MONROE – The PCM Mustangs, a tall, physical basketball team from a larger school, played the game at their more deliberate pace and played add-on in a 59-48 win over Montezuma on Thursday, Jan. 24.
Both teams played good defense. Both kept their opponent under .420 in field goal percentage.
But the Mustangs outrebounded the Braves 30-22 and kept their fouling at a minimum. Only one Brave shot free throws in the contest. PCM limited Montezuma to just two offensive rebounds.
Guard Brady Boulton led the Braves with 20 points, while forward Garrett Watts found some operating room in the PCM defense and netted 19.
“We didn’t get our shots to fall early in the game,” said Braves Coach Derrick Dengler. “Later, we could not put together enough stops and made baskets in the second half to get close.”
Boulton was playing with a mask covering a nose broken in practice, and he may be with that mask for most of the season.
The Mustangs outscored the Braves 11-9 in the first quarter and 11-8 in the second. But the host team put some distance between the teams with a 19-9 third quarter to push their lead out to 15 points.
The Braves put up 22 fourth quarter points, but were able to knock just four points off their deficit.
Boulton knocked down five three-point baskets to help the Braves stay in contention.
Meanwhile, Watts went 9-for-15 from the field to help Montezuma stay in contention.
Only three Braves other than Boulton and Watts scored points, and they added up to just 9.
Watts and Boulton each had 6 rebounds. Max Anderson had five assists for the Braves, and Boulton dished out 4.
The Braves fell to to 7-3, while PCM advanced to 6-5.
PCM entered the contest as a 12-point favorite, according to BCMoore Rankings.
UP NEXT – Monteuma’s boys and girls host Belle Plaine on Friday evening, Jan. 5.
“Hopefully, we will bounce back against a similar team in Belle Plaine,” Dengler said.
NOTE: For what it’s worth, PCM lists five players between 6-4 and 6-7 in height, and three more at 6-2.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 9 8 9 22 – 48
PCM 11 11 19 18 – 59
MONTEZUMA (48) – Dane Strong 0-2, 0-0, 2, 0 Briar Simpson 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Garrett Watts 9-15, 0-0, 1, 19. David Rose 1-2, 0-0, 4, 2. Luke Brennan 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Brady Boulton 6-15, 3-4, 0, 20. Alex Black 0-0, 0-0, 4, 0. Kohen Holland 2-6, 0-0, 0, 4. Max Anderson 1-7, 0-0, 2, 3. TOTALS – 19-46, 3-4, 13, 48.
PCM (59) TOTALS – 25-60, 5-11, 9, 59.
Line score legend: field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 12, PCM 12.
Three-pointers: Montezuma 7-26 (Strong 0-1, Watts 1-4, Boulton 5-12, Holland 0-2, Anderson 1-7); PCM 4-21.
Rebounds: Montezuma 22 (Watts 6, Boulton 6, Rose 4, Anderson 3, Holland 1, Simpson 1, Black 1); PCM 30.
Steals: Montezuma 5 (Strong 2, Rose 1, Holland 1, Anderson 1.
Assists: Montezuma 9 (Anderson 5, Boulton 4).
Blocks: Montezuma 1 (Strong).