Wildcats open season with two wins
The Wallace Wildcats got their basketball season off to a great start by defeating two conference rivals last week.
WAUNETA
The young Wildcat team traveled to Wauneta to take on the Wauneta/Palisade Broncos for the season opener.
The Cats took control of the game in the first quarter and jumped out to an 11-7 lead. They continued to play great team ball and didn’t let up a bit. With the momentum, they continued to build on their lead going into halftime at 27-19.
The Broncos came out in the second half to make it a close game. They outscored the Wildcats in both the third and fourth quarters, getting within two points of the Cats late in the game.
Wallace was very determined, however, and went on to defeat the Broncos 53-49.
The well-balanced attack of the Wildcats was evident in the game stats.
Kolton Hager led the way with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists followed closely by Camden McConnell with 11 points, two rebounds, and two steals.
Tertullian Nyamakaope and Ethan Bowlin each scored nine points, Nyamakaope added 11 rebounds and one assist while Bowlin had four rebounds and one assist. Tanner Finley scored six points and pulled down 11 rebounds and had one steal. Alec Messersmith had four points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
MAYWOOD-HAYES CENTER
The Wildcats had their first home game of the season on Friday night when they hosted the Maywood-Hayes Center Wolves.
As the game got underway, it looked as if the Cats were bringing a great deal of momentum and confidence from Thursday’s game. They came out to dominate every aspect of the game from the tip-off to the final buzzer.
Wallace took charge of the game early due to the hot hands of McConnell and Hager. The two combined to put up 18 of their team’s 19 1st-quarter points.
The Cats did not cool off in the second quarter. Every starter put points on the board including McConnell’s two additional 3-pointers. Wallace went into halftime with a commanding 38-16 lead.
Wallace continued to dominate the game in the second half by playing relentless defense and an effective offense. The Cat’s first points of the second half were a result of McConnells fifth 3-pointer and after that Hager and Finley took over.
When the final buzzer sounded, Wallace went to the locker room with the 65-27 victory. In addition to the score, the Cats had an impressive total of 19 steals and 15 assists during the game.
Wallace was led to victory by McConnell with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and five steals. Hager had 13 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Finley scored eight points and had nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Nyamakaope had six points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Bowlin and Messersmith each scored four points, Bowlin had four rebounds, three assists, and four steals and Messersmith had two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Trey Robertson had three points, one rebound, and two steals.
NEXT ACTION
Wallace will take the court again on Thursday, Dec. 12 in Wallace and host Sandhills/Thedford.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, Wallace will travel to Eustis to take on the Eustis-Farnam Knights. Games are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. CT