Game Report: Abundant Life 83, Fall River 57

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEYS TO THE GAME</strong><br><br>A mere seven minutes into the contest, long-time Fall River coach Arnie Oelke had already burned two timeouts in an effort to try to settle down his guards as they faced big-time pressure defense from visiting Abundant Life. The Challengers had built a 14-4 lead by that point and they never looked back, posting a convincing 83-57 victory in a non-league matchup Monday evening. The senior brother tandem of [player_tooltip player_id='2551622' first='Jacob' last='Koon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2551628' first='Jonah' last='Koon'] proved to be too much to handle for Fall River as the Koons exerted extreme pressure on the ball and came up with numerous steals that led to fast-break layups. [player_tooltip player_id='2551628' first='Jonah' last='Koon'] (6-1) surpassed 1,000 career points in the first half while [player_tooltip player_id='2551622' first='Jacob' last='Koon'] (6-0) did likewise in the second half. [player_tooltip player_id='1640462' first='Conner' last='Whitaker'] also had a strong game for Abundant Life, which finished second in the WIAA Division 5 State Tournament last March. Whitaker drilled three triples and scored 24 points as the Challengers led 43-26 at half and then quickly extended the lead in the second half. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2551614' first='Ethan' last='LeClair'] (6-7) led Fall River with 16 points.<br><strong><br>STAR OF THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2551628"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757c2ccb8771"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A fun player to watch because of his intensity, ability to run a team, and apparent love for the game, Koon can play either guard position and has the size to score over smaller defenders in the paint or rise up and hit perimeter shots. He had 17 points against Fall River and went over 1,000 career points in the first half as the Challengers took control of the game. Koon's ball handling, passing, shooting and defense are all big pluses for the Challengers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>EMERGING PLAYERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2551622"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757c2ccb87d2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Like his twin brother, Jonah, Jacob had a night to remember against Fall River and he ended the game with 23 points to reach 1,000 career points right on the head. He did it with a top-of-the-key three-point basket late in the game, much to the delight of the Challengers' fans cheering him on. Jacob is a player in constant motion on both ends of the court. His speed, quickness and aggressiveness make things very difficult for opposing guards to run their offense smoothly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1640462"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757c2ccb8813"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Whitaker's versatility in playing different positions, his ability to hunt and make shots, and his length and anticipation on defense were on display in the Challengers' victory over Fall River. Like the Koon brothers, Whitaker is a high energy player who is ready to score from the tip off. He finished with a game-high 24 points and buried three triples while also scoring off the bounce. His offensive efficiency is vitally important for the Challengers' success, in particular so opponents cannot just concentrate on slowing the Koon brothers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2551614"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6757c2ccb8850"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">LeClair is the lone returning starter for Fall River, and his presence on the floor is the primary focus of all opponents. Despite the warranted attention, LeClair has started his senior campaign in style. He had 16 points and 14 rebounds against Abundant Life to lead the Pirates in both categories. His size, strength and soft shooting touch are big assets for Fall River. LeClair averaged 12.1 points and 7.7 rebounds as a junior, and he's likely to put up nightly double/double showings in 2024-25. He had a career-best 36 points in the Pirates' recent victory over Montello. Edgewood and St. Norbert are among the college programs showing recruiting interest in LeClair.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE BIG PICTURE</strong><br><br>Abundant Life looked liked a top 10 team at the Division 5 level in its triumph over Fall River. The Challengers improved to 3-0 with the win heading into an intriguing matchup Friday at Division 3 Marshall. The Challengers tied Deerfield for the crown in the Trailways South Conference a year ago, but already have a step up on the Demons since they beat their rival 65-54 last week. Look for coach Mike Theis' squad to be a top 10 team all winter and make another strong push for a spot at the Kohl Center next March.<strong><br></strong><br>Fall River did lose four starters to graduation, including its entire starting backcourt. So Oelke's squad will need some time for the Pirates' guards to adjust to the speed of the game at the varsity level. Still, LeClair's presence in the paint and the improved play of sophomore wing Kaiden Seim (6-4) bodes well for the Pirates as they try to remain close to Pardeeville, Randolph and Markesan, among others, in the Trailways West standings.<br><strong><br>BOXSCORE</strong><br><br><strong>Abundant Life (43-40 = 83)</strong><br>Breezer 8, Rockwell 2, Ja. Koon 23, Jo. Koon 17, Whitaker 24, Thies 3, Aeschlimann 4, Johnson 0, Rivest 0, Ellingson 0, Corbett 0. Three-point field goals: Whitaker 3, Ja. Koon 1, Thies 1, Aeschlimann 1. FT: 7-10. Fouled out: Breezer. Record: 3-0.<br><strong>Fall River (26-31 = 57)</strong><br>Diaz 6, Z. Osterhaus 8, Veith 6, Seim 15, LeClair 16, Fidge 0, Ramczyk 0, G. Osterhaus 6, Garner 0, Verdon 0. Three-point field goals: Seim 1, Veith 1, G. Osterhaus 1. FT: 10-19. Fouled out: None. Record: 2-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->