The Rundown – December 22

<p><em>Recap of Tuesday night’s action:</em></p> <p><strong>Belle Plaine wins fourth straight; Demeulenaere shines again</strong></p> <p>The Plainsmen visited the HLV Warriors (1–7) on Tuesday night, and found ways to secure a 57–56 win. After starting the season with three losses, Belle Plaine has bounced back and are now winners of four straight. [player_tooltip player_id="962683" first="Ben" last="DeMeulenaere"] is the engine of this team, and Tuesday was no different. He had another double-double, 17 and 12, and showcased his impressive strength and athleticism. His ability to read a rebound, maneuver quickly towards it, and muscle most other players out of the play makes him one of the more gifted rebounders in Iowa.</p> <p><strong>Montezuma explodes in bounce back win over Tri-County</strong></p> <p>The Braves entered this one having lost their previous game to Williamsburg. Montezuma was short-handed, only six players logged minutes in the loss. The Braves came back and trounced Tri-County 96–43. Most nights for Montezuma, it’s the [player_tooltip player_id="796108" first="Trey" last="Shearer"] show. On Tuesday, he had no problem still filling up the stat sheet (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals), but it was senior [player_tooltip player_id="796146" first="Cole" last="Watts"] who had the game-high 31 points and 11 rebounds. Shearer took on more of a facilitator role and he shined. For them to reach their potential this season, I think he will have to relinquish some scoring duties and run more of the offense.</p> <p><strong>Quick Hits</strong></p> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="796104" first="Angelo" last="Winkel"] </strong>had the offensive performance of the year so far, scoring 51 points in a win over North Iowa.</li> <li>The Liberty Lightning defeated Cedar Rapids Jefferson 83–66, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="796189" first="Kelby" last="Telander"]</strong> racked up 27 points and 13 rebounds. </li> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956875" first="Daniel" last="Tobiloba"] </strong>secured 20 rebounds for Grand View Christian, also scoring 17 points on 8/11 from the field.</li> </ul>