One of the strengths of a now-18-2 Montezuma Braves basketball team is its ability to play tough defense without fouling.
The Braves appeared to be cruising right along Tuesday night, Feb. 11, leading Grundy Center 37-15 at halftime.
But just below the surface, they were paddling like crazy to stay afloat. Top guns Trey Shearer, Cole Watts and Eddie Burgess were picking up personal fouls. Grundy Center rallied, trailed by nine points after three – and the three mentioned Braves had three fouls each.
None of them was whistled again.
The Braves traded points with the Spartans in the fourth and took a 61-54 win in a match between two schools that played for a regional championship last season.
We stay “schools” rather than “teams,” because the Spartans were hit hard, right in the post, by graduation. But at 12-8, they’re still tough.
Three Braves scored in double figures, but catch what the fourth, Eddie Burgess, did: Nine points, but also 19 rebounds and five assists.
Trey Shearer led Montezuma scoring with 24 points, Cole Watts scored 12 and Brayden Arendt had an important 11.
UP NEXT – Montezuma closes its regular season Friday at another tough program: Gladbrook-Reinbeck. It will be a boys JV/varsity doubleheader.