 03/01/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
NORRIS CITY - For a half of basketball on Friday night at the
Norris City-Omaha-Enfield 1A Sectional championship game, the
Waterloo Gibault Hawks had the tempo the way they wanted it and
led Mounds Meridian 17-15 heading to the break.
But
two important factors in the contest; free throw shooting and
rebounding, didn't go in the Hawks' favor.
Coach
Dennis Rueter saw his team hit just 3-of-8 free throws in the
third quarter and they gave up six important second half offensive
rebounds, five of which led directly to Meridian points.
The
Hawks ended up just 6-of-16 from the line and the Bobcats forced
12-turnovers.
Meridian's
freshman AJ Flenoid, Jr. scored eight of his 18-points in the
fourth quarter and senior Jai'Deon Reed added five key points
in the late in the game.
The
Bobcats, for the first time since 2012, are in back-to-back
super-sectionals with a 50-41 win over Gibault.
Mounds
Meridian is now 26-6 on the season, having won 12-of-13 contests
on their current run.
“It's
an amazing feeling. We want to continue to make history. We
wanted to make sure we came out of the gate playing like it
was the fourth quarter,” said Coach Davis. “We wanted
to play every quarter like it is the last quarter we would ever
play. We wanted to wear them (Gibault) down.”
The
Bobcats will head to Charleston on Monday night where they will
face Centralia Christ Our Rock Lutheran at Lantz Gymnasium.
The
Silver Stallions topped Arcola, 49-39 to win the Effingham St.
Anthony Sectional title.
Meridian
got 12-points from sophomore Javionne Ranson and nine-points
from Reed.
Both
were part of a 20-8 third quarter advantage as the Bobcats took
a 35-25 lead into the fourth quarter.
Gibault
closed out its season at 21-15.
Senior's
Kanen Augustine (13) and Gavin Kesler (10) ended their prep
basketball careers with double-figure scoring.
The
figures simply didn't add up for a victory for Coach Rueter's
club.
The
Hawks ended up 15-of-40 from the floor, 3-of-13 from the 3-point
line with all three of the made shots coming in the fourth quarter
as they tried to rally.
“We
struggled at the line and there wasn't a lot of room for error
with the athleticism that they have and we couldn't get them
off of the glass,” said Coach Rueter. “We've seen
it (athleticism) but that doesn't mean you can handle it. We
don't see it at practice, I guarantee you that.”
Meridian
hit 18-of-38, 1-of-6 from long range and held a 26-18 rebounding
edge.
The
Bobcats survived six fourth quarter turnovers, 13 for the game,
in the win.
With
the start that the Hawks had, it was a wonder that they stayed
in the game.
Gibault
hit just 1-of-8 shots in the first eight minutes, a 3-pointer
from Augustine with 1:17 left, and committed three of their
12-turnovers in the contest.
Meridian
got baskets from Ranson on a pair of drives in the lane with
the second score becoming a three-point play.
Flenoid,
Jr. hit a shot from 15-feet out to make it 7-3 at the end of
the first quarter.
The
second quarter was Gibault's best of the night.
Augustine
opened the frame with a score while being fouled.
His
free throw was missed but senior Andy Altes secured the rebound
and his follow up shot went in which tied the game at 7-7.
The
first lead for the Hawks came on baskets by Kesler and junior
Peyton Schaefer.
The
Schaefer score turned into another three-point play.
Kesler
and Augustine added late quarter points sandwiched around another
Flenoid, Jr. score (three-point play) as the Hawks led 17-15
at intermission.
(CONTINUED)
|
Flenoid,
Jr. went back to work in the third quarter.