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 Starting with the positive, though, Mount Pulaski did jump out to
an early 7-0 lead to start the game and this prompted Cardinals
Coach Vic Binkley to call a timeout and get his team to regroup.
They did and they came out and ran off five straight points on the
Hilltoppers.
Brandon Kretzinger then hit a three and the lead was 10-5 in favor
of Mount Pulaski.
Around the 2:00 mark Gezus Oliver hit back to back threes for the
Hilltoppers and the lead was extended to 18-11.
The Cardinals came flying back for a couple more baskets and the
lead was cut to 18-15 as the first quarter buzzer sounded. Binkley’s
team stepped up their defense in the second quarter and because of
their hustle and strong defense, the Hilltoppers lost the lead. Alex
Coers hit a three with 3:13 on the clock and the Cardinals had their
first lead of the game, 23-21.
Brandon Kretzinger sinks two late game free throws
for Mount Pulaski.
Kretzinger finished with a team-leading 14 points and the 5’8
freshman also pulled down 9 rebounds.
Kretzinger tied the game with a couple free throws.
Seconds later Kretzinger spotted Lukas Aylesworth running through
the lane and quickly dumped off a pass to the senior, who laid the
ball in nicely for two and Mount Pulaski had earned the lead back,
25-23.
It would be Peyton Taylor padding the lead with two points off the
offensive rebound and just like that the Hilltoppers were back on
track, leading 27-23.
But with 1:11 left to play in the second quarter the Hilltoppers
would begin to roll off the track. Their leading scorer for the
season, Gezus Oliver, apparently rolled an ankle and after laying on
the court for several minutes, he had to be carried off by
teammates. Oliver’s ankle looked pretty bad as he left the gym at
halftime.
Meanwhile Mount Pulaski could not get another basket the rest of the
quarter, but neither could the Cardinals. The Hilltoppers lead at
the half stayed at 27-23.
It was nice to stare at the halftime lead because it did disappear
in the third quarter early and the Hilltoppers had to fight their
way back.
Andrew Butts tied the game at 27-27 with his basket, but then Mount
Pulaski answered back with four points, two nice plays in the paint
here in fact. First it was Kretzinger finding Aylesworth open again
in the lane and dishing off to him for two points. Then Nate Dyer
found Taylor sneaking into the paint and he quickly tossed the ball
into him for another two points. Good strong, quick ball movement
from the Hilltoppers to get the lead back, 31-27 the score.
But Butts and Coers on the Cardinals side had something else to say
about that. They answered by first going baseline (Butts) and then
hitting a jumper (Coers) and the game was tied again.
 Mount Pulaski failed to score on the next opportunity so the
Cardinals’ Joe Gustafson decided he would just go to the basket with
a nice little finger roll, and he did. The Cardinals were back on
top 33-31.
Taylor tied it up again with just under two minutes to play in the
quarter and then Warrensburg took the lead back, again. This game of
back and forth ended with Kretzinger stopping and popping a sweet
little jumper good for two points and as the third quarter buzzer
sounded the game was tied 35-35.
Moving on to the fourth quarter. The first nearly four minutes of
the quarter here saw very little scoring action for either team, but
it would be the Cardinals jumping out to a 39-37 lead with 4:32
showing on the clock.
The Cardinals did not even have to look over their shoulder from
this point on. The turnovers that ensued and the missed free throws
just allowed the Hilltoppers to write their own story.
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The fourth quarter has been a struggle all season for Mount Pulaski
and this was just more of the same, sadly. Giving due credit to
Jarius Ingram of Warrensburg-Latham, though. The sophomore hit a
jumper for the Cardinals and then quickly stole the ball from the
Hilltoppers just after they inbounded it and promptly turned around
and connected for the three. The Cardinals lead would be 44-37 after
all this.
Mount Pulaski called a timeout at 2:32 after Dyer made two free
throws, but Warrensburg-Latham was still in command with the 45-39
lead.
The final two minutes of the game the Cardinals continued to control
pretty much. A game of keep away ensued and the Hilltoppers just had
to foul. At least the Cardinals did not score for about a minute,
but neither did Mount Pulaski.
Finally Kretzinger would go to the line and sink two free throws and
then seconds later he would get another chance at the line and sink
1 of 2 free throws. The lead was cut to 45-42, but time was running
out for Mount Pulaski.
Coers hit his free throws for the Cardinals and the lead was 47-42
with 29.5 seconds left. Gustafson also hit a couple free throws for
the Cardinals near the end and the lead was 49-42.
It was a great effort by Aylesworth of Mount Pulaski in the final
twelve seconds of the game to knock down five points, one basket
coming on a surprise three point shot, but it was a little too late.
Coers hit two more free throws with 1.4 seconds left to send the
Cardinal fans home happy with a 52-47 victory.
Coers finished with 18 points for the Cardinals, while Butts
finished with 13 points.
Kretzinger led Mount Pulaski with 14 points and it was Taylor with
the double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds on the night.
The real story here: free throws. Mount Pulaski shot 5 for 13 in the
fourth quarter and Warrensburg-Latham was 9 for 14 at the line in
the final quarter. A game-deciding factor for the home team for
sure.
Mount Pulaski falls to 1-4 on the season and will travel to Cerro
Gordo Friday night.
The Mount Pulaski JV also fell to Warrensburg-Latham 37-29.
Dustin Murphy led the JV with 11 points and AJ Speasl had 14 points
for the Cardinals.
Mount Pulaski scoring
Kretzinger 14
Taylor 10
Aylesworth 9
Griesheim 7
Oliver 3
Drake 2
Dyer 2
Warrensburg-Latham scoring
Coers 18
Butts 13
Gustafson 8
Ingram 6
Yaroch 4
Terneus 2
Nottelmann 2
[Teena Lowery]
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