Montezuma’s boys basketball team scores a lot of points.
But the Braves’ defense, which has been improving all season, played a big role as Montezuma scored a 78-63 home win over North Mahaska on Tuesday evening, Jan. 19.
Montezuma’s pressure drove the ball to the wings, then the Braves were able to get double-teams as they jammed a taller team’s offense during the two middle quarters.
The game was crucial in the South Iowa Cedar League boys race. Each side entered with one league loss. Now the Braves, 11-1 SICL and 12-2 overall, are in the driver’s seat as the teams head down the stretch run.
The Braves outscored North Mahaska 45-26 during the second and third quarters, to expand a 16-13 first quarter lead to 61-39.
And Montezuma didn’t leave its offense outside the gym door.
State scoring leader Trey Shearer was able to make just one basket in the first half.
But for the Warhawks, it was pick your poison.
The ball found its way to Braves swing forward Cole Watts, and unless my eyes deceived me, he responded with 33 points, including 10 three-point baskets. Ten treys in one game is a school record for Montezuma, according to Coach Derrick Dengler. Watts was 10-for-16 on thee-pointers and 11-for-20 overall.
“Their (North Mahaska’s) length (6-5, 6-4, 6-3 up front) is definitely a factor,” the Montezuma coach said. “I think we took advantage of their helping defense and found Cole (Watts), particularly, for open shots.”
Others came up big, too . . .
Post forward Eddie Burgess grabbed 18 rebounds, scored 15 points, dished a team-high seven assists, had three steals and blocked two shots. He was a major difference-maker.
The Braves dished a season-high 21 assists on 26 made field goals. Trey Shearer backed Burgess’ total with six of his own. Four Montezuma players had multiple assists.
Trey Shearer was 12 under his 30-point average, but he still made a pretty good dent in North Mahaska’s defense. Late in the game, the Braves put the ball in his hands, and the Warhawks fouled him. Trey went nine-for-10 from the line and the Braves were 13-for-15 for the game.
Shearer scored 15 second half points on his way to 18.
With Burgess lurking in the middle of the Braves’ defense, the Warhawks had trouble getting good looks from in close. They responded to that, though, by knocking down 13 three-point baskets. “They definitely had some guys step up and knock down some threes,” Dengler said. “Our guys executed the defense well, but we still need to improve closing out and scrambling to shooters,” the coach said.
The Warhawks were 13-for-20 from three-point range, a sizzling .650 percentage. Lane Harmon, a six-foot sophomore, led North Mahaska in scoring with 17 points and was four-for-four on treys.
Addy Bollman, 6-4, scored 12 points and was four-for-six from behind the arc. Dylan Klinker, 5-8, scored 11 and was three-for-three on treys. No Warhawk came up with more than five rebounds.
Montezuma had 11 turnovers to 17 by the Warhawks, but helped its cause mightily by not making any in the third quarter, when they expanded their lead from 13 to 22 points. And, the Braves equaled North Mahaska’s three-point production with 13 of their own.
Guard Masin Shearer helped the Braves with seven points and forward Gavin Strong scored five.
THE FORMER SCHOOL MARK for three-pointers in one game was eight, Dengler said, citing Dakota Strong, Jamie Gibson and Chad Tanke as the former record-holders.
Montezuma, which lost by two points to the Warhawks Dec. 1 in the season-opener, went to 12-2 overall and 11-1 against the league.
North Mahaska stands at 8-3 overall and 8-2 against the SICL
UP NEXT – Montezuma host Colfax-Mingo on Friday, Jan. 22.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
North Mahaska 13 14 12 24 – 63
Montezuma 16 24 21 17 – 78
MONTEZUMA (78)
Cam Johnson 0-2, 0-0, 2, 0. Masin Shearer 3-9, 0-0, 2, 7. Cole Watts 11-20, 1-1, 0, 33. Trey Shearer 4-12, 9-10, 4, 18. Eddie Burgess 6-7, 3-4, 3, 15. Owen Cook 0-1, 0-0, 0, 5. Gavin Strong 2-4, 0-0, 0, 5. TOTALS 26-55, 13-15, 11, 78.
NORTH MAHASKA (63)
TOTALS – 23-49, 4-5, 14, 63.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: North Mahaska 17, Montezuma 11.
Three-point goals: North Mahaska 13-20, Montezuma 13-29 (C. Watts 10-16, M. Shearer 1-4, T. Shearer 1-6, Strong 1-2, Johnson 0-1).
Rebounds: North Mahaska 24, Montezuma 30 (Burgess 18, T. Shearer 6, C. Watts 3, Cook 2, Strong 1).
Assists: North Mahaska 15, Montezuma 21 (Burgess 7, T. Shearer 6, Watts 4, M. Shearer 2, Johnson 1, Cook 1).
Steals: North Mahaska 5, Montezuma 11 (M. Shearer 3, Burgess 3, Strong 2, Johnson 1, Cook 1, Watts 1).
Blocks: North Mahaska 3, Montezuma 3 (Burgess 2, Watts 1).
