NEW GLARUS — In its third annual boys basketball holiday tournament, New Glarus used a 13-0 run late in the second half to defeat Brodhead 58-54 on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The Knights secured the win, going 7-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final minute.

“We started playing hard at the right time and started making the right decisions,” New Glarus senior Breckyn Thompson said. “It felt good to pick up the win because we’ve been battling some tough teams but losing.”

The game didn’t start in New Glarus’s favor, as Brodhead jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a three from Cullen Walker and basket from Jaxon Dooley.

Sysko called a timeout just over two minutes into the game.

“I didn’t think our energy was where it needed to be to start the game,” New Glarus head coach Travis Sysko said. “They just needed a little extra motivation to go out and play harder at that point.”

The pause proved beneficial, as the Knights responded with an 8-0 run. Max Marty drew a foul on Walker and went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line. He then scored on a fast break. Brett Warrell gave New Glarus a 6-5 lead, and Thompson extended it with his own basket.

After their own timeout, the Cardinals regained the lead. Dooley completed a 3-point play at the charity stripe to tie the game at 8, and gave his team the advantage with another 2 points. 

Gabe Bockhop then found his groove, making back-to-back baskets. His first 3-pointer of the half gave Brodhead a 19-12 lead, and his second put the Cardinals ahead by 10. 

“We are pretty good from outside,” Brodhead head coach Tommy Meier said. “We gelled as a group and are getting familiar with each other. It showed out here offensively for the most part.”

Instead of relying on their perimeter shooting, New Glarus got itself back into the game by driving to the hoop.

Gavin Pinnow picked up his third foul of the half with six minutes remaining, and Nathan Engen’s first offense sent Cade Thayer to the line for two free throws. Walker collected two quick fouls, resulting in two points for Nolan Julseth. Thayer went back to the line with just under three minutes in the first frame, pulling his team within four (25-21).

Just as New Glarus seemed to be gaining momentum going into the locker room, Bockhop drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a 30-25 Brodhead advantage.

“We clawed to get back in it in the first half, then Bockhop hit that three,” Sykso said. “It gave them the momentum, but we came back.”

Although the Knights started the half with a 5-point deficit, Jake Roth drew Walker’s third foul just 11 seconds in.

The play sparked a run for New Glarus, who tied the game at 36 with a 3-pointer from Thompson. The two teams exchanged points for the next five possessions before Brodhead pulled away 49-41 with a pair of fastbreak baskets from Walker. 

Enter Warrell. The senior had just two points in the first half but went off for 13 in the second frame. He started with back-to-back 3-pointers to make it a 49-47 game, Brodhead. Marty then knotted the game with a put-back before Warrell gave New Glarus a 51-49 lead with just over two minutes left.

“I just kept staying with my shot and trusting it,” Warrell said. “If I had an open shot, I was going to take it even though I wasn’t feeling the best tonight.”

The Cardinals committed five fouls in just over a minute to put the Knights in bonus. Thompson made his first and missed the second. Marty was there for the offensive rebound and dished it to Warrell, who drew a foul on the way to the hoop.

“Max grabbed an offensive rebound and that was huge,” Skysko said. “All those little things add up. They might not show up in the paper the next day, but they show up in the win column for sure.”

Warrell made both shots for a 54-49 advantage.

Dooley ended New Glarus’s 13-point run, making one of his two free throws. After a free throw from Lawrence Vasquez, Dooley scored to make it a one-possession game. Meier quickly called timeout to stop the clock and set up a play.

Following a Warrell free throw, Pinnow scored on a fastbreak to make it a 56-54 game with 12.2 seconds left. Once again Meier called a timeout, but this time Warrell sealed the game with a 2-for-2 trip to the line.

“We don’t give up,” Meier said. “After our Marshall game, we pretty much hit rock bottom defensively. I know the scoreboard doesn’t show what we wanted, but defensively, I think we took a step forward.”

Each team had three players in double figures. Warrell led New Glarus with 15 points, going 5-for-6 from the charity stripe with a pair of 3s. Thompson sank a pair of 3-pointers in his 14-point total, while Marty tallied 12.

Dooley led Brodhead with 17 points. Bockhop recorded 16 points, knocking down for shots beyond the arc, and Walker tallied 14.

Suffering the loss, Brodhead played Cuba City for third place. The Cardinals fell to the Cubans 79-67. With the win, New Glarus rematched Deerfield in the championship. The Knights pulled out a 68-64 victory.

Full recaps for Day 2 of the New Glarus holiday tournament will be in the Wednesday, Jan. 3 edition of the Monroe Times.

In other local boys basketball action, Albany picked up a nonconference win over Rio on Dec. 27, 38-30.

Drew Sertle led the way with 15 points, while Ty Durtschi added 13. 

Albany led 18-12 at halftime. The Comets were just 4-for-20 from 2-point land, but hit 8 of 19 3-pointers and all six free-throw attempts. Rio was just 2-for-16 from deep and just 2-for-5 at the line.

Albany was set to host Parkview on Dec. 28 in another nonconference affair. 

Juda lost to Dodgeland in the Dodgeland Winter Classic tournament 68-23 on Dec. 27. They were to play Princeton-Green Lake on Dec. 28. For results of Dec. 28 games, see the Wednesday, Jan. 3 edition of the Times.