NEW GLARUS - After sputtering through part of the season, the Glarner Knights look as if they have finally found themselves with just three games left in the regular season.
New Glarus' boys basketball team passed and scored throughout Tuesday's 54-43 win over Cambridge.
"We definitely needed the momentum of a big win headed into Thursday's game at Marshall," senior guard Cassidy Flannery said.
After getting beat by Lakeside Lutheran, Marshall and Wisconsin Heights over the past month and a half, New Glarus (14-3, 6-2 Capitol South) was looking to find its shot.
"For a while we kind of got complacent thinking no one could touch us. Then we lost to Marshall and it was a reality check that we had to step our game up," Flannery said.
In the first quarter, the Blue Jays (8-9, 5-3) and Knights pushed the floor and traded leads before Cameron Jeglum's 3-pointer as time expired ended the first quarter with a 16-12 Knights lead.
Jeglum came off the bench and scored seven points in the opening quarter and a team-high 14 in the game. Also in the first, Jeglum dished the rock to Flannery in the right corner for a big 3-pointer.
"We play our best when we dish the ball," New Glarus guard Logan Lockard said. "That's what we did tonight and we got the W."
The Knights excelled in the passing department all game, dishing out 12 assists. Eight of the Knights' 12 baskets in the first half were assisted.
"We have five guys on the floor that are so unselfish. We like to run and pass to the next guy - it's just what we do," Flannery said.
Jeglum's spark helped the Knights roll through the rest of the game. The Knights extended their lead to 29-19 when Flannery connected with Jeremy Langfoss in the paint.
Cambridge got a pair of free throws with 3.2 seconds left to bring the score to 29-21 right before the break.
However, there was no momentum shift. New Glarus scored the first two baskets of the third quarter, with Jake Bast hitting a runner and Lockard scoring in transition.
Bast struggled shooting all game. Despite scoring seven points, the Knights' leading scorer failed to connect from beyond the arc. But Jeglum, Lockard (10 points) and Flannery (12) picked up the slack.
"Everyone on this team has the green light, and that's the way it's been since Day One," Flannery said.
Lockard said the seniors understand the necessity of having veterans step up.
"We preach senior leadership and look to the veterans to step up. We struggled the last couple of years and feel this is our year. The fact that one guy can have an off night and we can still come together as a team to make up for it shows what we can do," Lockard said.
Also getting in on the action was Langfoss, who scored eight points and pulled down nearly every New Glarus rebound.
"(Langfoss) was huge. He's our only big guy. We put out four guards and he's pretty much our only rebounder down there. When he's on, he's a big part of this team. We definitely need that every game," Flannery said.
New Glarus led 45-30 by the end of the third quarter. That advantage crept to as many as 18 points in the fourth, 50-32, when Jeglum hit Langfoss in the paint for a reverse layup with 6:36 left.
Many of New Glarus' bench players got into the game late, and Cambridge finished the contest on an 11-4 run.
New Glarus hit six 3s, while finishing just 2-for-5 from the free throw line. It was the 17 two-pointers that made the difference.
Cambridge hit five 3s and finished 8-for-9 from the line.
The Knights have one day to prepare for Thursday's game against conference leader Marshall (14-3, 7-1). The Knights were shocked on Jan. 22 by 21 points and look to return the favor. If New Glarus can beat Marshall, it will position the Knights into a conference tie with one game remaining: Feb. 23 at Waterloo (6-11, 1-7).
"Now that we've played a sizable team (Cambridge) at the top of the conference with us, we showed that we can take on Marshall," Lockard said.
New Glarus' boys basketball team passed and scored throughout Tuesday's 54-43 win over Cambridge.
"We definitely needed the momentum of a big win headed into Thursday's game at Marshall," senior guard Cassidy Flannery said.
After getting beat by Lakeside Lutheran, Marshall and Wisconsin Heights over the past month and a half, New Glarus (14-3, 6-2 Capitol South) was looking to find its shot.
"For a while we kind of got complacent thinking no one could touch us. Then we lost to Marshall and it was a reality check that we had to step our game up," Flannery said.
In the first quarter, the Blue Jays (8-9, 5-3) and Knights pushed the floor and traded leads before Cameron Jeglum's 3-pointer as time expired ended the first quarter with a 16-12 Knights lead.
Jeglum came off the bench and scored seven points in the opening quarter and a team-high 14 in the game. Also in the first, Jeglum dished the rock to Flannery in the right corner for a big 3-pointer.
"We play our best when we dish the ball," New Glarus guard Logan Lockard said. "That's what we did tonight and we got the W."
The Knights excelled in the passing department all game, dishing out 12 assists. Eight of the Knights' 12 baskets in the first half were assisted.
"We have five guys on the floor that are so unselfish. We like to run and pass to the next guy - it's just what we do," Flannery said.
Jeglum's spark helped the Knights roll through the rest of the game. The Knights extended their lead to 29-19 when Flannery connected with Jeremy Langfoss in the paint.
Cambridge got a pair of free throws with 3.2 seconds left to bring the score to 29-21 right before the break.
However, there was no momentum shift. New Glarus scored the first two baskets of the third quarter, with Jake Bast hitting a runner and Lockard scoring in transition.
Bast struggled shooting all game. Despite scoring seven points, the Knights' leading scorer failed to connect from beyond the arc. But Jeglum, Lockard (10 points) and Flannery (12) picked up the slack.
"Everyone on this team has the green light, and that's the way it's been since Day One," Flannery said.
Lockard said the seniors understand the necessity of having veterans step up.
"We preach senior leadership and look to the veterans to step up. We struggled the last couple of years and feel this is our year. The fact that one guy can have an off night and we can still come together as a team to make up for it shows what we can do," Lockard said.
Also getting in on the action was Langfoss, who scored eight points and pulled down nearly every New Glarus rebound.
"(Langfoss) was huge. He's our only big guy. We put out four guards and he's pretty much our only rebounder down there. When he's on, he's a big part of this team. We definitely need that every game," Flannery said.
New Glarus led 45-30 by the end of the third quarter. That advantage crept to as many as 18 points in the fourth, 50-32, when Jeglum hit Langfoss in the paint for a reverse layup with 6:36 left.
Many of New Glarus' bench players got into the game late, and Cambridge finished the contest on an 11-4 run.
New Glarus hit six 3s, while finishing just 2-for-5 from the free throw line. It was the 17 two-pointers that made the difference.
Cambridge hit five 3s and finished 8-for-9 from the line.
The Knights have one day to prepare for Thursday's game against conference leader Marshall (14-3, 7-1). The Knights were shocked on Jan. 22 by 21 points and look to return the favor. If New Glarus can beat Marshall, it will position the Knights into a conference tie with one game remaining: Feb. 23 at Waterloo (6-11, 1-7).
"Now that we've played a sizable team (Cambridge) at the top of the conference with us, we showed that we can take on Marshall," Lockard said.
