Lake Holcombe splits games before break
Going into the Christmas break, the Lake Holcombe boys team hosted a non-conference game, before hitting the road for a conference match-up against Birchwood.
Dec. 17 vs. Clayton non-conference (W 80-34)
Hosting Clayton, Lake Holcombe used experience and home court advantage to overpower the away team. The Chieftains went into halftime with a comfortable 47-11 lead, which continued in the second half, as they limited their visitors to just 11 points.
“It was a solid team effort and I was able to give all the players a lot of minutes,” said coach Joy Webster.
Seniors Josh Jones and Jarred Jiskra combined for 16 steals, while Jones led the team with 9 rebounds. Jones also combined with Jiskra and junior Brock Flater for 18 assists.
Leading the way in the scorers’ column, was senior Kaden Kinney, who knocked down 23 points, including a threepoint shot. Junior Kaden Crank came next, with 18 points.
Jiskra added 9 points, with Jones and sophomore Colton Minnick recording 8 points each. Junior Will Kliegle also got on the board, with 6 points, while Flater had 4 points.
Junior Derek Jones and sophomore Dylan Bowen rounded things out with 2 points each.
Dec. 19 vs. Birchwood conference (L 51-40)
Two days later, Lake Holcombe lost a heartbreaker on the road to a tough Birchwood squad.
“It was a tough loss,” said Webster. “We led the entire second half and lost on a basket with one second left on the clock.”
The two teams were deadlocked in the first half and evenly matched in the second, but with the final shot at the buzzer not going down, the Chieftains had to concede the loss.
“The boys left it all on the floor last night and they don’t have anything to hang their heads about,” said Webster. “It was a complete team effort by all and these boys have nothing to hang their heads about.”
Kinney ended the night with 17 points, while J. Jones had 16 and Crank scored 14. Minnick added 10 and Flater finished with 8.
Leading the team in assists, J. Jones had 7, followed by Kinney with 5. Flater had a good night on the boards, leading the team with 11 rebounds (10 on the defensive side). Kinney also had 8 rebounds and J. Jones led the team with 5 steals.
“The season is young and there is still a lot of talent to be seen,” said Webster. “This group of individuals is just fun to watch, so come out and support your Chieftains. Trust me, you will be glad you came.”
