Game Report: Oregon 63, Milton 52

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEYS TO THE GAME</strong><br><br>A basket off a drive to the basket by junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561895' first='Collin' last='Branch'] with just a couple of seconds left in the first half helped the host Milton Red Hawks enter intermission deadlocked with Oregon at 26. But in the second 18 minutes, the state's No. 1-ranked class of 2026 prospect took over. Paced by a 15-point, 5-dunk, multiple rebound performance during the second half by 6-foot-7 junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2045301' first='Vaughn' last='Karvala'], Oregon pulled away to a 63-52 victory in the Badger Large Conference contest played before a good-sized crowd. Karvala, who had an assistant from Marquette looking on and owns multiple NCAA Division I scholarship offers, including both Marquette and Wisconsin, finished with 23 points as Oregon improved to 3-0 under coach Chris Siebert. Sharpshooting junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2690982' first='Nick' last='Jacob'] added 15 points and a pair of three-point baskets for the Panthers. Milton, which fell to 1-3, got 18 points from [player_tooltip player_id='2492820' first='Karson' last='Lueck'] and 11 from Branch.<br><br><strong>STAR OF THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2045301"],"_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-675928df825ab"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">At times, it almost appears as though Karvala is playing nerf basketball in his living room on a seven-foot hoop with the way he can attack the rim. He's able to finish above the rim at any given moment and, it seems, from almost every spot on the floor. He had a putback, one-handed dunk off his own miss. He drove the lane and finished with a two-handed dunk on a couple of occasions. And, he also went above the rim to grab a carom with both hands and flush it through the hoop. He also showed the ability to run a team from the perimeter and knock down three-point shots. Karvala's verticality is unmatched in the state and his ability to make "wow" plays appears almost endless. Get out and watch Karvala play at some point this season. You won't come away disappointed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>EMERGING PLAYERS</strong><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561895"],"_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-67592c9543397"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of two returning starters from Milton's club that finished 17-9 last season, Branch has the ball on a string when he attacks the basket. He can get into the lane with his quickness and aggressiveness, and he can finish with his speed and skill. Branch had 11 points against Oregon and made five of his six foul shots. Branch is on the small side, but he still manages to impact a game with his sticky defense and fast play in transition. Branch averaged 4.6 ppg and 2.1 rpg as a sophomore and is poised to possibly double those numbers as a junior this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":[2406291],"_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-67592c9543423"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A very good spot-up shooter with a quick release and the ability to move exceptionally well without the basketball in his hands, Jacob spaces the floor very well for Oregon. If defenders sag off of Jacob in order to slow Karvala and Co. from driving to the basket, the talented junior shooting guard can spot up and hurt opponents with his accuracy from deep. He five field goals, two three-point baskets and went three-of-three from the foul line on the way to scoring 15 points against Milton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2492820"],"_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-67592c95434a2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lueck's ability to play away from the basket or in the post, plus his willingness to guard bigger opponents, make him one of the more versatile players in the Badger Large Conference. Lueck's physicality and skill combination are tough to deal with as he can bully his way to the hoop and finish through contact or rise up to make outside jump shots. Lueck had two three-point baskets and 18 points for Milton in its loss to Oregon. He also was an effective passer when opponents came to double team him off of drives to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE BIG PICTURE</strong><br><br>The Badger Large is a very competitive conference with all eight teams capable of working their way to a victory on any given night. Oregon hopes to finish the 14-game league slate among the elite in the league and the Panthers took a good first step in that direction with the road win over a Milton team expected to finish in the middle of the pack. Karvala is the best collegiate prospect in the 2026 class in the state and is a different maker as he proved Tuesday in Milton. Finding enough scoring punch to go along with Karvala will be of utmost importance all winter, and the Panthers aced that part of their game plan as they got very good showings from Jacob, [player_tooltip player_id='1561906' first='Mason' last='Hoffer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561905' first='Nolan' last='Erfurth'] to complement the terrific play of Karvala.<br><br>Milton utilizes the strong backcourt play of Branch and the toughness and versatility of [player_tooltip player_id='2492820' first='Karson' last='Lueck'] to remain competitive under second-year coach Ian Kirst. Sophomore Ryan Delorimier is a good scorer off the bench while senior Koren Lueck can hit shots off the bounce. Finding enough scoring punch to stay close to teams like Fort Atkinson, Waunakee and Beaver Dam will be a challenge, but the Red Hawks figure to be a team that improves as the season progresses. <br><br><strong>BOXSCORE<br><br>Oregon (26-37 = 63)</strong><br>Erfurth 8, Jacob 15, Palas 6, Karvala 23, Dins 0, Hook 2, Hoffer 9, Mehring 0, Schmitt 0. Three-point field goals: Jacob 2, Hoffer 1, Karvala 1. FT: 5-7. Fouled out: None. Record: 3-0.<br><strong>Milton (26-26 = 52)</strong><br>Branch 11, Ko. Lueck 10, Widner 2, Hill 0, Ka. Lueck 18, Delorimier 7, Adcock 2, Udy 2, Smith 0, Steinke 0, Grady 0. Three-point field goals: Ka. Lueck 2. FT: 13-17. Fouled out: Steinke. Record: 1-3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->