Indians Stung By Hornets
The Indians traveled to Dighton on Friday, January 13, to compete with a strong Hornets team. The Indians and Hornets both played well. The Indians led throughout the contest, earning an 11-point lead at one point, but relinquished the lead with 30 seconds remaining to lose their first contest of the season, 53-56.
St. Francis opened the scoring with a post basket by Jeremiah Neitzel (assist Brock Waters). A driving score by Waters gave the Indians a 4-0 advantage after two possessions. Dighton's 6' 5" senior swing-man, Tyler Lingg, earned a stick-back basket to get the Hornets on the scoreboard, but a left-wing trey by Tate Buse (assist Waters) increased the Indian advantage to 7-2. After a post score by Dighton's Gage Barton (5' 8' Sr.), an assist by Busse led to a score in the lane by Quinton Cravens. Busse then followed a post basket by Lingg with a steal-two (plus one) increasing the lead to six (12-6). Dylan Foos (6' 1' senior) answered with a cut through the lane. The next three scores belonged to the Indians. A Busse to Waters break was followed by a Waters to Busse trey on the successive possession. When Cravens' high-low pass to Neitzel resulted a basket, the Indians had earned a double-digit lead (19-8). The score triggered a Dighton time-out with 51.8 seconds remaining in the first period. Dighton closed the quarter with a top-of-the-key shot by David Cramer (5' 9" sophomore). St. Francis led 19-10 after one quarter of play.
Lake Lewis (5' 11'' senior) opened the second period scoring with a left wing trey for the Hornets. After an exchange of free-throws, Dighton trimmed the lead to 20-15. It was obvious that this game was going to be a battle. A Busse assist to Waters added another two to the Indians' side of the scoreboard, but Dighton soon added two quick post baskets by Logan Lingg (6'2" junior) trimming the advantage to 22-19. Busse responded with a top-of-the-key trey giving the Indians a much-needed boost. Lingg followed with a post basket, The Indians answered the score with a basket by Taylor Rogers on an assist from Dalton Straub. The back-and-forth action continued with a Lewis trey from the left wing, two free-throws each from Busse and Neitzel, a post basket by Lingg, a drive by Waters, and another post score by Lingg. St. Francis led 33-28 at halftime.
Dighton scored the first seven points of the third quarter. Dylan Foos earned a quick post basket, and Lake Lewis' left-corner trey tied the game at 33-all at the 6:46 mark. Logan Lingg's score from the left-wing gave the Hornets their first lead of the contest (35-33). Tate Busse's trey recaptured the lead for St. Francis moments later. After five quick points by Brock Waters (three free-throws and a lay-up after a steal and assist by Busse), Taylor Rogers drew a charge on Logan Lingg. Momentum seemed to be shifting to the Indians, and Dighton called time-out with 2:50 left in the period to regroup. Logan Lingg's post basket was answered by another Busse steal-two. Quinton Cravens followed with a free-throw area jumper and Waters added two free-throws. The Indians had re-established a double digit lead (47-37). Tyler Lingg's long-range trey at the buzzer shifted the momentum a bit back to the Hornets. St. Francis led 47-40 at the break.
Tyler Lingg scored from the post to open the final stanza decreasing the Indian lead to five (47-42). An assist by Brock Waters set up a post score by Quinton Cravens, and Waters followed with a driving basket. Dighton responded with a Lingg basket and left-corner trey by Foos trimming the advantage to three (51-48). Waters' next assist set up a baseline score by Busse. Dighton scored the next five points; three free-throws and a post score by Issac Torson (6' 4" junior) tied the game at 53-all with 1:40 to go. Two time-outs, one by each team, preceded the next score. With 30 seconds left in the contest Tyler Lingg scored on a drive giving the Hornets their second lead of the game. After another Indian time-out to discuss strategy, the Indians missed their shot attempt and were forced to foul the Hornets. The free-throw was missed, but T. Lingg secured the rebound as was fouled with 20.2 seconds to go. Lingg sank one-of-two. Another Indian time-out to set up a play also ended with on open possession. The Indians lost to an excellent Dighton team 53-56.
Dighton was led in scoring by Tyler Lingg with 25 points (10 in the 4th quarter). Lake Lewis added 9, Dylan Foos 8, Logan Lingg 8, and David Cramer 2 for the Hornet's total. The Hornets connected on 6 of 11 from the line.
St. Francis received 22 from Tate Busse and 17 from Brock Waters. Others scoring for the Indians were Jeremiah Neitzel 6, Quinton Cravens 6, and Taylor Rogers 2. The Indians made 11 of 17 from the line.
In junior varsity action, the Indians lost to Dighton 36-46.
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