Wildcat boys overcome free throw struggles, slip past Port Edwards

Iffy shooting from the free throw line for the Blair-Taylor High School boys basketball team kept visiting Port Edwards within reach last Tuesday, but late success from the line gave the Wildcats their sixth win in the team’s last seven games.

Port Edwards played the Wildcats to a 23-23 tie at the break before Blair-Taylor built a 10-point lead with six minutes left in the game.

The Wildcats missed numerous free throws over the next several minutes, allowing Port Edwards back into the game.

But a late push from the free throw line was the difference, as Blair-Taylor made five of its last six free throw attempts, the key shots being Jaren Swanson going two-for-two with nine seconds left in the game to push the Wildcats’ lead to 61-57.

“We sure struggled on the free throw line until the last minute of the game,” Blair-Taylor coach Randy Storlie told the Times. “Those were big shots under a lot of pressure.”

Five different players scored at least 10 points for Blair-Taylor, led by 14 from junior Evan Nehring.

Cain Fremstad scored 13, Ethan Kniseley and Caden Kruse each finished with 12. Swanson had 10.

B-T (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points)—Kniseley 4/5-4/5-2-12, Obieglo 0/2-0/0-2-0, Kruse 5/9-2/5-8-12, Swanson 3/7-2/4-2-10, Fremstad 4/16-2/8-4-13, Nehring 5/8-4/5-7-14.