Midwest Players Classic: Friday's standouts

GAME ONE North Crawford 68, St. Ambrose Academy 54 KEYS TO THE GAME Winless St. Ambrose Academy played its best half of the season in taking a 31-25 lead into the locker room at intermission. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2628161' first='Anthony' last='Lyons'] (6-2) had 11 points for the Guardians, who passed the ball well, made some three-point shots and held their own the glass. Undefeated North Crawford turned up the pressure defense in the second half and forced several live-ball turnovers that turned into breakaway layups. It didn't take long for the [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] to gain the lead once St. Ambrose senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2628165' first='Jacob' last='Sturm'] picked up his fourth foul with about 14 minutes to go. Sturm's absence oopened the flood gate of turnovers and North Crawford cashed in. The [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] quickly built a double-digit lead thanks to its defense and some solid half-court baskets from sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2914986' first='Zack' last='Bender']. St. Ambrose fought hard until the final horn sounded, but couldn't get its deficit under double digits the last 10 minutes of the game. Speedy junior [player_tooltip player_id='2424246' first='Cullen' last='Jacobus'] (5-10) led North Crawford with 24 points while Lyons finished with a team-high 16 for St. Ambrose. STAR OF THE GAME    Jacobus competes with tons of energy and is fast with the ball in the open court. He has a nice perimeter jump shot as he hit one triple and several mid-range shots in the contest with St. Ambrose. Defensively, Jacobus puts good pressure on the ball with his quickness and lateral movement, and he was able to force several turnovers during North Crawford's come-from-behind victory. Jacobus finished the contest with 24 points and did a good job of getting to the foul line as he made seven-of-eight attempts from the stripe.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Blaha provided a huge boost off the bench for North Crawford as he scored 16 points. Blaha was able to bury two three-point baskets and made four of his shots for a team that had struggled to score in the first half. Blaha came into the contest averaging 6.5 ppg so his season-best production was huge in helping the [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] rally to stay undefeated at 12-0.     Lyons has been one of the more dependable scorers for the Guardians the past two seasons and he went for 16 points against North Crawford. Lyons plays with good physicality and can score from deep, mid range and near the basket. He also can handle the ball against pressure defense and rebounds at a high level for coach Chris Zwettler's young squad.    BOXSCORE St. Ambrose Academy (31-23 = 54) Schmiesing 4, J. Sturm 4, Lyons 16, Simon 9, Gonnering 6, Draves 0, Matenaer 0, A. Sturm 6, Wells 0, Antonio 0, Hebert 2, Moreland 7. Three-point field goals: Simon 3, Lyons 2, A. Sturm 2, J. Sturm 1, Moreland 1. FT: 5-6. Fouled out: J. Sturm. Record: 0-11. North Crawford (25-43 = 68) Jacobus 24, Munson 12, Fradette 0, Bender 12, Stluka 2, Blaha 16, O'Dell 0, Anderson 0, Kandler 2. Three-point field goals: Blaha 2, Jacobus 1, Munson 1, Bender 1. FT: 15-19. Fouled out: None. Record: 12-0. GAME TWO Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 48, Regis 45 KEYS TO THE GAME When the shots were dropping from deep in the first half, things were looking good for Regis in its matchup with Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau. But once the perimeter shots started to bang off the rim, the Ramblers were in trouble. Very few offensive rebounds led to too many one-and-done possessions and the Redhawks took advantage to even its record at 7-7. [player_tooltip player_id='2624345' first='Jackson' last='Burns'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561902' first='Mason' last='Brone'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2414144' first='Luke' last='Herman'] all had strong second-half showings for the Redhawks, who were able to use their size advantage to eventually wear down the Ramblers to score in the paint. G-E-T had a balanced scoring attack with Brone leading the way with 14 points followed by Burns and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2432831' first='Travis' last='Theisen'] (6-7) with 10 points each. [player_tooltip player_id='2417898' first='Owen' last='Weisenberger'] had five three-point baskets and 17 points for Regis while teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2375323' first='Blake' last='Risler'] added 15. STAR OF THE GAME    Several players from G-E-T had strong outings, but Burns made some huge plays down the stretch to trigger the RedhawBks' comeback. His conventional three-point play with 3:11 to go tied things up at 42 and capped his 10-point performance. Burns has excellent size and used that to his advantage, particularly in the second half when he scored the majority of his points. Burns is a four-year varsity performer for G-E-T and is averagaing 14.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Luke Burns, Brone had some big baskets late for G-E-T. He used his size advantage to get into the lane and finish plays, while also defending at a high level on the other end of the floor. Brone's versatility in playing different spots on offense and guarding on the perimeter or in the post make him one of more valuable players in the Coulee Conference. Brone finished with 14 points for G-E-T, but missed on four-of-six foul shots or he could have had a few more points.     Weisenberger's three-point jump shot was clicking for the Ramblers as he buried five of them on the way to scoring 17 points. He did have a chance to make it six in the closing seconds with his team down 47-45, but he misfired from the left wing. Weisenberger has been a backcourt mainstay in the Ramblers' lineup the past few seasons, and is a strong all-around athlete as he also quarterbacked the Regis football team last fall.    BOXSCORE Regis (24-21 = 45) Haas 0, Cooper 3, Wiesenberger 17, Brahmer 0, Risler 15, Tarras 8, Berschback 2, Balts 0. Three-point field goals: Weisenberger 5, Tarras 2, Risler 2. FT: 4-6. Fouled out: None. Record: 8-5. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (20-28 = 48) Seiling 0, Burns 10, Brone 14, Ebersold 6, Theisen 10, Porello 2, Benrud 1, Fabion 0, Jimenez 1, Herman 4, O'Neill 0, Foust 0. Three-point field goals: Theisen 2, Burns 1. FT: 5-11. Fouled out: None. Record: 7-7. GAME THREE Aquinas 60, Fall Creek 47 KEYS TO THE GAME [player_tooltip player_id='2405803' first='Jackson' last='Tangley'], a skilled sophomore guard, hit a three-point basket to open the second half, giving Fall Creek a 30-24 lead over favored Aquinas. The Blugolds, though, responded with a 17-2 run to take control of the game and improve to 12-1 on the season. Aquinas coach Brad Rienhart extended the Blugolds' man defense to three-quarters court and that led to some backcourt miscues by Fall Creek that opened the door for Aquinas' spurt. Once Aquinas grabbed its double-digit lead, it was never seriously threatened the rest of the game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2735307' first='Brayden' last='Young'] (6-2) had a strong outing for Aquinas with 16 points and three three-point baskets. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2632136' first='Trey' last='Bahr'] (6-2) muscled his way to 16 points and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'] (6-3) added 10 for Aquinas. Fall Creek, which does not have a single senior on its roster, was led by Tangley, who had 14. Sophomores Josh Wright and [player_tooltip player_id='2391346' first='Miles' last='Schmidgall'] added 11 and eight points, respectively. STAR OF THE GAME    Young's long-distance shooting kept Aquinas close in the first half and early second half, and then he helped to secure the Blugolds' comeback win with some good ball movement and passing over the final 10 minuets of the contest. He finished with 16 points, took good shots and drilled three three-point shots for coach Brad Reinhart's squad. Young is averaging 11.0 ppg and is shooting 47 percent from three-point range.    EMERGING PLAYERS    [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'] gets a lot of the publicity for Aquinas, and rightly so as the junior guard is very, very good. But the Blugolds are 12-1 thanks in part to the play of others on the squad, including Bahr, an improving wing with excellent length and skill. Bahr loves to get to the hole and he can score with his bounce, length and skill. He finished with just five points against Fall Creek, but his presence and passing helped to set up others for scoring chances. On defense, Bahr has some versatility in that he can guard away from the hoop and near the basket.     Tangley is a elusive lead guard with lots of stop-and-go dribble moves to shed his defenders. He handles the ball very well, can make step-back shots in the lane and has range that extends beyond the arc. He will need to add weight and strength to his frame over the next couple of seasons, but he has a lot of impressive skills and a very good feel for the game.    BOXSCORE Fall Creek (27-20 = 47) Hillman 4, Wright 11, Tangley 14, Seidling 7, Schmidgall 8, Tumm 0, Prorok 0, Westrate 0, Kleinhans 2, Elkens 0. Three-point field goals: Wright 3, Tangley 3, Seidling 1, Hillman 1. FT: 4-8. Fouled out: None. Record: 5-6. Aquinas (24-36 = 60) C. Bahr 5, Young 16, Becker 10, T. Bahr 13, V. Bahr 8, Strom 6, Thornton 0, Reinhart 0, Johnson 2. Three-point field goals: Young 3, T. Bahr 2, Becker 2. FT: 11-16. Fouled out: None. Record: 12-1. GAME FOUR Stewartville, Minn. 61, Rice Lake 38 KEYS TO THE GAME Stewartville was able to use its effective blend of outside shooting and inside strength to take a 33-19 lead at intermission. The Tigers continued their dominance in the second half behind the strong play of 6-foot-7 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1476739' first='Caleb' last='Bancroft'], who scored 23 points and basically dominated the paint for the Tigers, who improved to 12-2 under coach Parker Lyga. In addition to Bancroft's strong play near the hoop, Stewartville connected on seven three-point baskets, led by two apiece from [player_tooltip player_id='2770752' first='Kayden' last='Tix'] (13 points) and Isaac Larson (eight points). Rice Lake received a strong outing from junior wing Will Svendsen (6-3), who finished with a team-best 12 points for the Warriors, who have lost three of their last four games to slip to 9-3 on the season. STAR OF THE GAME    Bancroft's impressive physical strength and stellar body control were big assets for Stewartville in its win over Rice Lake. He used his soft hands to grab passes from teammates, and scored in the lane while exploding off the ground off of two feet. His 23 points were a game high and his ability to score around the basket and from the foul line kept the Tigers comfortably ahead the entire contest.    EMERGING PLAYERS    One of several players on the Stewartville roster who impressed with his combination of physical strength and athleticism, Wangen scored seven points for a balanced Tigers' squad in its convincing win over Rice Lake. Even though his scoring total wasn't all that high, he nonetheless impressed with his aggressive drives to the basket, his strong defense and his ability to snare rebounds.     One of four starters in the Rice Lake lineup, Strand plays with good intensity and physicality. He also has a smooth stroke from downtown as he drained three triples for the Warriors in their loss to Stewartville. A three-year varsity performer for coach Kevin Orr at Rice Lake, Strand is averaging 12.6 points and 4.7 rebounds while tying classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1544729' first='Zach' last='Orr'] for the team lead in made three-point field goals with 24.    BOXSCORE Rice Lake (19-19 = 38) Durand 4, Strand 9, Orr 7, Svendsen 12, Johnson 6, Pacholke 0, Hastreiter 0, Helstad 0, Sheplee 0. Three-point field goals: Strand 3, Orr 1, Svendsen 1. FT: 5-10. Fouled out: None. Record: 9-3. Stewartville, Minn. (33-28 = 61) Wangen 7, Quam 2, Tix 13, Heydt 5, Bancroft 23, Larson 8, Engel 0, Wellik 0, Nelson 0, Boerger 0, Abdi 3, Tschetter 0. Three-point field goals: Larson 2, Tix 2, Heydt 1, Abdi 1. FT: 6-7. Fouled out: None. Record: 12-2. GAME FIVE Mankato, Minn., East 78, Stevens Point 50 KEYS TO THE GAME Stevens Point managed to keep the game relatively close through the first half and trailed 37-28 at intermission. But Mankato East took control early in the second half and won going away by 28 points. The Cougars improved to 13-1 behind a balanced attack that included aggressive drives to the hoop, plenty of good shooting from deep and some put-back baskets. Mankato East made 11 three-point shots, got double-digit scoring from three players and played strong defense in turning back Stevens Point. The Panthers fell to 8-6 with the loss, despite 16 points from senior [player_tooltip player_id='2615519' first='Trent' last='Chandonais'] and 16 points and a couple of dunks from senior [player_tooltip player_id='1500914' first='Jaydon' last='Awe']. STAR OF THE GAME    A NCAA Division II recruit for Sioux Falls, Madson was impressive in just about every facet of the game against Stevens Point. He took the ball to the hoop with speed, aggressiveness and strength. He scored off those drives, but he also knocked down two three-point baskets and earned repeated trips to the foul line. He went just six-of-11 at the stripe so that would be one area where he could have been better. Otherwise, he was dominant with his game-best 20 points and strong on-the-ball and help defense.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Another NCAA Division II recruit on the Mankato East roster, Gosch has committed to Minnesota State Mankato. His ability to splash three-point shots from well beyond the arc is impressive for a 6-foot-5 wing prospect. Gosch had three triples in the game. He also got to the basket and scored three two-point goals to finish with 15 points in the Cougars' dominating victory.     Chandonais has not yet committed to a collegiate program, but he figures to play at the next level as he combines size, skill and smarts to be a truly effective player. Chandonais was aggressive in taking the ball to the basket for the Panthers and he was able to draw several fouls on Mankato East defenders. He finished with 16 points and competed with zip until the end for a Stevens Point squad that got knocked on its heels by an outstanding Mankato East team.    BOXSCORE Mankato East (37-41 = 78) Nobles 8, Madson 20, Gustafson 17, Gosch 15, Petzel 4, Langworth 2, Schott 2, Meyer 5, Reliford 5. Three-point field goals: Gustafson 5, Gosch 3, Madson 2, Reliford 1. FT: 11-17. Fouled out: None. Record: 13-1. Stevens Point (28-22 = 50) T. Chandonais 0, G. Chandonais 16, Makalin 9, Awe 16, Jer. Suehs 7, Dinga 2, Zastava 0, Jay. Suehs 0, Malik 0. Three-point field goals: Makalin 2, Jer. Suehs 1, G. Chandonais 1. FT: 12-18. Fouled out: None. Record: 8-6.

GAME ONE

North Crawford 68, St. Ambrose Academy 54

KEYS TO THE GAME

Winless St. Ambrose Academy played its best half of the season in taking a 31-25 lead into the locker room at intermission. Senior forward Anthony Lyons Anthony Lyons 6'3" | PF/SF Saint Ambrose Academy | 2025 WI (6-2) had 11 points for the Guardians, who passed the ball well, made some three-point shots and held their own the glass. Undefeated North Crawford turned up the pressure defense in the second half and forced several live-ball turnovers that turned into breakaway layups. It didn't take long for the Trojans to gain the lead once St. Ambrose senior guard Jacob Sturm Jacob Sturm 5'11" | PG Saint Ambrose Academy | 2025 WI picked up his fourth foul with about 14 minutes to go. Sturm's absence oopened the flood gate of turnovers and North Crawford cashed in. The Trojans quickly built a double-digit lead thanks to its defense and some solid half-court baskets from sophomore Zack Bender Zack Bender 6'2" | SF North Crawford | 2027 WI . St. Ambrose fought hard until the final horn sounded, but couldn't get its deficit under double digits the last 10 minutes of the game. Speedy junior Cullen Jacobus Cullen Jacobus 5'10" | PG North Crawford | 2026 State WI (5-10) led North Crawford with 24 points while Lyons finished with a team-high 16 for St. Ambrose.

STAR OF THE GAME