NEW GLARUS - Belleville senior Colton Crye had this Capitol South Conference game circled on his calendar.
Crye scored a game-high 16 points to lead Belleville to a 59-51 win over New Glarus Friday night.
"I have been looking forward to this game ever since New Glarus beat us in the first round of the playoffs last year," Crye said. "All offseason, I have been working towards beating New Glarus."
Belleville senior Riley Kahl, who scored 10 points, drilled a 3-pointer with 5 minutes, 53 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 40-30 lead and a win seemed within reach. However, the Glarner Knights (5-1, 1-1) stormed back from a 10-point deficit. After New Glarus senior Ryan Bright fouled out with 4:55 left, senior Brendan Pittman stepped up by drilling two fourth quarter 3-pointers to slice the Wildcats' lead to 49-44 with 2:11 to go. Belleville (3-2, 1-0 Capitol South) made 13 of 18 free throws in the last 3:06 to seal the win.
Belleville senior Dylan Schulz, who scored 14 points, made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:12 to ice the game.
"We came in and it was just not a conference game," Schulz said. "It was New Glarus. We knew we had to beat them. Coming into the fourth quarter, we knew if we made our free throws we would win."
The Wildcats have been in the same situation before. The Wildcats shot 10 of 27 from the free throw line in a game earlier this year against Mount Horeb and lost by one point. On Friday night, the Wildcats lived from the foul line and made 29 of 42 free throws.
"It was big," Belleville coach Chad Hodgson said of the first conference win. "New Glarus, I still think after playing them tonight is one of the best teams in the conference. They play with a lot of intensity."
Hodgson understands that hitting clutch free throws is the difference.
"It's a tribute to the kids to have the focus to step up and make those shots," he said. "If we didn't make those shots New Glarus is in the ballgame."
Early on, the Knights started out with some hot shooting in jumping out to an 8-4 lead. New Glarus senior Cameron Jeglum, who scored 14 points, scored a layup off the tip-off on a pass from Bright. Jeglum and Tyler Dorn hit 3-pointers to spark the Knights to the early lead.
The Wildcats stayed within striking distance by feeding the ball down low to Crye. Belleville senior Nick Davis scored on a layup midway through the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 21-16 lead. The Wildcats outscored the Knights 15-8 in the second quarter. Schulz gave the Wildcats a big lift after nailing a running jumper to beat the buzzer to give the Wildcats a 29-20 halftime lead.
Both the Belleville and New Glarus offenses came to standstills in the third quarter. The Knights held the Wildcats without a field goal in the third quarter, but still trailed 35-27 heading into the fourth quarter. Belleville shot 0-for-6 in the third quarter and New Glarus was 2-for-11. The first quarter for either team in the third quarter came on New Glarus sophomore Tyler Kreklow's jumper, which cut the Wildcats' lead to 29-22 with 4:29 left in the period. Kreklow finished with 13 points and senior Nick Stuessy added 10 points.
"I think the turning point of the game was the third quarter," New Glarus coach Travis Sysko said. "If you would have told me before the game, we would hold them without a field goal in the third quarter, I would have thought we would have been winning instead of down nine."
The Knights went to a fullcourt press in the third quarter to change the tempo, but the Wildcats remained aggressive attacking the basket.
The Knights' fourth quarter rally fell short after Bright and then Jeglum fouled out with 1:12 left.
"You commit some silly fouls early in the game and you don't think they will come back to hurt you," Sysko said. "They came back and bit us tonight."
Crye scored a game-high 16 points to lead Belleville to a 59-51 win over New Glarus Friday night.
"I have been looking forward to this game ever since New Glarus beat us in the first round of the playoffs last year," Crye said. "All offseason, I have been working towards beating New Glarus."
Belleville senior Riley Kahl, who scored 10 points, drilled a 3-pointer with 5 minutes, 53 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 40-30 lead and a win seemed within reach. However, the Glarner Knights (5-1, 1-1) stormed back from a 10-point deficit. After New Glarus senior Ryan Bright fouled out with 4:55 left, senior Brendan Pittman stepped up by drilling two fourth quarter 3-pointers to slice the Wildcats' lead to 49-44 with 2:11 to go. Belleville (3-2, 1-0 Capitol South) made 13 of 18 free throws in the last 3:06 to seal the win.
Belleville senior Dylan Schulz, who scored 14 points, made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:12 to ice the game.
"We came in and it was just not a conference game," Schulz said. "It was New Glarus. We knew we had to beat them. Coming into the fourth quarter, we knew if we made our free throws we would win."
The Wildcats have been in the same situation before. The Wildcats shot 10 of 27 from the free throw line in a game earlier this year against Mount Horeb and lost by one point. On Friday night, the Wildcats lived from the foul line and made 29 of 42 free throws.
"It was big," Belleville coach Chad Hodgson said of the first conference win. "New Glarus, I still think after playing them tonight is one of the best teams in the conference. They play with a lot of intensity."
Hodgson understands that hitting clutch free throws is the difference.
"It's a tribute to the kids to have the focus to step up and make those shots," he said. "If we didn't make those shots New Glarus is in the ballgame."
Early on, the Knights started out with some hot shooting in jumping out to an 8-4 lead. New Glarus senior Cameron Jeglum, who scored 14 points, scored a layup off the tip-off on a pass from Bright. Jeglum and Tyler Dorn hit 3-pointers to spark the Knights to the early lead.
The Wildcats stayed within striking distance by feeding the ball down low to Crye. Belleville senior Nick Davis scored on a layup midway through the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 21-16 lead. The Wildcats outscored the Knights 15-8 in the second quarter. Schulz gave the Wildcats a big lift after nailing a running jumper to beat the buzzer to give the Wildcats a 29-20 halftime lead.
Both the Belleville and New Glarus offenses came to standstills in the third quarter. The Knights held the Wildcats without a field goal in the third quarter, but still trailed 35-27 heading into the fourth quarter. Belleville shot 0-for-6 in the third quarter and New Glarus was 2-for-11. The first quarter for either team in the third quarter came on New Glarus sophomore Tyler Kreklow's jumper, which cut the Wildcats' lead to 29-22 with 4:29 left in the period. Kreklow finished with 13 points and senior Nick Stuessy added 10 points.
"I think the turning point of the game was the third quarter," New Glarus coach Travis Sysko said. "If you would have told me before the game, we would hold them without a field goal in the third quarter, I would have thought we would have been winning instead of down nine."
The Knights went to a fullcourt press in the third quarter to change the tempo, but the Wildcats remained aggressive attacking the basket.
The Knights' fourth quarter rally fell short after Bright and then Jeglum fouled out with 1:12 left.
"You commit some silly fouls early in the game and you don't think they will come back to hurt you," Sysko said. "They came back and bit us tonight."
