St. Mary's overcomes LCWM Knights: Woitas 3-pointer sparks seniors in last regular season game

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Even though it was the last regular season home game for the seniors at Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, they might want to thank a sophomore who got them fired up.

Alan Woitas hit a 3-pointer on an out-of-bounds play from the corner with two seconds remaining in the first quarter to give St. Mary's an 11-10 lead over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial.

From there, the veterans took over and never relinquished the lead as St. Mary's defeated LCWM 70-41 Tuesday in nonconference boys basketball action.

Both teams got off to a rough first quarter due to a 4:15 start, but St. Mary's got into the flow of things in the second quarter.

"It was a game right after school, so it didn't have the same intensity as usual games have, but we had to come mentally prepared," Raul Martinez said.

"We kinda needed that [3-pointer], because we were just sitting back and letting it flow," Martinez said. "That kinda just set it off for the next half."

It was Alan Woitas' only basket of the game, but it woke up the St. Mary's Knights, who admitted that they perhaps overlooked LCWM right away.

"We just underplayed them, I guess," Joey Wahl said. "We didn't come out with as much intensity as we have been in the past games. We didn't take care of the ball as much either. It was pretty much a different experience for us being a four o'clock game."

Wahl led St.Mary's with 11 rebounds. He also scored eight points. Matt Mathiowetz scored 18 points to lead St. Mary's and Kyle Ludewig scored 14 points. Mathiowetz also had seven assists, four rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.

St. Mary's took a 20-12 lead on Matt Gangelhoff's 3-pointer, and Mathiowetz's jumper upped the lead to 28-18.

The St. Mary's defense picked it up in the second half, limiting LCWM to just one field goal -- a 3-pointer by Jesse VanSickle with 1:57 remaining in the quarter. St. Mary's went up 38-20 on baskets by Ludewig and Gangelhoff. Gangelhoff scored 11 points.

"After the first half, we knew we had to pick it up and we had a defensive goal set, and after that, we thought that they might reach it, so we had to pick it up," Wahl said. "We all started working together and everything, and it all came together."

Andrew Woitas' basket gave St. Mary's a 60-32 lead in the fourth quarter, and a 3-pointer by Mike Huiras put St. Mary's up 64-35. Andrew Woitas finished with six points -- all in the fourth quarter.

"It's fun to get out there and play," senior Elisha Biesanz said. "As a senior, this is my last home game. I look forward to the playoffs and going far and state, and doing what we can to improve ourselves."

St. Mary's (22-3) hosts the winner of New Ulm Cathedral and McLeod West Tuesday in the Section 2A, North Subsection playoffs.