By Becky Walz,
A big win Monday night led to tired legs and bodies Tuesday for the Turkey Valley boys’ basketball team (1-1, 0-1 UIC) as the Trojans defeated New Hampton and fell to MFL MarMac.
Let the season begin
The Trojans kicked the season off with a bang with a 62-53 win over New Hampton (0-1, 0-0 NEIC) at home Monday night.
TV put on a show in the first half, holding a 12-2 lead with 2:00 left in the opening period. After the first eight minutes, the Trojans had doubled the Chickasaws to 14-7. The momentum stayed with the Red and White in the second quarter as Garrett Kurtenbach got hot from the outside, hitting three treys in a row. However, the steam wore off in the closing minutes before the break as TV scored just one point, allowing NH to close the gap to 30-21.
In the second half, the Chickasaws rose to the occasion, taking a slim 40-38 lead with eight minutes to play. TV retook the lead by the 6:00 mark and never looked back, outscoring NH 24-13 in the fourth quarter.
“We were ready from the get-go,” said Coach John Izer. “When we came out, Garrett (Kurtenbach) hit three-pointers early and often to get us the lead. New Hampton made a big push in the second half, but we fought through it and finished strong, hitting free throws in the final four minutes.”
The monster offensive push came from senior Garrett Kurtenbach with 23 points, which included five treys. Calvin Bodensteiner connected for 12 points and hauled in eight rebounds, while Dylan Reicks had eight points and seven boards.
New Hampton 7 14 19 13 53
Turkey Valley 14 16 8 24 62
Scoring – Garrett Kurtenbach 23; Calvin Bodensteiner 12; Dylan Reicks 8; Carson Busta 7; Noah Hanson 6; Chase Hayek 5; Oliver Schmitt 1
Rebounds – Bodensteiner 8; Reicks 7; Busta 6; Hanson 4; G. Kurtenbach 3; Hayek 1; Assists – Hanson 8; Busta 4; G. Kurtenbach 1; Steals – Busta 3; Hanson 3; Reicks 2; Bodensteiner 2; G. Kurtenbach 2; Hayek 1; Blocks – Bodentseiner 1
Versus Bulldogs
Back on the court 24 hours later, the Trojans faced MFL MarMac (1-0, 1-0 UIC) in a conference contest, falling on hard times, 68-48.
Falling behind 23-17, TV kept the score close through three frames, trying to catch the Bulldogs all night. At halftime, the Trojans trailed 32-27. Early in the third the Red and White pulled to within two at 32-30, but that was as close at TV would get as MFL MarMac went on a run, pulling away to 46-38 with eight minutes to play. In the final period, the Trojans went scoreless, allowing the Bulldogs to take a 56-38 lead with 3:00 to play.
“Two games in two days to start the season was a climb for us. I saw us full of energy in the first game and then heavy legs on second game.
Pacing the Trojans on the floor with nine points apiece were Carson Busta and Chase Hayek, while G. Kurtenbach connected for eight. Reicks led TV at the rim with seven boards.
Turkey Valley 17 10 11 10 48
MFL MarMac 23 9 14 22 68
Scoring – Busta 9; Hayek 9; G. Kurtenbach 8; Bodensteiner 7; Reicks 5; Caleb Kurtenbach 4; Hanson 4; Schmitt 2
Rebounds – Reicks 7; G. Kurtenbach 4; Hanson 3; Hayek 3; C. Kurtenbach 1; Bodensteiner 1; Assists – Busta 2; Reicks 2; Bodensteiner 2; G. Kurtenbach 2; Hanson 1; Hayek 1; Steals – G. Kurtenbach 2; Busta 1; Reicks 1; Blocks – G. Kurtenbach 1
Coming home
The Trojans will host Clayton Ridge Friday, Dec. 3, and will welcome North Fayette Valley to Jackson Junction Tuesday, Dec. 7. Both UIC contests are slated to tip-off at approximately 7:30 p.m.
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