JWP boys’ basketball Head Coach Nick James told the Janesville Journal that last year’s seniors contributed 53 percent of the team’s scoring in 2023-24.
Despite losing that group of seniors and their offensive firepower, the Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat in its first two games. They dominated conference foe Hayfield on the road in an 87-41 victory on Tuesday, December 3. It was such a one-sided performance that junior Daulton Bauer broke a school record in steals.
The team then traveled to Maple River for their Hardwood Classic over the weekend. They had another great offensive showcase in an 83-64 victory over Jordan in the initial round. However, a strong St. Cloud Cathedral squad limited them early in the championship game, ultimately costing them a 59-76 defeat.
Bulldogs 87, Vikings 41
Any fears of the team not being the offensive juggernaut they were last season were squandered after the first half of this game. Hayfield held only one lead the entire night, which was 2-1. Although they fought well to limit JWP’s lead to 14-10 early, the Bulldogs found their groove and took a demanding 45-27 lead by halftime.
What was especially impressive about this team’s performance was their transition from offense to defense and vice versa. There was a moment where junior Michael Walker looked like he was falling behind as Hayfield attempted to set up their offensive game plan. However, he sprinted across the court and knocked the ball out of a Hayfield player’s hands, setting up a fast break for the Bulldogs.
Their ability to transition well, steal the ball, and break up plays near the center of the court proved to be a key component in their victory. It was 73-33 halfway into the second half. Even the non-starters and JV players looked impressive, especially sophomore Jeffrey Simonson who was only out on the court for a few minutes but made two out of three 3-pointers for six on the night.
Official stats for this game were not available to us or Coach James. However, James confirmed that Daulton Bauer broke a school record for single-game steals with ten. He and his brother led the in scoring. Daulton had 28 points, and younger brother Gavin, a freshman, contributed 21. Senior Landon Johnson and junior Caleb Quast made the double digits with ten each. Other contributors were Zander Terbeest and Jeffrey Simonson, with six each, and seniors Ethan Born and Isaiah Berndt, with three each.
Maple River Hardwood Showcase
The Bulldogs starred in the Maple River Hardwood Showcase this past weekend. They took second place, defeating Jordan on Friday, Dec. 6, before losing to St. Cloud Cathedral in the championship matchup. The hosting Eagles took last, as Jordan beat them 87-82 in overtime in the third-place game.
Jordan, like JWP, was coming off a high-flying offensive victory against Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 87-55.
While the Hubmen showed off their offensive skills early, JWP also had a quick start and outpaced them nearly the entire game, aside from the latter part of the second half, where Jordan attempted a comeback effort. After a 41-27 half, the Bulldogs outscored the Hubmen 42-37 to win the game 83-64.
It’s not often a freshman leads the team in scoring. But it was Gavin Bauer’s night as he put 34 on Jordan. Junior Caleb Quast also had one of the best games in his career with a 23-point effort. Daulton Bauer sunk 20. Landon Johnson had six assists and seven rebounds, while Ethan Born had ten rebounds.
Despite St. Cloud Cathedral allowing Maple River to score 70 on them in their first game of the Hardwood Classic, the Crusaders found a way to slow down JWP’s offense early. The Bulldogs fell behind as much as 21-4 nearly six minutes into the first half. They were able to cut SCC’s lead down to 11 with a 29-40 halftime score.
They played much better in the second half, but the slow start cost them. Sophomore Gavin Weedman hit a triplet of threes, and they cut the Crusaders’ lead down to single digits throughout. However, fate wasn’t allowing a JWP comeback in this game. Every time they went on a run, the Bulldogs would get a costly foul, commit a mental error, or the Crusaders would shoot a three-pointer to pad their lead when they were against the ropes.
The first loss of the season stung, but it proved that while the team can be an offensive juggernaut, there will be games where things won’t go their way, and they have to fight through that adversity.
The team has a tough rest of the month ahead of them. They will host defending conference champion Blooming Prairie on Friday, December 13. After that, they will face state-ranked Belle Plaine on the 17th at Belle Plaine. They will end the 2024 stretch of the winter season at the Bethany Lutheran Holiday Tournament on December 26. Their first opponent is Minnesota Valley Lutheran.
