Colby boys BB preview

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Stanley-Boyd’s ability to put up transition points and effectively attack the Hornets’ zone defense gave them the advantage down the stretch. The Orioles were also a bit more consistent finding success down on the blocks, outrebounding Colby 41-34 and earning twice as many trips to the free throw line.

Both teams took some time to settle into the game offensively, scoring a combined 11 points over the first five minutes of the game. The visitors took an initial advantage over those opening possessions, eventually growing a seven- point lead by the halfway point in the period.

Down 17-10, shots finally started to fall for the Hornets. After scoring 10 points over the first 10 minutes of the game, Colby doubled their point total in just sixty seconds. Landon Steinman started the scoring streak with a threepoint shot and Adrian Lopez followed up with two free throws. Lopez then followed up with a three-point shot of his own to give the Hornets the lead and Steinman added a short jumper from the left block to extend their advantage. The Orioles finally cut the streak short with a three of their own to tie the game, but Lopez answered by hitting another shot from beyond the arc to keep the Hornets ahead.

Lopez continued to provide the offense for Colby over the next few minutes, connecting on two more three-point shots and finishing the half with 16 points. His final make of the half put the Hornets up 33-28, their largest lead of the game, but a final push from Stanley-Boyd flipped the script once more before halftime. The Orioles put up six points over the final minute-and-a-half to retake the lead heading into the locker rooms.

A layup from Lopez to open the second period briefly put Colby back on top, but the visitors answered with a three on their next possession and never trailed again. The Hornets kept things close, down 44-42 at the halfway point of the period, but Stanley-Boyd began to find cracks in the home team’s defense. The Orioles’s Hunter Hoel found room to maneuver down low and eight points scored in transition allowed the visitors to pull away at a critical juncture. A 20-7 run for Stanley-Boyd put the game out of reach and Colby was dealt their second loss of the season.

Lopez finished the game with 20 points as the Hornets top scorer. Joseph Streveler finished one assist short of a triple-double in a solid all-around performance for the senior. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Steinman, Jaxon Polivka and Tucker Hayes all added seven points and Polivka and Hayes had six rebounds each. Reed Fleischmann brought down eight rebounds and contributed three points and two assists, Gavin Voss had three points and Izaac Carrera had two points.