Indians Advance to Sagebrush Championship
With a 63-30 win over the Cheylin Cougars, the Indians advanced into the championship game of the Brewster Sagebrush Classic Tournament. The Cougars were never really in the contest, as the Indians jumped out to a 20-point lead before halftime and cruised to a win under a 30-point running clock. In the three-point shooting competition, Tate Busse advanced to the final round to be held on Saturday evening with 12 treys.
Brock Waters and Tate Busse combined for 45 points in the contest. The game opened with baseline score by Dalton Straub after an assist from Jeremiah Neitzel. Cheylin's Erik Perez (5' 8" Jr.) followed with a trey giving Cheylin their only lead of the contest. A 12-point Indian run soon placed the Cougars at a 14-3 disadvantage. Waters and Busse combined for all of the points scored in the run. Waters earned a driving lay-up and then went coast-to-coast for a old-fashioned three-point play. Water's assist then set up a right-wing trey by Busse. Busse then scored on a deuce followed by two Waters' free-throws. Cheylin's Carter Porubsky (6' 2" Sr.) trimmed the margin with two quick post baskets. The quarter closed with the Indians leading 16-7 after two more Waters' free-throws.
Jacob Serrano (6'2" So.) drained a shot from the left-wing to open the second period. The Indians answered with three consecutive baskets; an offensive rebound by Taylor Rogers, a post-move by Dalton Straub, and a Rogers' drive. After Tate Busse added a free-throw, the Indians led 23-9. Wyatt Hackler (5' 11" Jr.) scored in the lane for the Cougars, but Busse's trey (assist Waters) put the Indians up by 15 (26-11). Two free-throws by Waters, a left-wing trey by Busse, and a free-throw by Rogers increased the lead to 32-13. Porubsky scored on a drive for the Cougars in the final moments of the half. With many Indians seeing playing time in the first half, St. Francis led 32-13 at halftime.
After a score from the right-wing by Brock Waters to open the second half, Cheylin earned consecutive baskets by Jorge Gonzales (5' 11" Sr.) in the lane. Waters answered with an assist on a score in the lane by Dalton Straub, a steal-two, and a baseline drive ending with a reverse lay-in ballooning the deficit to 40-17. Cheylin would get the next scoring run; a free-throw by Perez and 6 points by Porubsky. The 7-point run narrowed the Indian lead to 16 points. A Waters' free-throw and a Busse trey (Waters assist) and right-wing deuce closed the third period. St. Francis led 46-24.
With the substitute players seeing most of the playing time during the final period, the Indians continued to extend their lead. Though the period opened with four points by the Cougars, a 12-point run by the Indians filled the middle of the quarter. The run included 8 points by Brock Waters as well as a low-post score by Jeremiah Neitzel (assist Waters), and a steal-two by Brady Dinkel. At 3:09, the margin reached 30 points (58-28) and set the running clock in motion. A driving score by Thomas Frisbie (6' 1" Jr.) halted the Indians' run. The final score of the contest came on a right-wing trey by Connor Keller after an assist by Jordan Raby. St. Francis defeated the Cheylin Cougars 63-30 to advance to Saturday's championship game.
Brock Waters scored 25 points in the contest. Tate Busse added 20. Others scoring for the Indians included Dalton Straub 6, Taylor Rogers 5, Conner Keller 3, Jeremiah Neitzel 2, and Brady Dinkel 2. St. Francis made 11-20 from the line.
Cheylin was led in scoring by Carter Porubsky with 13 points. The Cougars connected on 4 of 11 from the stripe.
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