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After struggling with a tough challenge from Iowa-Grant the first half, the Mineral Point boys basketball team knew it had to have someone step up the last two quarters.
How about three people filling that role?
Travis Steffes scored 14 of his 20 points the second half, Dakota Poad had 10 of his 18 and Sy Staver all eight of his to lead the Pointers to a 54-38 win over the Panthers in Tuesday's SWAL match-up.
The Panthers had clawed their way to a 21-20 lead at the half. The Pointers complimented their newly found scoring punch with some sticky defense and held the Panthers to four points the third frame.
Steffes finished the night with a double double as he also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Cashton Laufenberg led Iowa-Grant with 11 points and Colin Conner had all nine of his in the fourth frame.
Laufenberg had eight points in the second quarter to keep the Panthers close.
"Iowa-Grant has a nice team and this was a good win,' Mineral Point coach Dan Burreson said. "We had a tough start but we did a much better job the second half, especially on the boards."
"Travis and Dakota led us offensively and Alec Schmitz hit a couple big shots the first half," Burreson said. "And, I can't say enough about Sy Staver who had eight assists, played 32 minutes and also hit a big shot or two. He's been solid for us."
"We moved the ball and got good looks the second half," Burreson said. "We did a very good job of sharing the basketball."
Burreson said Logan Benish had a strong defensive effort off the bench and Ian Ewers had some good minutes for the Pointers.
The Pointers entertain Southwest-ern Friday night and are at River Valley Monday.
"Southwestern will be tough," Burreson said about the conference test. "We have improved since the last time we played them so it should be a good game."
SCORE BY QUARTERS
MP 8 12 15 19 54
IG 9 12 4 13 38
BOX SCORE
MINERAL POINT 54: (fg-ft-tp) Staver 2-2-8, D. Poad 7-0-18, Benish 0-0-0, Ewers 0-0-0, Schmitz 2-0-4, Heimsoth 0-0-0, Wendhausen 0-0-0, Weier 0-0-0, James 0-0-0, Steffes 8-4-20, Schultz 1-0-2 Totals 20-6/8-54 Fouls-10
IOWA-GRANT 38: Laufenberg 4-3-11, Johannesen 0-0-0, Nagel 0-0-0, Leverton 4-0-8, Anderson 2-0-4, Deutsch 0-0-0, Price 0-0-0, Haas 0-0-0, Conner 4-1-9, Trevorrow 2-0-4, Olson 1-0-2, Reeves 0-0-0 Totals 17-4/5-38 Fouls-13
3 point goals:
MP-Poad 4, Staver 2