Wolverines improve to 5-0 with road win

Mason Crouse scored 26 points to become the East Mills boys basketball program’s all-time leading scorer while helping the Wolverines to a 66-61 victory over Stanton Friday.

The Wolverines (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Corner Conference) jumped out to a 22-10 first quarter lead and held off the Vikings (2-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference) the rest of the way.

“We played very well early and jumped to a good-sized lead,” said East Mills coach Kevin Schafer. “Stanton got hot from the three-point line in the second quarter and made a great comeback.  The second half I believe we were always ahead but Stanton was always within reach.   This was a good win for us. It’s important to play a close game and dealing with adversity.”

Crouse hit 11-of-18 shots and grabbed 10 rebounds. His 26 points puts hit on top of the Wolverines’ career scoring chart with 1,301 points.

“He has been a good scorer since his freshman year,” Schafer said.  “He’s been very consistent and has been able to score from all three levels.  He’s not just a scorer. He has become a good all-around player.”

Braden West added 15 points and Peyton Embree 11.

Nolan Grebin led Stanton with 20 points.

Fremont-Mills 63,
East Atchison 55

Taylor Reed and J.T. Mahaney scored 17 points each to lead Fremont-Mills to a 63-55 win over East Atchison in non-conference boys basketball Thursday in Tabor.

The Knights (3-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference) shot 47.9 percent – 23-of-48 – from the field and notched 20 assists on their 23 made field goals.

Reed had 13 rebounds to go with his game-high scoring night. Owen Thornton chipped in 12 points.

East Mills 57,
Fremont-Mills 36

East Mills coach Kevin Schafer 10-deep roster slowly wore Fremont-Mills down in a 57-36 victory where they never trailed last Tuesday in Corner Conference boys’ basketball action.

“We have quickness, and we have depth,” Schafer said after the game. “A lot of the kids that were playing J.V. last year are playing quite a bit this year and they’re comfortable. They play a really nice style of ball when we get on the floor and we’re comfortable going eight to 10 deep where F-M is maybe six deep or so right now. That might have come to fruition in the third quarter.”

The Wolverines (4-0 overall, 1-0 in conference) led 15-5 midway through the second quarter but saw that lead swell to 34-17 by halftime.

It was in the third where East Mills finally exerted its will. That lead grew to 43-22 on Mason Crouse’s free throws with 4:20 go in the frame. Three minutes into the fourth, the Wolverines led 55-24 and Schafer was emptying his bench.

All night long the Wolverines found ways to puncture the Knights’ defense, first utilizing a high-low post action to get inside their 2-3 zone and then quick cuts and fast ball movement to negate a tired man-to-man defense.

“We talked about getting touches for the guys inside,” Schafer said. “If that defense is spreading out you have to suck them in so you can get some kick out threes. I thought we did get some good drives. I do this we missed a few chip shots inside and we were getting frustrated because we were rebounding so well.”

The Wolverines shot just 31.3 percent from the field (23-of-74), including 2-of-19 from behind the arc, but they grabbed 46 rebounds – 20 offensively – and 15 steals on defense.

Braden West led the way with 16 points for East Mills. Crouse chopped in 15 points and 10 rebounds and Peyton Embee had 12 points and six offensive rebounds.

“Peyton was really active tonight and really played well,” Schafer said of Embree. “He’s taken a big step this year.”

East Mills 74,
Woodbine 58

Mason Crouse, Braden West and Peyton Embree combined for 58 points for East Mills in a 74-58 win over Woodbine last Monday.

Crouse led the way with 23 points. Braden West added 18 points and eight rebounds and Embree scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Wolverines shot 51.9 percent from the field – 28-of-54 – and held a 38 to 18 rebounding edge.

Carter Gruver scored 31 points to lead Woodbine.