Hornets rally past ‘Jays, win three in a row
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Colby boys basketball team put together three wins over the past week, downing a pair of Cloverbelt foes before mounting a comeback win over Athens. The trio of victories put the Hornets above .500 for the season, going 10-9 thus far. They also improved their conference record to 8-3, just behind second-place Neillsville at 9-2.
Athens, 63-54
Colby rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to defeat the Athens Bluejays on the road on Monday evening. Behind Joseph Streveler’s 27-point performance, the Hornets were able to overcome some early shooting woes and put up 38 points in the second period to pick up their third straight win, downing the hosting Bluejays 63-54.
The Hornets trailed 34-25 at halftime and their situation worsened when Athens connected on a pair of threes to start the second period. Miguel Morillon answered on Colby’s next possession, knocking down a corner three of his own.
The shot kick started an important run for the Hornets. Another three from Reed Fleischmann in the same corner coupled with four points from Streveler brought Colby back within two possessions. Morillon then turned a steal into a transition layup and Tucker Hayes hit two free throws to make it 14 straight points for the visiting Hornets.
The Bluejays got back on the scoreboard with another three, but Colby had already fought to bring themselves back into the game. Streveler hit a tough midrange shot to tie the game at 43-43 and Jaxon Polvika followed it up by nailing yet another corner three to give the Hornets their first lead of the game. While the lead was short lived, as Athens went on a small 7-0 run to go up 52-48 with a little over five minutes left to play, the Hornets went on a final rally to secure the victory. Colby scored another 14 straight points, with Streveler hitting the three-point shot that put his team ahead for good. The Bluejays only scored t w o points over the final five minutes of the game and Colby was able to take home the 63-54 win.
In addition to Streveler’s 27 points, Polivka ended the game with nine, Fleishmann had eight, Morillon added seven and Hayes and Adrian Lopez put up six each.
Greenwood, 65-19
Jaxon Polivka put up 15 points and Adrian Lopez shot 4-for-6 from three-point range in a dominating performance from Colby against the Greenwood Indians last Friday. The Hornets put up 50 points in the first half and their bench carried them the rest of the way to a 65-19 win, their eighth conference victory of the season.
Colby picked apart the Indians defense early and often. Polivka was the primary driving force for the home team over the first five minutes of the contest, the senior guard scoring 12 of the Hornets’ first 14 points. Greenwood managed some offensive response during this time, but could not keep up that production. The Indians were held without a score for the next five minutes and Colby took advantage. The home team scored 23 straight points during the middle portion of the first half, hitting five shots from beyond the three-point line over the stretch. Four of those were courtesy of Lopez and Landon Steinman added a fifth as the onslaught gave Colby complete command over the contest.
While a free throw from Greenwood’s James Durrstein finally broke the scoring streak, the Hornets still outscored their opponents 15-6 over the final stretch of the first period.
A very similar scoreline was recorded over the course of the second period, as Colby put up 15 points to the Indians’ seven over the final 18 minutes.
Polivka finished shooting 7-for-11 from the field and added a team-high three steals to his 15 point performance. Lopez had 12 points, Luke Hannula went 2-for-2 from three point range and finished with eight points, and Tucker Hayes had eight points and five rebounds.
Joseph Streveler pulled down seven rebounds and dished out five assists while scoring six points, Steinman ended the game with five points and Miguel Morillon had four points. Braiden Johnson hit a three and Colton Orth and Izaac Carrera rounded out the scoring with two points each.
Spencer, 69-54
The Hornets took care of business in a road victory over Spencer last Tuesday evening, maintaining their pace with the top of the Cloverbelt-East with a 69-54 victory over the Rockets.
While the two squads were about even when it came to shooting percentages and rebounds, with Spencer holding a slight edge in both categories, Colby simply had more opportunities. The Hornets were able to create 16 steals and force their opponents into 30 turnovers while only committing 11 turnovers themselves. This allowed them to put up 22 more shots than the Rockets, and ultimately come away with a double-digit win.
See HORNET WINNING STREAK/ Page 11
GRABBING THE REBOUND - Zander Engel pulls down an offensive rebound and looks to put it back up against Greenwood.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
BATTLING ON THE BLOCKS - Tucker Hayes fights his way through contact in last week’s Cloverbelt-
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
FAST BREAK BASKET - Joseph Streveler maneuvers past a defender for a transition layup in Colby’s win over the Indians.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
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Four Hornets finished the game with 10 or more points. The senior trio of Joseph Streveler, Adrian Lopez and Jaxon Polivka led the way on both offense and defense. Streveler put up a 19 point, seven rebound, and four steal performance while Lopez scored 16 points and had six steals and Polvika had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Reed Fleischmann went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and finished with 10 points as the final member of the Colby squad to end the game in double-digits. He also added a team-high four assists and three steals. Miguel Morillon had six points, eight rebounds and four assists in a solid all-around performance. Landon Steinman and Tucker Hayes rounded out the scorers with two points each.
The road gets more difficult for Colby, as their remaining conference games are against first-place Columbus Catholic, second-place Neillsville, and fourthplace Owen-Withee. First up will be the Dons, who the Hornets will face at home on Thursday, February 8. Columbus is 18-1 this season and 11-0 in the Cloverbelt-East. The last time the two teams faced off, the Dons came away on top, winning 73-55.
The start time for the conference showdown is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
MAKING IT LOOK EASY - Jaxon Polivka finds some open space for a layup in the Hornets blowout win over Greenwood.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
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