Rockets run-and-gun for win; Greyhounds shut Pirates down

GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL

The pace was fast and physical, allowing the point totals to add up but they didn’t add up fast enough for the Gilman Pirates on their Senior Night Tuesday in a 93-62 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference loss to Spencer.

The Rockets put five players in double figures, doing most of their damage in transition or on offensive rebounds while improving to 4-9 in conference play and 6-15.

The Pirates, who were hampered by foul trouble which gave Spencer 40 free throws, were led by Caleb Marion and Brayden Olynick, who scored 15 points apiece. Gilman’s 62 points were a seasonhigh in conference play and included eight 3-pointers. But the Pirates also did some damage on the offensive glass, particularly with Marion as they tried to keep pace.

The Pirates kept pace through the first 10 minutes. They led 5-2 after an Olynick 3 and a Dalton Wisocky jumper, tied the game at 8-8 on a Wisocky 3 and pulled within 13-12 on a triple from Max Ustianowski. An Olynick offensive stickback made it 20-16 with about 8:30 left in the half, but then the Rockets started to pull away, using a 19-1 run to go up 3917. Dawson Grunseth gave the Pirates a spark with five points off the bench late in the half, but they fell behind by as much as 23 before Wisocky chased down his own rebound and scored and Trevor Vick scored off a steal with 10 seconds left to make it 51-32 at the half.

Gilman crept closer with two Marion inside scores and an Olynick bucket to make it 51-38 in the first 90 seconds of the second half, but the Pirates got no closer as Spencer got its running game in full swing and opened up a 76-46 lead at the 9:38 mark.

Luke Roerhborn led the Rockets with 26 points, Jonathan Jonas added 22 and Nathan Rucker chipped in with 15.

Gilman got eight points from Vick, including two second-half 3s and seven from Wisocky, all in the first half. Grunseth and Anthony Syryczuk finished with five points each. Ustianowski scored four in the first half and Sawyer Winger hit a second-half 3-pointer.

Gilman fell to 0-13 in the conference and 0-21 overall. The Pirates will wrap up Eastern Cloverbelt play at alwaystough Columbus Catholic on Friday. Gilman will be in the eighth-place game of the Cloverbelt Conference crossovers on Thursday with Cadott appearing to be the likely destination for that game.

Loyal 62, Gilman 19

On Thursday, the host Loyal Greyhounds beat Gilman’s 2-3 zone with three early 3-pointers and, throughout the game, stymied the Pirates’ offense by limiting them to one shot on most possessions and cruised to a 62-19 win.

Isaac Jakobi did much of the inside work against the zone for Loyal with 14 points, 10 of which came in the first half. Jacob Schill did most of Loyal’s damage from the outside, hitting four 3s while also scoring 14 points.

Parker Smith and Schill hit quick 3s to help put the Greyhounds up 8-0. Olynick scored Gilman’s first points and Sam Syryczuk got one to fall on a nice drive through the right side of the lane, Schill’s second 3-pointer, plus a three-point play from Jakobi made it 22-4 before Olynick drained Gilman’s only 3 of the night.

Not long after that, Olynick picked up his third foul and sat for the rest of the half. Loyal got a Bryce Deegan 3-pointer with four seconds left to lead 31-11 at the break. Schill hit two 3s in a 12-0 run to start the second half that opened up a 4311 lead.

The Pirates avoided the running clock for awhile, getting back-to-back buckets from Marion to make it 54-17 with eight minutes to go, but Loyal finally pushed the margin over 40 with just over three minutes left.

Marion scored six points for Gilman, Olynick had five, Sam Syryczuk scored four and Ustianowski and Anthony Syryczuk added a bucket apiece.

Drew Stiglitz hit double figures for Loyal with 10. Loyal was a difficult team for Gilman to score against in both meetings this season. The Pirates lost the first one 53-20 on Jan. 6.