Glenwood bounces back for 68-55 home win

Three days after seeing their 10-game winning streak snapped against one of the top teams in Nebraska, Glenwood bounced back with a 68-55 victory over Denison in Hawkeye 10 Conference boys basketball Friday.

The Rams (16-4 overall, 8-2 in the conference) had mowed through southwest Iowa competition until Tuesday’s 46-76 setback at Omaha Skutt. With two days tp prepare for the Monarchs (12-8), Glenwood coach Curt Schulte said his team spent those two practices focused on getting better.

“I really felt like we had really two good practices leading up to this one and after the first quarter I felt like we played three really good quarters of basketball,” Schulte said.

The Rams trailed 14-11 after the first quarter but warmed up in the second frame, outscoring the Monarchs’ 15-6 before halftime.

Glenwood extended its lead to as many as 10 in the third quarter and appeared to be pulling away when the Monarchs rallied to cut the lead to 52-50 with just over five minutes to go.
But the Rams responded once again with a 16-5 run down the stretch to secure the win.

“I really felt the fourth quarter we took care of the ball well, we played smart basketball down the stretch and hit a lot of free throws,” he said.

Monarchs’ second leading scorer Goanar Billew battled foul trouble for most of the night and was largely ineffective despite his 6-foot-8 presence. Schulte credited the defensive effort of 6-foot-1 Silas Bales on the all-conference center.

“Silas did a fantastic job on Billew. He three-quartered him and his physicality throughout the game really wore on him,” Schulte said.

John Palmer, Zach Carr and Ryan Blum each scored 20 points to lead Glenwood.

“We had great, balanced scoring and they shot the ball well so that was good to see,” Schulte said. “And then Nate Hughes did a great job on (Charlie) Wiebers. A lot of Wiebers’ points came at the free throw line but I thought he did a great job on him.”
Wiebers finished with a game-high 24 for Denison.

Glenwood will open post-season play at home Feb. 24 against Greene County (5-16). The winner will be the winner of Harlan (14-5) and Atlantic (8-11) in the district semifinals Feb. 27 in Glenwood.

“Our district is going to be really tough,” Schulte said. “Greene County, they’ve got two really good players, and we need to really focus on them. The whole district is tough and we need to take one game at a time and go get it done.”

Omaha Skutt 76,
Glenwood 46

Glenwood’s 10-game winning streak came to an end last Tuesday to one of the top teams in the state of Nebraska.

The Class 3A, No. 7 Rams got off to a slow start and could never slow Nebraska Class B No. 1 and undefeated Omaha Skutt Catholic in a 76-46 loss in Omaha.

“They’re a very good team and undefeated and No. 1 for a reason,” said Glenwood coach Curt Schulte after the game. “We ran into a buzzsaw tonight,”

That buzzsaw a came in two forms: the Skyhawks’ smothering defense and point guard Tyson Gordon.

The Rams (15-4 overall, 8-2 in the conference) hit just two of their first 11 shots and 5-of-15 overall in the first quarter as the Skutt got out to a quick 21-11 lead. Gordon, an all-state guard, scored nine in the opening frame and continually hit big shots – 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half – and got into the paint where he found open teammates.
“

He’s a complete player,” Schulte said of Gordon, who scored 25 points. “He can take you deep, he can drive on you and get to the glass. He’s tough to defend.”

Skutt’s lead swelled to 41-25 at the half.

Glenwood never got closer than 16 the rest of the way. Their 46 points were a season low.

“I really feel they are by far the best defensive team we’ve faced this year. They really get after you, not only in the full court but they’re a really good defensive team in the half court too.”

Charlie Fletcher scored a game-high 27 to lead Skutt.

Ryan Blum, being guarded by Gordon much of the game, led the Rams with 16 points.

No coach, including Schulte, would ever call a loss a “good loss.” But the interstate loss, the lopsided  score nor the ending of the Rams’ 10-game winning streak will impact their B.C. Moore Power Ranking, the arbiter of the Rams’ post-season path.

“I think we maybe got a little too comfortable,” Schulte said. “We’d won 10 in a row. We knew we were going to play an awfully good team tonight. I think we’re going to learn from it, we’re going to improve on it; we have two days to get better and go get Denison Friday night.”