Newell-Fonda turned in a superior defensive effort to defeat Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 80-43 in a Class 1A District 1 boys basketball semifinal game played February 18 at Newell. The Mustangs moved on to the District final with a record of 17-5. Meanwhile, HMS saw its season come to a close at 13-10.
The visiting Hawks were guilty of 26 turnovers with Newell-Fonda executing 19 steals. When HMS did have the opportunity to get a shot off at the basket, it more often than not didn’t go in. The Hawks made just 17 of their 47 field goal tries to shoot a sub-par 36 percent. The Mustangs also blocked five HMS shots. The 43 points scored were, by one point, a season low for the Hawks.
“Newell-Fonda played a very unique brand of defense,” noted HMS head coach Mark Petersen. “Our kids need to aspire to play defense that way in the future. They are a very good group and played fundamental basketball.”
The Mustangs enjoyed a 45 percent shooting night with 29 baskets in 64 tries. They were 10-of-25 from behind the three-point line and sank 12 of 15 free throws. HMS went 7-for-23 from beyond the arc and attempted five charity tosses, making two.
Individual scoring for the Hawks showed Kooper Ebel with 11 points, Sam Heyn and Lance Berends with eight apiece, Ben Haack with five, Travis Kamradt with three and Mason Brinkman, Jordan Ortega, Keevyn Jacobsma and Wyatt Borden each with two. DJ Doyle had four assists, Ebel and Haack two apiece and Brinkman, Ortega and Dawson Schiphoff one apiece.
Haack and Borden each recorded two of the team’s six steals. Ortega and Kayl Jacobsma divided the other two. Newell-Fonda had a total of 11 turnovers. Berends and Doyle each rejected a couple of shots.
The Mustangs finished with a slight 33-30 edge on the boards. HMS got six rebounds from Kayl Jacobsma, five from Berends, four each from Ebel, Heyn and Doyle, two from both Haack and Ortega and one each from Brinkman, Borden and Brenton Thomas.
Wrapping up their HMS basketball careers are seniors Haack, Heyn, Doyle, Schiphoff, Kayl Jacobsma, Jason Kruger and J.P. Mutombo. “This was a great group of seniors to work with,” commented Petersen. “They were very coachable and worked extremely hard as a group. Great bunch of leaders and fun to be around.”
HMS 11 16 9 7 – 43
N-F 21 24 28 7 – 80