10 Best: Tipton at West Branch
WEST BRANCH — The #10 team in Class 2A used a huge second quarter to build up a 16-point halftime lead, then held off a furious comeback attempt from Tipton to win 83-66 on Tuesday night. West Branch looked like…
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Continue ReadingWEST BRANCH — The #10 team in Class 2A used a huge second quarter to build up a 16-point halftime lead, then held off a furious comeback attempt from Tipton to win 83-66 on Tuesday night.
West Branch looked like a dominant team on both ends of the floor while building up a 48-32 lead at the half, but got a little lackadaisical in the fourth quarter, allowing the Tigers to pull within 7 points before a late spurt pushed the final margin back out to 17 points.
West Branch (13-2) had all five starters score in double figures, led by Matt Whaley, who had a game-high 21 points. Trey Eagle had 14, Gavin Hierseman and Simon Palmer each had 11, and Tanner Lukavsky chipped in 10. Lukavsky also had 12 rebounds in the win.
Tipton (5-11) was led by Frank Bierman, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Trent Pelzer added 17 for the Tigers in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Tipton | 13 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 66 |
West Branch | 16 | 32 | 16 | 19 | 83 |
Tipton: Frank Bierman 19, Trent Pelzer 17, Colby Kleppe 9, Payten Elijah 7, Landan Hill 7, Kayden Rezac 4, Cole Syring 3
West Branch: Matt Whaley 21, Trey Eagle 14, Gavin Hierseman 11, Simon Palmer 11, Tanner Lukavsky 10, Peyton Miller 8, Brady Knoop 8
MVP: Matt Whaley (West Branch)
Best offensive performance: Whaley (West Branch)
Best passer: Whaley (West Branch)
West Branch’s senior point guard had a career game, going for 21 points on 5-9 shooting (10-13 FT) and 5 assists. He impacted the game on both ends of the floor, was constantly looking to attack (hence the high free throw totals), and knocked down a 3 for good measure. He’s got good length and he moves well on the floor. He’ll need to add some strength and continue working on his ball handling if he wants to play at the next level, but there are some tools here.
Best rebounder: Tanner Lukavsky (West Branch)
Best rebounder: Frank Bierman (Tipton)
With Jeff Bowie shutting it down to recover from football injuries for West Branch, more falls on Lukavsky’s plate, particularly when it comes to controlling the glass. He did just that in this one, pulling down 12 rebounds to go with his 10 points and 4 assists.
For Tipton, Frank Bierman has always been a strong rebounder, and he was up to his usual tricks on Tuesday, pulling down 10 boards to go with his 19 points in the loss. Early foul trouble prevented him from likely grabbing north of 15 boards.
Best first step: Trent Pelzer (Tipton)
Tipton’s 5-9 point guard has been a key contributor for the Tigers for three seasons, and he was strong again in this one, finishing with 17 points. He’s a strong lead guard who does a nice job getting to the rim, and he has a great first step that he uses to get by defenders.
Mr. Upside: Simon Palmer (West Branch)
West Branch’s 6-4 big man showed a little bit of everything in his arsenal in this one, as he battled through early foul trouble to finish with 11 points on 5-7 shooting. He has great length, is active on both ends of the floor and has a good looking jumper from 15 feet and in, along with the ability to finish with either hand around the bucket.
Best underclassman: Brady Knoop (West Branch)
Best player off the bench: Knoop (West Branch)
Best shooter: Knoop (West Branch)
The sophomore came off the bench to score 8 points on 3-4 shooting for the Bears, including 2-3 from the arc, showing off a pretty perimeter stroke. At 6-1, he has good size and length, and as he continues to grow, he’ll become a big-time scorer for West Branch with his ability to shoot it and handle it.