High School Boys Basketball
Hilltoppers come up short against Litchfield

 

[November 20, 2023] 

The Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers opened the 2023-24 season at home against the Litchfield Panthers on Monday night in the 13th Annual Bill Rucks Varsity Boys Basketball Tournament.

Litchfield was able to hold off a late surge by the Hilltoppers and walk away with an 80-76 win.

Mount Pulaski’s starting lineup featured four sophomores and one senior, each of whom got in the scoring column in the first quarter. Nolan Deibert is the lone senior in the Hilltoppers starting lineup. Deibert was joined on the court at tip-off by sophomore Beau Tschantz, who jumped center and sophomores Eric Cooper, Franklin Wade and Luke Martin. The Hilltoppers fell behind 18-12 in the first quarter, with Cooper hitting a three early on.

Tschantz and Colt Selinger hit threes in the second quarter for Mount Pulaski but with Litchfield’s lineup of five seniors hitting their shots, the Panthers extended the lead to 41-25 at halftime.

The Hilltoppers had a much better second half, outscoring the Panthers 47-39 but in the end just fell short of a victory.

Deibert led Mount Pulaski in scoring in the third quarter with eight points scored, as the Hilltoppers closed the gap to 62-53.

Mount Pulaski nearly pulled off the win late in the fourth quarter. The Hilltoppers came within two points with around twenty seconds left after Wade hit a three to make the score 76-74. With 4.7 seconds remaining, Tschantz sank two free throws to make the score 78-76. The Panthers sank two free throws with 3.6 seconds left to put away the Hilltoppers by a final score of 80-76. Wade led the scoring in the fourth quarter with eight points. Cooper and Tschantz each tossed in six points and Deibert added a three.

Nolan Deibert led Mount Pulaski with 19 points.

Eric Cooper added 18 points.

Beau Tschantz hit double-digits with 15 points and Franklin Wade notched 14 points.

Victor McGill led Litchfield with 25 points.

In earlier tournament action, Delavan beat Edinburg 54-46 and Auburn beat Illini Central 63-52.

Mount Pulaski will play again Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. versus Tri-City.

Scoring

Mount Pulaski 76

Deibert 19
Cooper 18
Tschantz 15
Wade 14
Martin 5
Selinger 3
McCormick 2

Litchfield 80

McGill 25
Powell 16
Odle 16
Schaake 6
Dobrinich 4
C. Saathoff 4
Thomas 3
Jones 2
Logan 2
E. Saathoff 2

[Teena Lowery]