MVL routs Hounds for Bethany consolation title

By ANDY ROGERS

Journal Sports Editor

MANKATO -- Many times the team that plays the best wins the game.

And New Ulm Cathedral coach Bailey Blethen said there is a long list of things Minnesota Valley Lutheran did ... well ... better in the consolation championship game of the Fourth Annual Bethany Lutheran Holiday Tournament Saturday night.

"They played better in every phase of the game. They played better defense. They shot better. They passed the ball better. They rebounded better. They ran the break better than we did. There wasn't a single phase of the game that they did better than we did. We were just plain thrashed," Blethen said.

MVL repeated its success from last year as it won the consolation championship at the Bethany Lutheran College Holiday Tournament over Cathedral 84-64.

"It was a typical Cathedral-MVL game," MVL coach Craig Morgan said. "It was a real battle -- a real physical game."

The game started like most games end -- with a string of fouls. There were eight fouls between the two teams before half of the first quarter was over.

Once the players settled down, turnovers took over and the score was 20-11 after the first quarter.

Cathedral climbed back into the mix after Jacob Schmitz hit two treys back to back to bring Cathedral to within five. But after halftime, MVL took off and went up by 20 with one minute left in the third quarter and Cathedral couldn't make up the difference. Both teams had trouble keeping the ball, but MVL took advantage of its opportunities.

"We kept just passing the ball to them constantly in the second half," Blethen said. "They took us totally out of our offense and they beat our defense to death. They embarrassed us."

MVL had a number of players in double figures. Jake Firle led with 16 while grabbing five rebounds. Two players weren't far behind with Aaron Madson getting 14 and Jason Lohmiller adding 15. Bryant Polzin had 10 coming off the bench.

"I really wanted them to play defense and rebound," Morgan said. "I thought our pressure on our defense worked really well on our guards. When we got the ball down to our posts, they finished well. Jason (Lohmiller) had a nice game. Jake Firle and Bryant (Polzin); they all finished well.

"Jason played particularly strong. I asked him to get me some rebounds and he did."

Cathedral's Tom Hazuka at times tried to get Cathedral back into the game by his own will. Hazuka scored a game-high 25 points. Luke Schmitz added 10 points. Brandon Goblirsch grabbed eight rebounds for the Greyhounds.

Blethen said he hopes the team will "use the game as a measuring stick" to help them get better and learn from their mistakes.

"We're going to try and make the most of it. Try to use them as a maze. I think they're the class of the league right now," Blethen said.

Cathedral will travel to Cedar Mountain/Comfrey in Morgan Friday.

MVL will travel to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Friday.