 02/28/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
NORRIS CITY - The best teams always seem to be able to overcome
adversity. Especially teams with veteran players who have played
in big games. Waterloo
Gibault has a pair of kids that have “been there and done
that.”
The
Hawks overcame its problems on Wednesday night at the 1A sectional
semifinal at Norris City-Omaha-Enfield behind the leadership
of seniors Kaden Augustine and Gavin Kesler.
The
duo, who were starters on the program's state championship team
from a season ago, stepped up.
Kesler,
a 6-3 forward, came up with big early baskets finishing with
17-points and 11-rebounds for the contest and Augustine, a 5-8
point guard, added 11-points, including 5-of-6 second half free
throws, as the Hawks survived and advanced 51-44 over Goreville.
The
Hawks coughed up 12-turnovers, nine in the second half, against
an aggressive Goreville press and were dangerously close to
losing all of its 10-point second half advantage.
However
Coach Dennis Rueter and his defending state champs found a way.
Senior
guard Ryan Biffar added 11 second half points as Gibault got
to the foul line in the fourth quarter (11-of-18) and the Hawks
defense took care of the rest as they improved to 21-14 on the
season.
“We've
got two kids (Augustine, Kesler) that are pretty good and we
have kids who have been there (big games),” said Coach
Rueter. “Our kids feel like 'nobody plays a tougher schedule
than we do and we feel like we're not afraid of anybody'.”
Goreville
(31-4) saw its season come to an end on Wednesday night.
Coach
Todd Tripp's club made a great run to get back into the game
but late missed shots from behind the arc (2-of-10 in the fourth
quarter) and a lack of offensive rebounds (one in the second
half, five in the game) kept the Blackcats from rallying for
the win.
“We've
hit a lot of three's this year and we set a school record for
most three's. They (Gibault) did a great job defending us,”
said Coach Tripp. “Tonight is was two teams playing great
defense. But when you don't hit shots and you don't get possessions
it's tough. It (tempo) played in their favor. We didn't get
the possessions like we normally do.”
Gibault,
which plays a predominantly large school schedule, has won four-straight
games in the postseason and is 11-1 against 1A teams with the
only loss to Jacksonville Routt back on December 2nd.
Coach
Rueter also got key minutes from his bench with six-points coming
from 6-4 senior Andy Altes, four-points from junior Michael
Wessel and a huge fourth quarter basket from sophomore Jai Lavington.
The
Blackcats were led by 6-foot senior guard Drake Moss with 15-points
and junior guard Cole Tripp added 11.
Goreville
jumped out early but the pace of the first half and most of
the third quarter favored Gibault.
A
pair of free throws by senior Tyler Suits, a bucket by Tripp
and a three-point play by senior Duncan Rhoads staked the Blackcats
to a 7-6 first quarter lead.
Kesler
(twice) and Augustine scored the six early points for the Hawks.
The
Hawks took the lead with an 8-2 run to begin the second quarter.
Augustine
got through the Goreville defense for a basket in the lane and
Kesler added three more scores before intermission.
An
inside bucket by Altes was part of the run that made it 14-9
Gibault.
Kesler's
third score of the quarter along with baskets by Moss and Tripp
closed the half at 16-13 Hawks.
(CONTINUED)
|
Goreville
committed four of their 12-turnovers in the second quarter and
hit just 3-of-9 shots as they trailed at intermission.