close game ... up until the fourth quarter.

The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers wore down the Sleepy Eye High Indians to regain a hold on the conference with a win 74-58.

"It was just as tough as we expected," MVL head coach Craig Morgan said. "They've got some good players."

The Indians tried to match up with MVL's physical and quick game early.

"We wanted to slow the game down," Sleepy Eye head coach Scott Hadley said. "In the second half we went man to man and it seemed to work -- until the fourth quarter."

With six minutes left and the game tied at 50, MVL went on a 24-8 run.

"Basically what it boils down to is they got a solid first five and we don't have a solid first five," Hadley said. "They come off the bench with players and players -- we come off the bench and we get weaker and weaker. If we want to compete with a team like MVL -- we can for three quarters, but for four -- we can't. I'm hoping by the end of the year to develop the bench."

MVL's game plan was to shut down the Indian's key players.

"On defense, the number of players we use just wore them down," Morgan said. "We weren't going to let Josh Hadley and Bryce Belseth score or hurt us. Josh can shoot, dribble, drive and score from anywhere. And Bryce just compliments him real well. He's a total team player."

Josh Hadley led the Indians with 23 points. Jeremy Ibberson added 12 points. MVL held Belseth to seven points.

Aaron Madson led MVL with 14 points. Jacob Firle and Jason Lohmiller added 12 points. Jacob Beilke led MVL with nine rebounds

MVL usually had a few point lead from the get go. Early in the second, the Indians came close with the score 19-17. But drawing a foul on a successful three-point shot by Jeffrey Dolan swung the momentum back to MVL's side.

MVL continued to take charge later in the second by grabbing a couple of loose balls, making some key passes as they took the lead 31-21.

In the third, the Indians came out with a 11-4 run to come to within three points, but turnovers and fouls let MVL regain a larger lead.

MVL held a semi-comfortable lead of four to nine points for while, until Indian's Josh Hadley made a buzzer shot at the end of the third to come to within four points.

Sleepy Eye High came out strong to tie the game with six minutes to play in the fourth. But that would be the last time the Indians showed any life.

MVL and the Indians exchanged a number of fouls, and MVL just made a higher percentage of free throws.

"There was a stretch of three possession were no time came off the clock," Morgan said. "They fouled us, we fouled them -- we scored and no time came off the clock. Free throws were the key there."

Free-throw shooting played a big part in the Indian's demise.

"Good teams make free throws and (MVL) did," Hadley said.

MVL retook the lead 56-52 and ran away with it going on a 22-3 run and the Indians didn't return.

Hadley credits part of the Indians' demise in the fourth on the inability for the team to get the rebounds.

"We'd shoot and miss, we wouldn't get a second chance. (MVL) would miss a shot, they'd get two or three more chances. They killed us on the boards," Hadley said.

"Our depth got to them and it showed at the end of the game," Morgan said.

MVL improves to 11-1, 14-2 overall and will travel Cedar Mountain/Comfrey Friday.

The Indians fall to 8-5. They will host New Ulm Cathedral Friday.