The JWP boys’ basketball team has had great success on offense. What costs them their losses is their performance on the defensive side of the ball, which Head Coach Nick James said would be a key factor in determining if the Bulldogs would win or lose a game.
This was the case with their 65-71 loss at Belle Plaine on Tuesday, December 17. Despite a tremendous offensive effort, the boys’ defensive performance in the first half put them in a hole they couldn’t escape.
Tigers 71, Bulldogs 65
The Belle Plaine Tigers were ranked #9 in Class AA to start the season. After getting blown out by Waseca, the team dropped a spot (and eventually was out of the state rankings the day after facing JWP). They were hungry for a win after a 2-2 start.
Coupled with a slow start on offense and the Tigers using their size to their advantage, the Bulldogs did not upset the #10 Tigers this time. The Tigers got to an early start, using three-pointers to do their damage. They hopped to a 17-6 lead before Coach James called a timeout. However, the Tigers’ defense stayed strong.
Belle Plaine got to as much as an 18-point lead before the Bulldogs started figuring things out on offense and tightening things up. With a 42-28 half, the boys looked to lose in a blowout fashion potentially.
However, they were much better in the second half, outscoring Belle Plaine 36-29. The Tigers either got too relaxed, or JWP got it together that well. In the game’s final minutes, JWP cut the Tigers’ lead down to six, and the Tigers were in danger of losing their lead. However, a timeout by Belle Plaine gave them a breather just as they were about to lose control of the ball on their defensive end. It was too little, too late, as the Tigers held on for a 71-64 victory.
The ball was spread pretty evenly in this one, as brothers Daulton and Gavin Bauer split 16 points each. Landon Johnson and Caleb Quast had 14 each, and Ethan Born contributed four. Johnson was 4/5 on two-pointers and 2/4 on three-pointers. Quast did most of his damage with four three-pointers.
Brothers Daulton (left) and Gavin (right) Bauer have led the team in scoring through most of the season, and they were rewarded for their efforts by making the All-Tournament team at the Kwik Trip Holiday Tournament at Bethany Lutheran College Dec. 26-28.
The boys’ basketball team took over a week to rest over the holiday break before participating in the Kwik Trip Holiday Tournament at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato from Thursday, December 26 to Saturday, December 28.
The first team the Bulldogs faced was Minnesota Valley Lutheran. The Chargers were a middle-of-the-road kind of team, losing the first three games of the season, two of which were against WEM and state-ranked Waseca. They turned their season around with three wins for a 3-3 record.
Although it wasn’t their best effort on defense, the boys put on another offensive show, with brothers Daulton and Gavin Bauer combining for 58 points in an 82-65 victory. Daulton also had five assists, while Caleb Quast contributed seven points, seven assists, and five steals.
The team’s next opponent was Maple River. Since they didn’t have a regular season game scheduled against each other, they had only two opportunities to meet before the playoffs: at Maple River’s Hardwood Classic – which they didn’t meet – and in this tournament.
Despite going winless at its own tournament, Maple River had a six-game win streak, including two wins in another tournament in Kimball. They proved to be a tough team, but JWP was up to the challenge.
Bauer power again led the team to a 74-56 victory over the Eagles, with the Bauers combining for 55 points. Gavin led the team this time with 28, while Daulton had 27. Gavin also had four assists and four steals. Senior Landon Johnson hit double digits with 10 on the night along with five rebounds and four steals.
Fairmont was arguably the hardest opponent the Bulldogs faced at the tournament. Despite a 3-3 record, including a loss to Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial in their season opener, the Cardinals handily thrashed St. Clair while getting revenge against LCWM with a 71-51 win.
Things started off well for JWP, as they used their speed to get into a 13-4 lead. However, Fairmont used its size – including two players at 6’6” and 6’8” – to bully their way to the basket to narrow JWP’s lead to 36-34 by halftime.
Things were definitely not going the Bulldogs’ way in the second half. There was one instance where the officials missed a blatant travel by the Cardinals, and after they scored on a layup, Head Coach Nick James was rightfully furious.
It wasn’t the sole reason why JWP lost, though. The Cardinals continued using their size to take the game and overwhelm the Bulldogs on both sides of the court. JWP climbed back into the game to tie it 55-55 with a few minutes left in the second half. But when senior Landon Johnson fouled out, that was the nail in the coffin. It just wasn’t meant to be the Bulldogs’ night. After that, Fairmont kept the game out of reach for a 66-59 victory.
Daulton Bauer had 23 points on the night, while Gavin Bauer had 19 and five steals. Caleb Quast had five assists and four steals. Both Bauer brothers were named part of the Kwik Trip All-Tournament team. On another note, the JV players took home the consolation prize in their division of the tournament.
With the busy two weeks behind them, JWP is now 5-3 (1-0 in-conference, 2-1 in-section). They haven’t played a game within the west division of the conference yet. They will travel to Bethlehem Academy on Friday, Jan. 3.
