Lendt lends MVL a hand

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- With point guard Andy Beilke in foul trouble for much of the game, Minnesota Valley Lutheran's Dustin Lendt saw his chance to get more shots and he seized the opportunity.

Lendt scored a game-high 22 points and Nathan Nass scored 20 as the Chargers defeated Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Friday night in Tomahawk Conference boys basketball action.

Lendt hit two 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the second half.

"I was surprised that we had a lot of open shots, because our point guard did a great job driving and we'd have a nice open look," Lendt said.

The Chargers defense pressed the Thunderbirds most of the game and the turnovers led to easy transition baskets for MVL.

"I think we played solid defense," Lendt said. "We got Andy [Beilke] up there to put pressure on the ball. And then I tell my teammates I'll run them up the sideline and I'll count on them that they will be there too and we'll put a trap on them."

"I think turnovers was the problem," GFW coach Rick Busse said. "I think more so it was just a matter of not getting back and sometimes it was the result of a turnover -- sometimes it was a result of playing defense 80 feet in front of the basket instead of getting back and playing defense in the paint."

Beilke scored nine points, had four assists and three steals and Dustin Lange scored eight and grabbed eight rebounds. Nass had seven rebounds for the Chargers.

Patrick O'Malley scored 20 points for the Thunderbirds.

"He creates a lot of his catches, and when he gets himself focused on getting the ball, he's a tough man to match up on," Busse said.

Jack Sallstrom scored 12 points and Eli Werner tallied nine for the Thunderbirds (0-2), who host Wabasso Thursday.

The Chargers jumped out to an 11-2 lead after a turnover at midcourt led to Lendt's transition basket underneath.

"We thought we could put some pressure on their guards a little bit more than we had the week before," Craig Morgan said. "The guys did a real good job of getting the pressure on them, rotating and anticipating the passes."

The Chargers continued to put the pressure on and took a 26-14 lead on Nass' 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Thunderbirds crawled back to within eight, but a 3-pointer by Beilke stretched the lead to 32-21 MVL. Andrew Shoop's 3-pointer made it 39-24 before halftime.

In the third quarter, Nass put MVL up 48-28 as the Charger defense was rested and continued to wreak havoc. MVL led 61-40 after three quarters and finished the night with a 17-point win.

"Overall we think it went real good," Lendt said. "We played solid defense and we had some good open looks at the hoop. Other than foul trouble, we did real excellent."

MVL (2-0) hosts Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Tuesday.

Cedar Mountain/Comfrey 80,

Sleepy Eye 41

SLEEPY EYE -- Cedar Mountain/Comfrey had six players score in double figures as they beat Sleepy Eye 80-41 in Tomahawk basketball action Friday.

Andrew Larsen scored 15 points, Brady Rose, Darren Tighe and David Krenz each scored 13, Tom Larsen scored 11 and Brent Kopischke had 10.

After the half, CM/C was up 27-20, but broke open the game in the third quarter. The Cougars had 11 three-pointers and shot 10-for-13 from the free throw line.

For Sleepy Eye, Andrew Rodrigues scored 16 points.

Sleepy Eye (1-1) plays at Springfield Tuesday, and CM/C hosts Buffalo Lake-Hector.

RRC 45, Edgerton 27

RED ROCK CENTRAL -- Mark Engen lead the Red Rock Central boys basketball team with nine points, 15 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists to a 45-27 Red Rock Conference win against Edgerton.

Red Rock Central's Andy DeKock had 14 points and Dusty Sykorka had 11. RRC outrebounded Edgerton 39-31.

RRC (2-1, 2-0) is at Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin on Thursday.

Wabasso 75, McLeod West 64

BROWNTON -- Matt Samyn scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds to lead Wabasso to the Tomahawk boys basketball win over the Falcons.

Dan Mathiowetz had 14 points and Alex Plotz had 12 assists for the Rabbits. Lance Bussler led McLeod West with 21 points and seven rebounds and Brian Duehn had 16 points and seven rebounds. Jake Maurer had six assists for the Falcons.

McLeod West (0-1) hosts New Ulm Cathedral Tuesday.