Indees split with Thunder, Cardinals

The Independence/Gilmanton boys basketball team had a mixed week against two teams based in northern Trempealeau County. 

I/G took Osseo-Fairchild to Buffalo County for a game in Gilmanton on Thursday, but could never quite get even with the Thunder after a slow start. The Indees went to Eleva-Strum on Saturday and scored the first 14 points of a 21-point win. 

With a 9-11 record (6-10 in Dairyland Conference play), the Indees hosted Alma/Pepin in Gilmanton on Tuesday of this week and then will be off for nine days. The team’s next game will be next Thursday when it hosts Cochrane-Fountain City in Independence.  

O-F 75 I/G 61

The Indees never could quite catch up after the Thunder got off to a fast start.

O-F began the game with a 9-2 run and went ahead by double-digits at 23-11, but the Indees hung around. I/G pulled within four late in the first half, but the Thunder closed with a 6-0 run to take a 39-29 advantage into halftime.

O-F went ahead by 15 early in the second half and increased its lead to 20 midway through. The Indees kept battling, but weren’t able to threaten the lead.

Jack Steinke had 19 points to lead O-F while Drake Swett finished with 15 and Mason Schmidt had 12.

Carlos Flores had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Indees with Nolan Schank adding 12 points and Payton Hovey finishing with 10.

I/G (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Mendoza 2/9-2/3-2-1-6 Hovey 3/14-2/4-6-5-10 Lopez 1/3-0/1-1-2-3 Parr 2/5-3/3-4-2-7 Turner 3/5-0/0-3-0-6 Schank 4/7-4/4-3-4-12 Flores 7/10-3/4-9-3-17

I/G 66 E-S 45

The Indees scored the first 14 points of the game and never looked back.

The team got two baskets from Schank early before a steal and layup by Angel Mendoza made the score 6-0. Flores and Hovey took turns with each scoring twice to put the team ahead 14-0.

The Indees maintained that lead throughout the first half, taking a 28-15 advantage into the intermission.

I/G began the second half with a 7-0 run to go ahead by 20 and had a comfortable advantage until the final buzzer.

Mendoza scored 18 points to lead the Indees while Flores finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Hovey added 14 points. Noah Martinson had 13 to lead the Cardinals.

I/G (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Mendoza 6/12-3/5-1-2-18 Hovey 5/15-4/8-6-2-14 Lopez 0/0-2/2-4-3-2 Kreibich 1/1-0/0-0-1-0 E. Lopez 0/0-1/2-0-1-1 Parr 1/3-1/2-2-3-3 Pronschinske 0/1-0/0-0-0-0 Turner 1/3-0/0-2-1-3 Schank 3/7-1/2-7-2-7 Flores 6/10-4/8-12-3-16