Greyhounds run away from Indians, 69-54

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- For the second time in as many games, the Sleepy Eye High Indians spotted an opponent a 7-0 lead.

And for the second straight game, it was too much to overcome.

New Ulm Cathedral jumped to an 11-0 lead before Sleepy Eye High scored and the Hound defense limited the Indians to 11 first-half points as Cathedral improved to 6-6 in the Tomahawk Conference and 7-8 overall with a 69-54 win over the Indians.

Will Moeller led Cathedral with 15 points, with Billy Schreiber and Dave Groebner each collecting 10 points as all 11 players on the Cathedral roster broke into the scoring column.

Josh Hadley paced Sleepy Eye High (6-4, 9-5) with a game-high 18 points. Bryce Belseth and David Ludewig each scored 10.

"I thought that defensively our kids really did a nice job," commented Cathedral coach Dab Wolfe. "We were very concerned about Josh Hadley (at the point guard) and we needed to to a good job of slowing him down and I thought that Brandon Reinarts did a nice job."

Hadley was held scoreless in the first half.

While Reinarts held Hadley without a point in the first 16 minutes, the remainder of the Hounds also put some defense on the Indians, forcing 12 first-half turnovers and holding the Indians to 14 shots from the field in that span.

"We had a terrible start," said Indian coach Ted Critchley. "We lacked any intensity in that first half. We began the year well but I think that we have peaked and I don't mean that in a negative way. You know that other good teams like MVL, Cathedral and Springfield are getting better. We have to do that to. We are out of Xs and Os, right now it is little things."

Will Moeller's trey ignited the 11-0 run that ended when Belseth, who fouled out along with teammates Ludewig and Todd Schewe, hit a jumper and Schewe followed to cut the lead to 11-4.

But Cathedral outscored the Indians 13-3 to take a 24-7 lead midway through the second quarter as Schreiber hit back-to-back baskets and then extended that margin to 27-9 three minutes later.

But more importantly, the last two Cathedral baskets were the result of fouls called on Belseth and Schewe, each whistled for their third foul with just over a minute left in the first half.

"It certainly hurt when they got into foul trouble," said Wolfe. "That made things difficult for them. We were able to take advantage of them when they were in foul trouble because they had to keep their players on the floor."

Joey Schugel's 3-ball with two seconds left in the first half lifted the Hounds to a 31-11 lead at halftime.

Cathedral maintained a comfortable lead before the Indians tried to claw back. They cut the lead to 38-21 on two Belseth free throws and a Schewe basket and dug deeper into that lead later in the quarter. Josh Hadley's basket and free throw and a trey from David Ludewig saw the Indians down 44-29.

"We went all man defense and went with more full-court pressure," said Critchley. "But with our depth, it is hard to go full-court pressure the whole game."

That Indian defense in the second half limited Cathedral to only four field goals. But that defense also sent Hound to the foul line 10 times in the third quarter and the Hounds made eight, and 26 times in the fourth quarter with Cathedral hitting on 22.

For the game, Cathedral was 37-for-47 from the line. Sleepy Eye High was 9-for-17.

The Hounds won the B-squad game 43-25. Tom Hazuka led Cathedral with 19 while Jake Radel and Joe Braun each scored six for the Indians.

SLEEPY EYE 5 6 20 23--54

CATHEDRAL 18 13 14 24--69

SLEEPY EYE (54): Hadley 18, Belseth 10, Ludewig 10, Keil 7, Schewe 6, Ibberson 3.

CATHEDRAL (69): Moeller 15, Schreiber 10, Groebner 10, Schugel 8, Biebl 6, Schmitz 5, Goblirsch 5, Moldan 4, Osborne 2, Reinarts 2, Mertz 2.