Norse open season with wins over I/G, E-S
Seth Lambeck of Whitehall released a shot in the lane during their game against Eleva-Strum on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
It appeared to be business as usual for the Whitehall boys basketball team last week as it opened its season with two lopsided wins over Dairyland Conference rivals.
In its first game since last year’s state tournament appearance last season, Whitehall went on an early run then pulled away from Independence/Gilmanton late last week Monday. In the home opener on Thursday, the team took a big lead over Eleva-Strum and went on for another double-digit win. Whitehall had a balanced scoring attack in both games with at least four players scoring in double figures.
The Norse hosted Colfax on Monday of this week before taking on top DC Large Division rival, Melrose-Mindoro at home on Friday. Next week, the Norse welcome Blair-Taylor on Thursday.
Whitehall 76 I/G 62
Brayden Lisowski had a career high in the first game of his senior season.
Whitehall went ahead with a 12-4 run in the first half then took control with an 8-0 run in the second.
The first run started with a basket by Mason Pientok and was followed by hoops by Grant Olson and Lisowski. Pientok and Schroeder both scored to put the Norse ahead 15-10 early. Consecutive three pointers by Lisowski later in the half put the Norse ahead by nine before Seth Lambeck knocked down a three to make the score 26-16 with 7:45 left.
The teams went back and forth throughout the rest of the first half as Whitehall took a 41-33 lead into halftime.
I/G threatened that lead early in the second half, but Pientok converted a three-point play and Lisowski hit another three pointer with a basket by Schroeder mixed in to put the Norse ahead 49-35.
The Indees made another charge as they pulled within five at 64-59 with about six minutes left. Olson answered with a three-point play and Lisowski made two free throws with about three minutes left to put Whitehall back ahead by 10.
I/G scored again to get back within eight, but they wouldn’t score another point in the final two a half minutes.
Lisowski’s 25-point effort included five three pointers on just seven attempts. The Norse also got 17 points from Olson, 11 from both Schroeder and Lambeck and a double-double — 10 points and 10 rebounds — from Pientok.
Xavier Santillan led I/G with 14 points, while Carlos Montalvo and Brandon Sylla both scored 13.
I/G (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points) — Meier 3/7-0/0-4-6 Santillian 4/7-3/3-3-14 Mendoza 1/5-2/2-2-2 Pfaff 0/0-0/2-2-0 Montalvo 5/6-0/0-2-13 Flores 3/9-0/0-9-6 Pyka 1/2-1/2-3-3 Jesse 1/5-1/2-7-3 Sylla 4/6-2/6-2-13
Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws-rebounds-points) — Lisowski 7/15-6-6-25 Youngbauer 0/4-0-1-0 Killian 0/1-1-1-1 Pientok 3/7-4-10-10 Schroeder 5/10-0-6-11 Olson 7/14-1-3-17 Hodges 0/0-1-1-1 Lambeck 4/12-2-3-11
Whitehall 75 E-S 54
The Norse were aggressive early and just kept attacking with several players showing the ability to put the ball in the basket.
Whitehall scored the first eight points and 12 of the first 15. They were up 21-5 before the Cardinals got their offense going a little bit. Even then, Whitehall matched E-S and held a 30-14 lead before scoring eight straight.
The Norse took a 38-21 lead into halftime with Lambeck scoring 11 points and Schroeder putting up 10.
Lisowski got going in the second half with 12 of his game-high 20 points as the Norse broke the game open.
Olson knocked down a pair of three pointers in the second frame and scored 16 points, Lambeck finished with 14 and Schroeder had 10. Cayden Johnston scored five points for the Norse, as did Pientok, while freshmen Bo Killian had three and Will Youngbauer scored two.
Carter Gunderson led the Cardinals with 14 points, one more than Ty Fjelstad.
