Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers sweep Hartsburg-Emden in Friday night basketball action

[January 16, 2018] 

Mount Pulaski swept Hartsburg-Emden Friday night in basketball action at the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium. The Varsity won 86-42 while the JV came away with a 45-28 victory.

In the Varsity contest Mount Pulaski started the game by going on a 10-0 run over the Stags. Gezus Oliver continued his hot shooting by sinking three quick threes early in the game to lead Mount Pulaski to a 24-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Mount Pulaski offense never missed a beat in the second quarter as Oliver kept pace. His three threes and one field goal gave Mount Pulaski a 50-21 lead at the half with Oliver already having poured in 20 points.

The Hilltoppers continued to dominate the Stags and by the end of the third quarter the score was a whopping 66-32.

The fourth quarter saw the crowd get a little more into the game with the bench players coming through for Mount Pulaski. Lefty Nate Dyer hit a three for Mount Pulaski to widen the gap to 75-40 at the 5:11 mark.

Then it was Ayden Rule tossing in two points for a 77-40 lead.

Freshman Grant Davis also scored his first Varsity points in this stretch. Davis’ layup with 3:02 remaining in the game gave the Hilltoppers a 79-40 lead.

Dustin Murphy hit two frees down the stretch and the Mount Pulaski lead grew to 81-40.

Then fan favorite Joey Davis got his hands on the ball and he banked one straight in from the middle of the lane. The fan section went nuts with Mount Pulaski in the lead now 83-40.

Grant Davis put the final nail in the coffin as he connected for a three with just under a minute to play.

When the dust settled the final in this one was 86-42.

Mount Pulaski improves to 12-5 on the season.

Mount Pulaski is off until next Friday night when the Hilltoppers travel to take on Midwest Central.

Seth Huff explodes to the basket for Mount Pulaski Friday night versus Hartem. Huff poured in 14 points in the Hilltoppers 86-42 win over the Stags.

Varsity scores by quarter:

MP 24 50 66 86
HE 10 21 32 42

Mount Pulaski (86)

Oliver 23
Huff 14
Taylor 13
Martin 7
Kretzinger 7
Hayes 6
G. Davis 5
Murphy 4
Dyer 3
J. Davis 2
Rule 2

Hartem (42)

Phillips 11
Vetter 8
Hopkins 7
Baker 6
Wright 5
Coit 3
Hayes 2

JV scores by quarter:

MP 10 19 37 45
HE 2 15 22 28

Mount Pulaski (45)

Murphy 15
J. Davis 11
Combs 7
Kretzinger 5
Lawson 4
G. Davis 3

Hartem (28)

Hopkins 9
Coit 8
McAfee 6
Zinser 5

[Teena Lowery]