Two scoring bursts push Rockets past Pirates
GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL
In a matchup between teams seeking their first wins of the 2020-21 season, two big scoring runs propelled the Spencer Rockets to that elusive first win on Dec. 29, sending them to a 65-36 home win over Gilman in Eastern Cloverbelt Conference play. The Rockets, who got their first win after eight consecutive losses to start the season, broke the game open with a 21-4 run to close the first half and then stymied a mini run Gilman was making early in the second half by going on a 22-4 tear that pushed the lead into the 30s and sent Gilman to its third defeat of the season.
Kaleb Brandt sparked Spencer’s firsthalf run that put the Rockets in front for good. He scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the half and nine of those came in the 21-4 spurt that broke a 13-13 tie.
The Pirates got 19 points from Andrew Hecker, who got off to a hot start and helped keep Gilman even with Spencer in the early going.
A Caleb Rucker 3-pointer pushed Spencer out to an early 10-5 lead, but Hecker banked in a jumper and then hit a 3-pointer to tie it. Brandt hit a long ball that was answered by a Hecker triple from NBA range that again tied it.
But Brandt responded with another triple and that got the Rockets going. Caleb Marion’s rebound basket made it a one-point game, but Spencer’s Luke Roehrborn scored off an offensive rebound, Nathan Rucker drilled a 3-pointer and Caleb Rucker scored to give Spencer a 23-15 edge. The run continued with a long two-point shot and then an offensive putback from Brandt. Nathan Rucker got a steal and score and then scored off a long outlet pass from Caleb Rucker. Brandt added a short baseline shot before Zack Marion finally ended the run by scoring off an Isaac Wininger assist with three seconds left to make it a 34-17 game at the half.
After springing some first-half leaks, Gilman’s 1-3-1 zone worked well early in the second half and the offense got a jumper from Wininger and two scores from Hecker to pull within 36-23. A Carson Schmidt bucket, a Caleb Rucker steal and score, a Nathan Rucker bucket off a rebound and outlet from Brandt and then two scores from Brandt, however suddenly opened up a 46-23 bulge that Gilman could not recover from.
The lead got as high as 35 before the Pirates got a free throw from Caleb Marion, a Wininger bucket, a steal and score from Hecker and a 3-pointer from Wininger in the last two minutes.
Wininger scored eight points for the Pirates, Zack Marion had a career-high six along with several rebounds and Caleb Marion scored three points in the loss.
Caleb Rucker scored 14 points and Nathan Rucker had 13 for the Rockets.
Gilman’s conference game at Owen-Withee scheduled for tonight, Thursday, and its home game Tuesday against Loyal have both been removed from the schedule for the time being. The current schedule shows the team’s next game being a Jan. 15 matchup with Greenwood, who lost its first game Tuesday to Eastern Cloverbelt-leading Columbus Catholic. Tip off is set for about 7:15 p.m. after the completion of the 5:45 p.m. girls game, also against Greenwood.
