Indians Defeat Golden Plains Bulldogs
St. Francis earned a fifteen point win over the Golden Plains Bulldogs in varsity boys action on Saturday, January 5. The Indians won 51-36. The junior varsity team showed improved play, but lost to Golden Plains by a score of 23-47. The games were make-up contests from games postponed earlier in the season due to weather conditions.
A three-point second quarter was the undoing of the junior varsity Indians. The Indians were out-scored 3-15 in the period and Golden Plains gradually widened the margin thereafter. Bryce Raby gave the Indians a 2-1 lead on a shot in the lane. Jorge Olivares followed with a free-throw line jumper extending the lead to 4-1. The lead was short-lived as the Bulldogs scored the remainder of the points earned in the first period. Golden Plains (GP) earned a free-throw by Jovanny Infante (5' 10" Fr), two turnover-twos by Alex Gonzalez (5' 6" Fr.) and a top-of-the-key trey by Fabian Cepeda (5' 6" Fr.) to close the period. St. Francis trailed 4-9 after one quarter of action.
After an Indian free-throw opening the second period, GP added a right-wing trey by Joseph Yanez (5' 8" Jr.), a free-throw, a right-wing trey, coast-to-coast basket, and right-corner shot by Kole Butts (5' 10" So.), and a bucket by Jovanny Infante. The action moved the deficit to 5-22. Cutler Mayer stopped the unanswered streak with a free-throw, but Infante followed with another deuce. Bryce Raby scored on a shot at the buzzer making the score 8-24 at halftime.
St. Francis earned a basket by Bryce Raby (assist Brady Schoenrogge) to open the second half. The Bulldogs followed with two deuces and a trey. The Bulldogs called time-out at 2:55 leading 10-31. Schoenrogge scored from the post and Raby added a nice baseline drive basket narrowing the margin to twenty (14-34). St. Francis trailed 14-36 at the third quarter break after Butts drained another shot from the right corner.
The Indians continued to battle hard. A free-throw by Schoenrogge was followed by a Schoenrogge post basket (assist Wyatt Hilt). After a basket by Yanez for GP, Josiah Sims earned a basket for the Indians. Cutler Mayer added a post-move basket (plus one) narrowing the margin to 23-38. Golden Plains added added a deep trey from the left wing (Joseph Yanez 5' 8" Jr.) plus three more deuces to earn a 23-47 win in the junior varsity contest. St. Francis committed 24 turnovers in the contest. Golden Plains had 9.
The varsity game was closely competed throughout the evening with the Indians gradually earning an increasing advantage as the game progressed. Jesse Baxter opened the scoring making one-of-two from the line early in the contest. Golden Plains' Harley Weese (6' 1" Jr.) earned a coast-to-coast drive giving the lead to the Bulldogs. The deficit was short-lived as Baxter found Colton Neitzel with a nice high-low-post pass moments later. K.C. Krien's steal-assist led to a fast-break lay-up by Brady Dinkel. The quarter closed on a deep three-point shot at the buzzer by Jacob Ritter (5' 9" Sr.) tying the contest at 5-all.
GP opened the second period with two quick baskets; one by Autsin Patmon (5' 11" Jr.) and one by Wade Rush (6' 1" So.). A top-of-the-key trey by Rush gave the Bulldogs a 7-12 advantage. The five-point lead was the largest the Bulldogs would hold in the contest; and they wouldn't have it long. Jesse Baxter earned a basket from the post, and Richard Johnson followed with another hustle basket. Colton Neitzel's stick-back basket (plus one) gave St. Francis the lead (14-12). Though the Bulldogs would tie the game on a left corner shot by Rush, the Indians would not relinquish the lead. Brady Dinkel's trey was answered by a trey by Ritter, but Johnson earned another offensive rebound basket and then scored on a strong drive to give the Indians a 21-17 advantage. At 2:07, GP called time-out to slow the Indians' momentum. In the final two minutes of the half, Neitzel found Baxter on a high-low pass for two more, and then Neizel earned a stick-back basket just before the buzzer. St. Francis led at halftime 25-17.
Colton Neitzel's post basket gave the Indians a double-digit lead (27-17) early in the second half. Brady Dinkel followed with a trey. Though Kole Butts answered with a left-wing trey for the Bulldogs, St. Francis received two baskets by Jesse Baxter in the lane and another bucket by Dinkel. The Indians now led 36-20. Ritter's top-of-the-key trey on the next possession was followed by a deuce by Weese. The advantage had narrowed to 36-25. The final basket of the third period was scored by Richard Johnson in the lane. St. Francis held a 38-25 advantage entering the final period.
K.C. Krien's fast-break basket opened the final stanza. After a free-throw by Rush, Golden Plains called time-out at 6:56 for strategy. Brady Dinkel's coast-to-coast drive added two more to the Indians total; but Weese soon answered with a stick-back basket. A free-throw by Colton Neitzel was followed by two fast-break baskets by GP's Caleb Korte (6' 2" Sr.). Korte was fouled on both shots, but failed to convert either "and one." Free-throws by Neitzel and Connor Keller moved the scoreboard to 45-32. At 3:01, GP used their 4th time-out. The Indians would earn a quick 6-point run getting a shot in the lane by Jesse Baxter, a drive by Dinkel, and a basket on a cut through the lane by Dinkel (assist Neitzel). The flurry increased the Indians lead to 51-32. Golden Plains closed the contest with an stick-back basket by Korte and a free-throw area jumper by Weese. St. Francis defeated a scrappy Golden Plains team 51-36.
St. Francis received balanced scoring from several players. Scoring for St. Francis in the varsity game were Brady Dinkel 16, Jesse Baxter 13, Colton Neitzel 11, Richard Johnson 8, K.C.Krien 2, and Connor Keller 1. The Indians made 5 of 12 from the line, had 14 fouls, and committed 6 turnovers.
Golden Plains also received balanced scoring. Josh Ritter led the Bulldogs with 9 points. Wade Rush and Harley Weese each added 8. Caleb Korte chipped in 6 (all in the final period). The Bulldogs were whistled for 12 fouls, committed 9 turnovers, and made 1 of 4 from the stripe.
St. Francis will play Weskan on Tuesday, January 8th, in St. Francis.
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