KEOTA – At stake was first place in the conference race, and the Montezuma and Keota boys basketball teams played it like it was for some kind of championship.
South Iowa Cedar League scoring leaders J.D. Stout of Keota (29.0 ppg) and Trey Shearer of the Braves (25.6) went to war again, and their supporting casts went in with them.
The Braves’ 76-68 win came at the end of a nail-biter. Montezuma led by two points at halftime, by one after three quarters.
The difference? Braves Coach Derrick Dengler though it was defense.
“We executed our game plan,” the coach said. “We worked to make them take long, difficult shots, from a gray area.”
“Offensively, we converted more inside shots in the second half,” Dengler said.
The Braves took their record to 10-1. They are unbeaten in SICL play. Keota, 9-2, took its first league defeat.
Trey Shearer, who always seems to be really wound up for Keota, dropped in a game-high 38 points.
Stout scored 28 for Keota, which is good, but a point below his average.
The Braves didn’t have Cole Watts when these two met last year – he was out with an injury.
He’s back, and he stepped to the front when needed. Watts scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Post forward Eddie Burgess came to the fore with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Trey Shearer, who dropped in 48 when the Braves won last year, got his 38 this time on 13-for-18 shooting, which included three-for-five from behind the arc, and nine-for-12 from the line.
Stout’s totals were 28 points on eight-for-15 from the floor and 10-for-11 from the line.
“Keota has multiple guys who can score the basketball,” Dengler said.
Luke Hammen and Carson Sprouse proved that with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
“Keota is tough environment to go into and get a win,” Dengler said.
But the Braves shot their way through it. They were at .600 from the field (27-for-45), to Keota’s .469 (23-for-49).
But look at three-point shooting: Braves 6-for-15 (.400) versus Keota’s 7-for-23 (.304).
UP NEXT – The Braves are at North Mahaska Friday, Jan. 24.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 24 7 21 24 – 76
Keota 11 18 22 17 – 68
MONTEZUMA (76) – Brayden Arendt 1-4, 2-2, 3, 4. Masin Shearer 1-3, 0-0, 2, 3. Cole Watts 7-13, 3-5, 2, 19. Trey Shearer 13-18, 9-12, 4, 38. Owen Cook 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Eddie Burgess 5-7, 2-2, 1, 12. TOTALS – 27-45, 16-21, 12, 76.
KEOTA (68)
TOTALS – 23-49, 15-17, 17, 68.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 5, Keota 7.
Rebounds: Montezuma 22 (Burgess 11, Watts 5, Arendt 3, T. Shearer 2, M. Shearer 1); Keota 18.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 6-15 (T. Shearer 3, Watts 2, M. Shearer 1); Keota 7-23.
Montezuma assists: Burgess 4, T. Shearer 4, Watts 2, Arendt 1, M. Shearer 1.
Steals: Watts 2, Arendt 1, T. Shearer 1, team 2.
Deflections: Arendt 3, M. Shearer 1, Watts 1.
Blocks: Burgess 1.
