Pointers remain unbeaten, handle Cuba City 52-44

By John Dalton

Mineral Point, the #1 ranked team in Division 4 boys’ basketball, remained undefeated on the year with a 52-44 SWAL conference win over Cuba City Monday night in a make-up game.  

The Pointers struggled more than usual with outside shooting, but their defense more than made up for it. They forced many turnovers in the game, which led to some easy transition points.  

Pointer Jacob Phillips got Mineral Point going early with an inside-the-lane bucket, then stole the ball a couple of minutes later and went the distance for a hoop and a 4-2 lead.  Up 9-6, the Pointers would go on a 8-0 run, six of those points courtesy of Eli Lindsey who hit a corner jump-shot, he then made a power baseline move for a bucket and knocked down two free throws in that span.  Jaxson Wendhausen accounted for the other bucket. 

After a Cuba City free throw, Drew Aschliman hit a 3-point shot putting Mineral Point up 19-7 with 4:00 left in the half.  Seconds later, Cuba City’s Miles Hinderman hit a 3-point shot and the Cubans called a timeout down 19-10.  Following the timeout, the Cubans hit three more, 3-point shots during a 12-0 run to tie the game forcing a Mineral Point timeout.

The Pointers regained the lead 21-19 with just seconds to go before halftime on another inside bucket by Phillips.  

Lindsey started the second half off getting the ball in the lane and powering his way for a basket. Buckets by Phillips and Aschliman helped build the Pointer's lead. Then it was Pointer Keaton Dempsey who hit a corner 3-point shot, followed by a bucket driving to the basket, and the Pointers had a 33-23 lead.  

The Cubans Breydyn Johll and Gavin Vaassen would hit some shots to help keep them within striking distance in the second. Johll led all scorers in the game with 15, and Vaassen had 14.  

Later in the second half, Mineral Point’s press defense led to some quick points.  Aschliman would steal the ball and find Wendhausen for an easy basket. Lindsey would pick Hudson Kieler’s pass off and drive unchallenged to the hoop, then Lindsey again stole it and found Wendhausen for a basket.  Wendhausen led Mineral Point in scoring with 13.  Dempsey had 12 and Lindsey 10.  

With under a minute to go, Cuban’s Kieler hit a step-back 3-point shot cutting the Pointer’s lead to 48-42.  But forced to foul, Mineral Point would hit free throws down the stretch to seal the deal over the Cubans as they would go on to win it 52-44.

“Our defense was the key for us.  Offensively we didn’t get quite the flow we wanted at times,” said Mineral Point Head Coach Dan Burreson following the game. "With the exception of a couple minutes stretch in that first half, I thought we were really good defensively with our man defense, and our 1-3-1 in the second half I thought was really good. Guys were active. Guys were communicating and they were thinking next pass ahead.”

“Sometimes the shots aren’t going to fall like they did tonight, but we kept attacking and our defensive tonight was the key,” Burreson said. 

Asked if he likes how his team is playing as it gets into the heart of the schedule, Burreson said, “As a coaching standpoint were always finding ways to get better but overall I’m pleased. I like the effort and I like the fact that they’re coming to practice learning and trying to get better every day and as a coach that is all you can ask for.”

Mineral Point will next travel to Riverdale on Thursday, January 9th.  That game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

For video highlights of this game check out The Chronicle or The Democrat’s Facebook page.  

BOX SCORE

Mineral Point 21 – 31 – 52

Cuba City       19 – 25 - 44

Mineral Point (fg-ft-tp); Jaxson Wendhausen 4-5-13, Keegan Dempsey 3-5-12, Eli Lindsey 4-2-10, Drew Aschliman 4-0-9, Jake Phillips 4-0-8.  

3-pointers; Aschliman 1, Dempsey 1. 

Cuba City (fg-ft-tp); Breydyn Johll 6-1-15, Gavin Vaassen 4-5-14, Hudson Kieler 3-2-9, Miles Hinderman 1-0-3, Trever Vannatta 1-0-3.  

3-pointers; Johll 2, Vaassen 1, Kieler 1, Hinderman 1.