Colby boys notch road victory over Greyhounds, 69-48

By Nathaniel Underwood

The Colby Hornets boys basketball team knocked off the Cloverbelt-East leading Loyal Greyhounds on the road last Friday evening. Landon Steinman put up a career-high 22 points, Tucker Hayes was one rebound away from a double-double and the Hornets held Loyal scoreless over the final six-and-a-half minutes of the game to down the Greyhounds 69-48.

It was an impressively effective offensive performance from the visiting Colby squad. They shot 60.8 percent from the field, making 28 of their 46 shot attempts while also going 7-for-12 from three point range. While there was a brief stretch at the end of the first half where the Hornets were held in check, they opened the second period on fire, scoring on seven of their first nine possessions.

The hot shooting to start the second period, highlighted by a three from Steinman and back-to-back baskets for Miguel Morillon, allowed the Hornets to take a double- digit lead over their hosts. A Greyhound field goal briefly cut the lead back down to eight, but a pair of two-point shots from Hayes and a three from Luke Hannula put Colby up 53-38 with just under 10 minutes to play.

It was a key stretch for the Hornets, who had seen a 12-point first half lead shrink down to three in the final minutes of the first period. With their double-digit advantage once again back in hand, Colby outscored their opponents 16-8 down the stretch to seal the victory. Steinman shut down a small Loyal rally by hitting an important three with 4:30 left in the contest, all but ending the Greyhounds’ hopes of mounting a comeback.

A 17-4 run in the opening minutes allowed the Hornets to take a lead that they never relinquished. After trailing 5-2 to start the game, a basket from Hannula gave Colby the lead at 6-5 and a three from Steinman put them up by two possessions. Morillon connected on a pair of field goals on consecutive trips down the court and a make from Hayes put the Hornets up 19-9.

The visiting Colby squad maintained their multi-possession gap for much of the half. The only time the Hornets’ offense slowed was in the final six minutes of the opening period. Colby was held to a single basket by Hayes and an 11-2 run for the Greyhounds pulled them within three at halftime. The Hornets’ strong play up until that point and in the second period allowed them to weather that storm, however, and they dealt their Cloverbelt-East rivals their second defeat of the season.

Steinman finished the game shooting 7for-13 from the field, making four threepoint shots and going 4-for-5 from the free

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throw line. His 22 point performance was the best of his varsity career, topping a 17 point effort in the Hornets first playoff game against Crandon last season.

Hayes was extremely efficient, hitting eight of his 11 field goal attempts and collecting 18 points. He also led the team with nine rebounds. Morillon added 12 points and had a team-high seven assists, Hannula had nine points and three assists, and Fleischmann picked up eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Hornets will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 30, when they host Gilman. The Pirates are currently 4-9 overall and are still looking for their first win in the Cloverbelt-East, holding a 0-5 conference record. When Colby last played Gilman in early December, the Hornets cruised to a 67-50 road victory. This Thursday’s rematch will start at 7:15 p.m.

STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT CLARK COUNTY