A lack of offensive balance contributed to the Spirit Lake Indians opening the 2010-2011 boys basketball season with a 51-38 loss on the road Tuesday night against South O’Brien. Senior Tayler Acton and junior Sawyer Harms both had ten points in the contest, but first year head coach Nate Loenser says that wasn’t enough to offset an 0-15 shooting effort beyond the arc and some defensive lapses. Spirit Lake scored just two points in the games opening quarter. Senior Mitch Peschon finished with eight points, while Acton also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. The Indians will again hit the road for win number one on Saturday, when they travel to Jackson, MN for a girls-boys doubleheader with the Huskies, which can be heard live on KUOO Campus Radio.
Okoboji opened the boys basketball season last night by hosting Siouxland Conference foe Sioux Center, and the Pioneers dropped game number one by a 64-29 final. Keith Oskvig was the top scorer for Okoboji with eight points. Head coach Ryan Paulsen says too many turnovers on offense led to too many easy buckets on the other end by the Warriors. Okoboji will remain at home on Thursday for an inter-county showdown with Harris-Lake Park. That doubleheader can be heard on Q102.
Speaking of the Wolves, they began the season with a victory in the Cornbelt Conference, taking down Graettinger-Terril by 45-32 margin. Brady Nissen notched 14 points and six rebounds for Harris-Lake Park, while Kade Heikens connected for eight points, collected six steals, and dished out three assists. However, HLP head coach Jeff Sohn says the rough battle with the Knights was won at the defensive end early. G-T was led offensively by Cody Chapman’s 14 points. Beau Craig dropped in nine points.
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Clay Central-Everly re-ignited their non-conference rivalry last night in Everly, and the Hawks rallied from a 16-point first half deficit to escape with a one-point victory, 58-57. Cody Leng scored thirteen of his team-high 21 points in the second half to help propel HMS to the win. Senior Justin Wohlert also reached double-figures with ten points, all of it coming at the free throw line. CCE’s Caleb Mackey led all scorers with 23 points and teammate Nick Roghair had ten. Next up for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn is a road trip to Remsen Union on Friday.
Other Tuesday night boys basketball scores:
Emmetsburg 65, Pocahontas Area 56
Sioux Central 47, Spencer 43
George-Little Rock 56, Sibley-Ocheyedan 53
Armstrong-Ringsted 50, Ruthven-Ayrshire 37
Le Mars 78, Denison-Schleswig 59
North Sentral Kossuth 58, Bode Twin River Valley 48
