Hounds rain 3-pointers on Greenwood
If Loyal’s game plan against Greenwood on Dec. 3 was not to barrage the Indians with perimeter shooting, perhaps it should have been. A dozen times on the night, the Greyhounds hit pay dirt from beyond the arc, and those 36 points were the exact difference in Loyal’s 71-35 win.
Starters Kaiden Hagen and Kaden Olson and reserve Jacob Schill each hit a trio of 3-pointers and Deagan Sandelier added a pair as Loyal improved to 2-0 in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference. Loyal had four players in double figures as interior players Drew Stieglitz and Brandon Jakobi complemented the outside game with points in the paint.
The game was close early on. The Indians had it tied at 14-14 with 8:45 left in the first half when Mason Learman drilled an outside shot, but with his toe on the 3-point line. After that, the Greyhounds mounted a 20-7 run to end the half, with Schill coming off the bench to nail a pair of 3-pointers in a span of 32 seconds shortly before the break.
The Loyal sharpshooters did not cool off during the intermission. Hagen started a long-range onslaught with one 3-pointer, Sandelier followed with another, and Hagen added a third from the top of the key four minutes into the half for a 45-22 Loyal lead. Olson added another trey a short while later, and Schill popped his third of the night in transition to extend the second-half Greyhound run to 17-2.
Xander Hinker hit a 3-pointer for Greenwood -one of only two all night for the Indians -- but Loyal followed with another 6-point run to extend the lead to 57-28 with 6:40 to play. Both coaches cleared their benches shortly after that Hagen had a team-high 13 points for Loyal, while Sandelier scored 12, Schill and Olson added 11 apiece, and Jakobi pitched in eight. The Greyhounds had almost as many 3-pointers (12) on the night as they did 2-point baskets (15). Loyal was 5-7 on free throws.
Hinker and Rogan Travis each scored 12 points for Greenwood and Learman added seven. Greenwood did not help its cause from the line, connecting on only seven of 18 freethrow attempts.
Greenwood did rebound from the Loyal loss to take a 56-41 non-conference win over Abbotsford at home on Dec. 6. Learman and Christian Thomas each scored 15 points on the night and Hinker added nine for the Indians.
Greenwood led 22-20 at the half, but turned in a 34-21 advantage over the final 18 minutes to get the win. The Indians again had troubles at the free-throw line, hitting just 10 of 23 attempts.
Greenwood is back in ECC action Thursday night with a home game against Neillsville, and will play at Wausau Newman on Saturday (1 p.m.).
Loyal is off until a Dec. 14 ECC game at Neillsville, and will then host Colby on Dec. 17.
DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO
