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The battle was on for Highland and Shullsburg's boys basketball teams in a Six Rivers West match-up Friday but one thing turned the 51-33 win in favor of the Miners.
Iasaac Kutzke, a 5-7 junior spark plug, felt his knee pop and hobbled off the floor when the difference in the score was four points. It was a big loss for the numbers-challenged Cardinals who had only eight available bodies for the game and are already missing scoring leader and senior Spencer Linscheid. Both players are fighting knee injuries.
"With Spencer out Derek Miller has been our scoring leader with Iasaac our second leading point getter, our second leading rebounder and our leader in steals and assists," said coach Paul Wedig. "This is a really big loss for us."
Much bigger than the 18 point difference Friday.
Only four Highland players got into the scoring column. Justin Miller led with 14 with Derek Miller and Zack Yanna both netting nine. Kutzke put in a free throw before his untimely exit.
Jacob Berandes led the Miners with 19 points with three NBA type fall away three pointers.
"Our game plan was to knew where Berendes was at all times," Wedig said. "We did a decent job with that as his three pointers were spectacular."
Brandon Hoppman reached double figures for the Miners with 12.
The game got off to a slow start and was tied at 6-6 for 10 minutes. The two teams traded baskets again before Shullsburg made a run and led 25-12 at the half. A steal off a Highland inbounds pass and a foul gave the Miners three late points to reach the halftime difference.
"Without that we would have only been down 10 at the half," Wedig said.
Yanna had cut the lead to 10 a moment earlier with a basket and a free throw.
The Cards finished strong with a 12-0 run to end the game.
"The kids showed improvement in the game and even with two starters out there was no head hanging," Wedig said. They showed resiliency and proved they want to get better. I can be happy with that."
In junior varsity action the Cardinals lost a close one to the Miners 55-51.
The teams are back in action Thursday with a home game with River Ridge.
SCORE BY HALVES
S 25 26 51
H 12 21 33
BOX SCORE
SHULLSBURG 51: (fg-ft-tp) Berendes 7-2/2-19, Strang 1-0-3, Turpin 1-0-2, Heim 0-2/2-2, G. Wiegel 2-2/4-7, Z. Wiegel 1-0-2, Klotz 1-0-2, B. Hoppman 5-1/1-12, I. Hoppman 1-0-2. Totals 19-7/9-51. Fouls-18
HIGHLAND 33: Kutzke 0-1/2-1, J. Miller 5-3/6-14, Yanna 2-3/5-9. D. Miller 4-1/2-9. Totals 11-8/15- 33 Fouls-10
3 point goals:
S-Berendes 3, Strang 1, G. Wiegel 1, Hoppman 1
H-J. Miller 1