By Greg Gielczyk
HARRISON — They came into the game at Harrison on Friday, Feb. 3 expecting a tough, physical battle and that’s just what they got. But the Roscommon Bucks handled it well, taking an early lead and finishing it with a dominating 58-39 victory in the Jack Pine Conference boys basketball contest.
It was the Bucks’ fourth straight win.
Kaleb Keipert punished the Hornets, scoring 22 points while cleaning up his teammates’ missed shots to the tune of a season-high 19 rebounds while also being an intimidating defensive force inside with four blocked shots.
Also scoring in double figures for the Bucks was Michael Treml who pumped in a season-high 17 points, including four 3-point shots as Roscommon stretched its lead. He also had three rebounds and distributed three assists. Grant Smitz contributed eight points, two rebounds and three assists.
Roscommon had a balanced attack overall, including moving the ball around on offense. Gabe Sarna had the team high with four assists, while Tyler Bee’s contributions off the bench can’t be understated as he cleared down four rebounds and was strong in low post defense.
“The kids did an excellent job of adjusting to Harrison’s defense and of attacking the basket,” Roscommon coach M.J. Ewald said. “We were patient with the ball when we needed to be, and we worked the ball inside out well.
“At times, we were able to get out and run as our defense created offense. The kids did a nice job of running the floor and of communicating.”
Harrison used its aggressive, physical style of ball to stay close to the Bucks throughout the first quarter but still trailed, 15-9 when the buzzer sounded. The Hornets kept things tight by scoring evenly with the Bucks in the second period as each team had nine points. Roscommon maintained a 24-18 lead at the half.
The Bucks started to gain separation from the Hornets with a 22-13 advantage in the third quarter which pushed them out to a 46-31 lead entering the final frame, and then they closed the game out with a 12-8 run.
It improved Roscommon’s record to 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the Jack Pine, while the Hornets fell t0 1-11 and 0-9, respectively.
Roscommon 55
Clare 45
Roscommon turned back the Clare Pioneers, 55-45 in another Jack Pine game on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The Bucks had to mount a comeback after finishing the first half with a 27-21 deficit, and they did just that by exploding out of the gate in the third period and blowing the Pioneers away, 20-2 to take a 41-29 lead. Clare made a run at the Bucks with a 16-14 edge in the final eight minutes.
“It was a huge win for us on the road,” Ewald said. “Clare’s a tough place to play and after a slow first half for us, we were able to put together the win. We were out of sorts at times in the first half and Clare took advantage.
“I credit their tenacity at both ends of the floor. Early on, we didn’t match it. We started the second half on a 14-1 run that helped us overcome the halftime deficit and spread the score a bit. Keipert was solid down low. Sarna had his strongest game since coming off an injury. He shot well and handled the ball well. Sayad has been giving us a huge lift.
“Logan Stricker came off the bench and gave us great energy, snagging a couple of key defensive rebounds and hitting two big free throws. Michael Treml and Grant Smitz continue to play well for us. Both did an excellent job of reading what the defense gave us and adjusting their shot selection. Cody Crabtree and Dane Smitz played well for us.”
Keipert led the Bucks with 21 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot. Sarna contributed 11 points and one assist while Jacob Sayad finished with eight points, rebounds and two blocked shots.
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