Rockets hang tough but can’t get past Owen-Withee

Overmatched sizewise against a long Owen- Withee Blackhawks squad, the Spencer boys basketball team did its best on Jan. 28 to pull out an Eastern Cloverbelt Conference upset. The Rockets came close.

Spencer trailed by only three points with 4:13 to play in the game, before a late Owen-Withee run, mostly on free throws, sealed a 62-51 victory. The Blackhawks outscored the Rockets 19-5 from the free-throw line, with Owen-Withee getting numerous 3-point play chances as Spencer battled on the boards with the taller Blackhawk lineup.

Spencer had lost at Owen-Withee on Dec. 9 by a 79-34 score, but the rematch would play out much differently. The Blackhawks did jump out to a 12-3 lead early on due to some sharpshooting by senior guard Tyler Weaver -- who nailed three 3-pointers in the game’s first four minutes -- but Spencer quickly clawed back into the game. Kaleb Brandt’s 3-pointer from the corner and two treys from Nathan Rucker put Spencer ahead 24-22 with 4:32 left in the first half, and the Rockets were still down only two points at the break.

Spencer had a lead at 31-30 with 15:53 to play when Brandt popped another 3-pointer after Noah Schultz kicked the ball out of a double team in the paint. A Schultz driving basket and a free throw a short time later gave Spencer its last lead of the game at 39-38 with 10:18 to go. Owen-Withee’s frontline players were tough to contain on the glass, and they were able to convert scoring chances and draw fouls throughout the latter part of the game. In the second half alone, the Blackhawks had seven 3-point play opportunities as they scored in the paint and drew contact. Owen Withee converted the free throws on four of those opportunities and was 19-29 from the line on the night. Spencer got 10 free throws and made five of them.

Gage Hanson’s 3-point play extended the Owen-Withee lead to 49-41 with 7:26 to go. Rucker pulled Spencer back into it with a short jumper at the 6:25 mark, and then a free throw at 6:04 as he finished a fast break. Luke Roehrborn then made it a 49-46 game by scoring underneath on an in-bounds play.

After Logan Amacher scored for Owen-Withee on a full-court press break, Brandt canned a jumper in transition to keep Spencer within 51-48 with 4:13 to go. Owen-Withee missed a shot on its next possession, but Spencer was whistled for traveling to ruin a chance to trim the lead.

With 3:09 to go, Weaver scored from the low block and drew a foul for a 3-point play. With 1:49 to play, Carter Klabon got another inside score and a foul to run the lead to 56-48.

Caleb Rucker’s 3-pointer at the 56-second mark was Spencer’s last gasp. The Blackhawks hit six of 10 free throws in the last 1:16 to ice the win.

Brandt’s 16 points led Spencer. Nathan Rucker added 15 and Schultz contributed nine. Weaver led Owen-Withee with 22 points as he went 9-11 from the line. Klabon scored 14 and Amacher added eight.

DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO