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For two and a half quarters of Thursday night's basketball game, Mineral Point fans might have been wondering where the offense had gone from their usually potent Pointer squad.
Lucky for them, the Pointers found their way and rallied from ten down in the third quarter to claim the key SWAL victory 49-43.
The Cuba City boys team held a halftime lead of 24-18, but increased that to 32-22 at the 4:08 mark of the third quarter. The Pointers were plagued with foul trouble from one of their top scorers, Tarek Oellerich, who picked up his fourth foul halfway through the third as well.
Big games have big turning points, and the first of several came courtesy of Jordan Kittleson. The 6'5" Pointer senior entered the game and drained a three pointer at the 2:05 mark, and followed that up with a subsequent block on the other end of the court. Four free throws from Sy Staver helped get Point within one at 32-29, and a Turner Poad three pointer made the score 33-32 entering the fourth. Cuba only mustered one free throw over the final four minutes. Suddenly the fans had the ball game they had been hoping for against the #2 state ranked Pointers and #4 Cubans.
Zachary Gaines hit a hoop for the Cubans to start the fourth, but a three from Alec Schmitz pulled the Pointers even at 35 all with 5:49 to go. Cuba's Drew Zimmerman hit two free throws to put the visitors back in front, but Point gained their first lead since early in the first quarter on an old-fashioned three point play from Joey Gorgen at the 4:03 mark. Preston Droessler responded for Cuba City with a hoop that gave the lead back to Cuba at 39-38, but that would be their last lead for the night.
Schmitz drained another three pointer, Poad drew a pair of charging fouls, and Oellerich was back in the lineup and hit his only hoop of the game. The Pointers were also perfect from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
Staver tied for game high scoring honors with 15 as Poad added 10.
The lone Cuban in double digits was Theron Denlinger with 15, 12 of those in the first half.
"This was a hard-fought battle tonight," said Pointer coach Dan Burreson. "If our guys were frustrated, they didn't show it. We have five seniors out there who have been through a lot together. They have seen a lot of varsity action for years now, and that paid dividends tonight."
"During that first half, Cuba beat us to every loose ball, out rebounded us, and were a 1/2 step quicker than we were, but we really picked up our pep in the fourth quarter. Turner taking some defensive charges, Jordan entering the game with his length and getting some big rebounds. Alec hitting some big threes. There were big plays on both sides of the ball. We were hungrier."
"Also, we shot free throws well the entire game, which is a big improvement from the last time we played them," said Burreson.
The teams will meet again at Cuba City Friday, February 6. They are also both in the same regional this year, unlike last year where they did not meet in the postseason until the sectional semifinal.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
CC: 12-12-9-10--43
MP: 9-9-14-17--49
BOX SCORE
CUBA CITY (fg-ft-tp) 43: Gaines 3-0/2-6, Splinter 1-0-2, Denlinger 5-5/6-15, P. Droessler 1-5/8-7, Moor 4-0/1-9, Zimmerman 1-2/2-4. Totals: 15-12-19-43. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Gaines. Three pointers: Moor 1.
MINERAL POINT 49: Staver 3-8/8-15, Kittleson 1-0-3, Gorgen 3-1/1-8, Oellerich 1-0-2, Poad 2-5/6-10, Schmitz 3-1/2-9, MacGilvra 1-0-2. Totals: 14-15/17-49. Fouls: 16. Three pointers: Schmitz 2, Gorgen 1, Kittleson 1, Poad 1, Staver 1.