WHITTEMORE – Often if a team is on a winning streak the coach isn’t entirely thrilled about taking a two-week break. But, in the case of Whittemore-Prescott’s boys basketball team the holiday hiatus might be coming at just the right time.
The Cardinals have gone through a rough stretch of games, beginning with an 83-44 loss to Hillman on the road and concluding with a 72-54 setback at the hands of Midland Calvary Baptist at home last Thursday.
It was the Cardinals’ third straight loss after a 2-0 start, and dropped them into a tie with Rogers City in the cellar of the North Star League Big Dipper division with a 1-2 league record. Rogers City is 3-3 overall.
“What’s frustrating mostly is that this was two games in a row now when we’ve dealt with foul trouble,” Cardinals’ head coach Blaise LaPrad said. “We really didn’t respond well to it.
“Three or four different players got two fouls like midway through the second quarter. It definitely put us behind the eight-ball. We got out to a five or six-point lead, and we just didn’t finish possessions very well. We gave up a ton of offensive rebounds.
“When you’re trying to get back into a game you can’t trade buckets. You have to get stops on one end, and good offensive possessions, and we really didn’t get either against Calvary Baptist.”
Dana Thorson led the Cardinals with 23 points, while Dominic Hensley added 10. Alex Kendra eight, Michael Blust seven, Kyle Hottois three, Tyler Hostetler two and Logan Ludwig one. The Cardinals shot 9 of 23 at the free throw line.
Mark Dickerson scored a game-high 26 points to lead Calvary Baptist, Adam Chrysler finished with 16 and Jude Barclay added 12. Calvary Baptist went 16 of 17 from the free throw line.
The Cardinals trailed, 15-12 at the end of the first quarter and were outscored, 16-13 in the second period for a 31-25 deficit at halftime. Calvary Baptist outscored the Cardinals, 24-16 in the third period and led, 57-38 going into the final stanza.
The Cardinals dug themselves into a bit of a hole early and never could quite climb all the way back in a 56-46 loss to Lincoln Alcona in a North Star League Big Dipper contest at home last Monday.
Alcona charged out to a 10-point lead, 24-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Cardinals outscored the Tigers, 10-8 in the second to get the deficit under double figures at eight points, 32-24 at the half.
Scoring was close the rest of the way, with the Cardinals gaining a 13-12 edge in the third peirod which cut one more point off the Tigers’ lead, 44-37 after three. Alcona prevailed, however, with a 12-9 edge over the last eight minutes.
Thorson scored 27 points to lead the Cardinals, before he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Alex Kendra was next high with eight, Michael Blust added seven, while Kyle Hottois and Aaron Mervyn each scored two.
Josh Kilborn led the Tigers with 14 points and Damian Stewart finished with 13. Dominic Howe contributed seven, with Hunter Clark and Antavies Mikazes scored six apiece.
After the holiday break the Cardinals will be at home for a non-conference game against Tawas on Tuesday, Jan. 8 and then hit the road for a league game against Mio on Thursday, Jan. 10.
