Colby boys lose crossover
It wasn’t the ending to the regular season that the Colby Hornets were hoping for, but if there’s any consolation to be found after Colby’s 60-43 loss to the Bloomer in Thursday’s Cloverbelt Crossover, it’s that there still plenty more basketball to be played. The Hornets will have time to regroup and rethink their strategy as the playoffs begin this week for boys basketball. And with any luck, they’ll iron out some of the wrinkles in their shooting.
For Colby, it’s been live or die by the three point shot. When it’s falling, the Hornets can beat any team, anywhere. Just ask the Columbus Catholic Dons and Stratford Tigers, who were beaten at home by a Hornets barrage from three.
On Thursday, Colby got a taste of its own medicine as the Blackhawks dropped the Hornets with some precise shooting from Down Town. Bloomer splashed seven triples and were perfect seven for seven from the charity stripe as they handed Colby just its seventh loss of the 2021-22 season.
Colby still had its chances though. The Hornets allowed just two threes from Bloomer in the first half, while Kaden Wiese was feeling from three early on.
Wiese scored all nine of his points from beyond the arc, with all three treys coming in the first half. Baskets by Richard Streveler and Mateo Lopez made it a tight 22-21 game at the break, with Bloomer holding the slight advantage.
That all changed in the second half. Domanyck Schwarzenberger found a rhythm in the second half, burying several threes as he lead all players with 18 points. Schwarzenberger’s teammates Connor Crane and Marcus Harelstad gave Bloomer more firepower with ten points apiece.
Colby struggled to get threes to fall in the second, converting on just two shots as they finished six of 22 from three. With each missed shot, Bloomer tightened the screws, and pulled away with a 38-22 second half outpouring.
Colby had just one player, Richard Streveler, in double digits in the crossover with their Western Cloverbelt counterpart. Streveler finished with 15 points.
Wiese had his nine points, and Mateo Lopez scored six points. Tevin Rue had a quiet night with five points. Brandon Voelker and Brody Decker were limited to three points. Tucker Meyer rounded things out with two points.
The Hornets will enter the WIAA postseason with a 16-7 mark.
