High School Boys Basketball
Hilltoppers get past Stags 66-50

[January 09, 2023]

Hartsburg-Emden hosted Mount Pulaski on Friday night and the Stags hoped to avenge their recent 50-49 tournament loss to the Hilltoppers but that was not meant to be. The game was a good battle between the two, leaving no doubt the rivalry among the small Logan County schools still exists. Both teams placed three players each in double-figures but in the end it would be Mount Pulaski pulling away to win 66-50.

Clay Aylesworth got the Hilltoppers off on the right track with an opening three and eventually after a bucket by Jackson Fricke, Mount Pulaski was on top 6-2. After a three from the Stags Prescott Davis and two free throws by Evan Cross, Hartem took over the lead, 7-6. Evan Cooper made sure Mount Pulaski regained the lead with his basket, but the Stags were quick to retaliate. Rase Sherwood scored and gave Hartem a 9-8 lead. Aylesworth’s jumper put Mount Pulaski back on top 10-9. The Hilltoppers would keep the lead as A.J. Bailey made it 12-9 following his layup. Cross closed the gap to 12-11 quickly thereafter, but with Gavin Smith driving the lane like a bull in a china shop the Hilltoppers were up 14-11. Two free throws by Evan Cooper would make the score 16-11. The Stags closed out the first quarter scoring on a free throw by Evan Cross to set the score at 16-12.

A backdoor layup by Bailey stretched the lead to 18-12. Cross added a basket to inch the Stags closer but Franklin Wade added his own basket coming in off the bench and the Hilltoppers maintained a 20-14 lead. After a basket by Will Wright and a three by Sherwood, Hartem was hot on the Hilltoppers coattails, trailing just 20-19 with around five minutes left in the second quarter. Evan Cooper’s back-to-back threes in less than thirty seconds lit a fire under the Hilltoppers and resulted in a 26-19 lead. Then it was Gavin Smith taking the torch and running with it, hitting back-to-back threes in just over thirty seconds. All this had the Hilltoppers fired up with a 32-21 lead. Nolan Deibert added a basket as the Hilltoppers were gaining momentum. Finally Eric Cooper closed out the quarter with a free throw and Mount Pulaski built a 35-21 lead.

Don’t count the Stags out just yet. A 7-0 run by the home team to start the third quarter closed the gap to 35-28. And after Cross and Jace Whitted added baskets, the Stags were closing in with the score 37-32. Sherwood had another three left in him and much to the delight of the Stags fans, he was fouled on the three-point shot. A coach’s dream comes true when that happens and the player makes the extra point. A four-point play by Sherwood made the score 37-36. Aylesworth added two points in the paint to extend the lead to 39-36. But then it was Sherwood again, this time his three rattled the rim and shook the gym as the game was tied 39-39 with 2:02 on the third quarter clock. Smith was unconsciously flexing those baseball muscles after a three to give Mount Pulaski a 42-39 lead. Bailey added a layup to make the score 44-39 and just when it looked like the Hilltoppers would be safe with that lead, the Stags scored again with 3.0 seconds left in the quarter. Wright scored in the paint and was fouled. His ‘and one’ ended the third quarter and kept the Stags in the game, 44-42 the score.

Evan Cooper smoothly sank the Hilltoppers first two baskets in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 49-42. While the fourth quarter may have gotten a little intense, the Hilltoppers never allowed the Stags to get any closer than five points. With just under two minutes left, Aylesworth’s layup was the real turning point, giving Mount Pulaski a 59-49 lead that the Stags simply could not catch. Free throws down the stretch slowed the end of the game, which would end in Mount Pulaski’s favor after Ethan Payne made the final shot. The Stags made it a close game for much of the way, before Mount Pulaski pulled away with the 66-50 win.

For the winning Hilltoppers, Evan Cooper led all scorers with 20 points. Gavin Smith turned in a fine performance with 16 points. Clay Aylesworth battled hard for 11 points.

On the Stags side, Will Wright is a dominant big man and he finished with 15 points. Junior Evan Cross had a terrific game with 14 points. Rase Sherwood showed no signs of shying away from the basket and he tossed in 12 points.

Mount Pulaski improved their record to 5-11 on the season.

Hartem’s record sits at 4-14 on the season.

In the shortened JV contest, Mount Pulaski defeated Hartem 41-28. Aaron Kuznik led the Hilltoppers with 9 points. Beau Tschantz contributed 8 points.

Carson Zinser was a scoring machine with 19 points for the Stags.

Mount Pulaski will host Illini Central Tuesday night. The JV game will start at 6 p.m. The Varsity will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
 

Varsity scoring

Mount Pulaski 66

Evan Cooper 20
Smith 16
Aylesworth 11
Bailey 8
Fricke 4
Deibert 2
Payne 2
Wade 2
Eric Cooper 1

Hartsburg-Emden 50

Wright 15
Cross 14
Sherwood 12
Whitted 6
Davis 3

JV scoring

Mount Pulaski 41

Kuznik 9
Tschantz 8
Cooper 7
Deibert 5
Kretzinger 4
Gibbs 3
Fitzpatrick 2
Wade 2
Leonard 1

Hartsburg-Emden 28

Zinser 19
Swinford 5
Doolin 2
Armbrust 2

[Teena Lowery]