Halfcourt heave sparks Greenwood boys to 17-point win at Colby
The Greenwood Indians found themselves in a dogfight with the Colby Hornets on Dec. 18. The Indians had led by as many as 12 midway through the first half, but a late 12-5 run by Colby had pulled the Hornets within two.
Greenwood still had a four point lead and the final possession, late in the first half, but the Indians were in need of a spark going into the break. In the waning seconds, Cooper Bredlau had the ball, but he was forced out near the halfcourt by Colby’s defense. He threw up a prayer, and watched as the shot banked in, giving Greenwood a 34-27 cushion heading into the locker room that would carry it to a 70-53 win.
“That shot got everybody hyped up going into halftime,” senior guard Westen Schmitz said. “It really gave us some momentum going into the second half. It helped a lot with the energy.”
Bredlau remembers the shot a bit differently. After struggling to find his shooter’s touch through the first two games, seeing the ball finally go in was a welcome sight.
“I just kind of laughed and shook my head. This year I haven’t been very good from the three point line,” Bredlau said about his half-court heave. “I’ve tried and worked at it, but doing that really boosts my confidence.”
The Indians have been in need in a little confidence. While they may be 3-0 to start the new season, it hasn’t been without some bumps along the way. Greenwood barely got past Loyal 36-30 in its season opener on Dec. 10, and then struggled to put any points in the board in the first half against Alma Center Lincoln.
The two teams combined for just 19 points in the first half during their Dec. 15 meeting. But the second half saw a dramatic change come over the Indians as they rattled off a 47-23 advantage in the second half for a 55-34 victory.
Schmitz credits the change to his team simply shaking off the rust. While other squads are already into their fourth or fifth games of the season, the Indians had not played in months due to COVID-19.
“We didn’t have any basketball for a whole six months, so we were kinda rusty coming into those first two games,” Helsten said. “The first two games of the season are always pretty slow. I think today we all came together as a team, and that felt pretty good.”
It would take a total team effort for the Indians to take down Colby, who were coming off their first victory of the year, a 75-74 defeat of Owen-Withee on Dec. 15.
The Indians raced out to a 23-11 advantage before Colby’s three point shooting and inside game made it a 25-23 with under five remaining. Greenwood took a 31-27 lead, but the momentum felt like it was shifting Colby’s way.
Then came Bredlau’s big basket.
That shot gave the Indians a jolt, and they’d need it too, with the Hornets refusing to go away. Time and time again it would seem that Greenwood would pull away, only for the Hornets to make a few shots and stay within single digits of their rivals.
Thankfully, the Indians came into Friday with a height advantage, and after seeing their lead narrowed to 49-37 with ten minutes in regulation, they began to crash the glass with a vengeance.
Schmitz had multiple second chance points, as did Natha Revier, who scored 13 points on the day. Schmitz was a one man wrecking crew as he piled up the points in the second half, scoring a game high 27, with 18 of those in the last stanza.
“We have pretty good size, so I don’t think there will be many games where we get out-rebounded,” Schmitz said. “I had about ten second chance points myself, and I know Cooper and Nate had a bunch also. That really helps out when you can get 20 second chance points.”
The Indians kept turning the screws, and in the last five minutes, used a 13-4 run to pull away for good. Austen Humke added 12 points in the victory, and Bredlau scored nine.
After finishing third in the Eastern Cloverbelt last year, the Indians are looking to make a mark on the conference, and keep their hot form through the holidays.
“It’s nice to start the season off hot after two straight weeks of practice,” Schmitz said when it was all over. “It just feels good to come out with three straight wins going into Christmas. Hopefully we can stay hot till after that too.”
Greenwood’s Austen Humke stands near half court looking for a teammate to whom to pass during the Indians’ 70-53 win at Colby on Dec. 18.
ROSS PATTERMANN/STAFF PHOTO
