PEKIN —
The Pekin Panther boys basketball team moved to 10-4 with a dominating 76-31 win over Louisa-Muscatine Friday night in Southeast Iowa SuperConference action at Pekin. The Panthers opened with 20 first-quarter points and really jumped on the visitors with a 30-point third quarter.
Brody Long scored a three-point play on a perfectly-executed out of bounds play to open the game and the Panthers led 3-0. The visitors scored four straight to lead 4-3, but it would be their final lead of the game.
Pekin used their full court pressure to set a tempo that the visitors had no chance of playing at. The pressure triggered an 11-0 run and the Panthers were up 14-4. Graham Wittrock had the quick start with seven points in the run. Coaches love those big men who run the floor. So, after the visitors closed to within five at 14-9, Jared Bond was rewarded for his hustle down the floor on the break. Two more Wittrock baskets made the score 20-9 after one.
At least two of his perimeter shots came after Cade Millikin, his backcourt running mate, found him wide open. The combination would again be big to open the second half.
“We used our pressure more tonight than normal because we believed we could really bother their guards,” said Pekin coach Ken Hutchinson.
The pressure continued to take its toll and the Panther lead grew to 24-9 just a minute into the second. Bond would have the big second for the Panthers with seven points. His final basket made the score 32-11 Pekin. It was another running big man score.
“We do a lot of running in practice so we’re expected to contribute on the break,” said Bond. “It helps for us to have a good group of post players - it keeps us fresh.”
With Pekin leading 33-11, L&M went on a 9-0 run to make the score 33-20. Millikin’s basket let Pekin lead 35-20 at the half.
Pekin outscored the visitors 30-4 after the break. Wittrock had another quick start with the first seven points in the third. “It’s just about staying in the game mentally when I’m on the bench,” said Wittrock.
In Wittrock’s opening burst, again Millikin found him wide open with cross court passes for a pair of 3s.
“This is really the first year that we’ve gotten to play together in the backcourt but I think our connection carries over from football,” said Wittrock. “I was the quarterback trying to find him.”
Wittrock would have 16 of his game-high 27 in the third.
“We do a pretty good job of playing inside out basketball and running the pick and roll,” added Hutchinson.
With the outcome already decided, it was just about finishing off the win.
L&M could add only five fourth quarter points so it didn’t matter that the Panthers only added 11. Bond’s final basket put the Panthers up 70-30 on the way to the 76-31 final.
Hutchinson and his Panthers will be on the road tonight at Mediapolis.
Pekin 76, L&M 31
L&M 9 13 4 5 — 31
Pekin 20 15 30 11 — 76
Louisa-Muscatine (31) — Daniel Ortiz 6, Collin Bieri 2, Jeshua Van Sickle 4, Blake Kemp 9, Austin Bohling 3, Kyler Bemis 1, Bradley Wachtel 4, Brandon Bieri 2 . Totals 12-50 5-20 31.
3-point goals — 2-9 (Ortiz 2). Fouled out — none. Rebounds — 34 (Logan Osborn 7). Assists — 4 (Van Sickle 2). Steals — 9 (Austin Bohling 3). Blocks — 3 (Collin Bieri, Van Sickle, Osborn). Total fouls — 15. Turnovers — 30.
Pekin (76) — Cole Reighard 1, Petie Clubb 3, Wittrock 27, Millikin 11, Christian Wittrock 5, Seth Jensen 9, Bond 13, Long 7. Totals 25-54 21-26 76.
3-point goals — 4-10 (Wittrock 3, Clubb). Fouled out — Jensen. Rebounds — 28 (Long 7). Assists — 13 (Millikin 8). Steals — 14 (Millikin 6). Blocks — 6 (Jensen 3). Total fouls — 14. Turnovers — 14.
Sports
January 19, 2013
Up-tempo Panthers roll, 76-31
- Sports
-
- Big weekend of action on tap Hello race fans and welcome to another edition of The Pit Stop. This weekend is the first holiday weekend during the racing season and with it brings some great racing action. The Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa kicks off the week of racing tomor
-
Albia 4x400 becomes first boys state track champ; CV's Busch defends 800 title
DES MOINES - It had probably never been said before. Or at least, it hadn't held up as remaining true to the end. But as he watched teammate Alex Schultz race down the backstretch of Drake Stadium with a big lead on the rest of the field on the final
- Saturday's State Track and Field Results TRACK STATE FINALS Girls Sprint Medley Finals 2A - EBF (Sadie Baugher, McKinley Moore, Tasha Alexander, Karlie Taylor) (Finished seventh in a time of 1:53.37). 3A - Fairfield (McKenzie McClure, Erin Thompson, Cierra Bielinski, Jessica Lamb) (Finished
-
Tri-County pulls away late from Keota
Tri-County Trojans and Keota traded the lead seven times on Monday, but the Trojans ended up on top with a 9-4 win to open the baseball season in South Iowa Cedar League play.
- Ottumwa junior varsity team crushes Albia The Ottumwa red junior varsity softball team crushed Albia in a doubleheader Monday, blanking the Blue Demons 21-0 in game one and 21-2 in the nightcap. Ottumwa only needed three innings to win the first game and four to emerge victorious in the seco
- Gonzalez's second-half goal lifts Ottumwa to win
-
Comets outslug New London to open baseball season
Brennon Elder had a huge blast to get Cardinal's baseball season off to a thrilling start against Southeast Iowa Superconference south rival New London on Monday.
-
Sigourney softball wins opener at English Valleys
The Sigourney softball season, fresh off a very successful season, got what could be an even better year off to a winning start in South Iowa Cedar League action Monday.
- Dostal takes first, Bulldogs qualify for state CEDAR RAPIDS — Going into Class 5A regionals Monday, Whitney Dostal was in the midst of what had already been an uber-successful season brimming with accomplishments. But at regionals, the junior linkster's season reached its apex, as Dostal posted t
- Warrior golfers finish 11th at nationals; White finishes as All-American LUBBOCK, Texas — Every break and every shot they needed, they found each of the past two years to win a national title. Even for the Indian Hills golf program, all good things eventually come to an end. Such was the case this season as the Warriors f
- More Sports Headlines
