GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL - Pockat scores 22, but Neillsville pulls away from Gilman, 64-33

GILMAN BOYS BASKETBALL

Thirty-one turnovers ultimately did the Gilman Pirates in Thursday in a 6433 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference loss at Neillsville.

The Warriors turned those miscues into 39 points for the most glaring statistic of the night. A couple of spurts from the 3-point line also created separation for the Warriors and their big man, 6-6 Sam Hayes, scored nine of his 14 points in the second half to put things away.

The Pirates got 22 points from freshman guard Beau Pockat but, overall, didn’t get enough shots to fall to threaten Neillsville in the second half. A lot of those shots were good ones, particularly in the first half. When patient while taking care of the ball, the Pirates got good looks in the lane or just outside of it several times in the first 18 minutes whether Neillsville played zone or man defense.

But they were just five of 24 from the field in the first half and found themselves down 27-14 at the break.

The Warriors were somewhat cold early as well, leading only 6-0 seven minutes in. Gilman got two straight turnovers of its 2-2-1 full-court pressure, leading to two Pockat baskets and a 6-4 game. Warrior senior Braylon Boyer answered with back-to-back 3-pointers and Ashten Schultz converted a three-point play on a score in transition to open up a 15-4 lead with 8:03 left in the half. Pockat’s 3 made it 15-7, but two scores off steals by Bryce Erickson got Neillsville’s lead into double digits, where it stayed the rest of the way.

Andrew Hoeser hit two 3s to start the second half and Cameron Kennedy drove for two for a 35-14 lead before Pockat hit back-to-back 3s to give Gilman another short-lived spark. Tony Syryczuk scored and Adam Draeger hit one of two free throws to pull Gilman within 37-23 with 11:23 left, but a 19-0 Neillsville run ended all hope. It included 3s from Boyer, Max Kreitlow and Hoeser.

The Pirates, who played without starter Logan Halida, got six points and eight rebounds from Max Ustianowski. Draeger finished with three points and Syryczuk had two points to go with three steals, three rebounds and three assists.

Joey Syryczuk had five rebounds, two steals and two assists. Brayden Olynick pulled down five rebounds and had two steals and an assist. Draeger, Caleb Marion and Dalton Wisocky had three rebounds apiece.

Gilman wound up making 12 of 47 shots from the field (25.5%). Neillsville shot 38.5% from the field (25 of 65). They were just eight of 36 from 3-point range, but the makes came at key times that kept breaking the game open for the home team.

Gilman hung right with Neillsville in rebounding, holding a 38-37 overall edge. Hayes, though, had seven offensive rebounds, a key to his 14 points.

Boyer scored 11 points for Neillsville (3-1, 4-5) and Hoeser had nine points and six rebounds.

Gilman (1-3, 2-6) hosts Rib Lake at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday and then visits Loyal in Eastern Cloverbelt action on Jan. 5 at 7:15 p.m.