Courier sports staff
Ottumwa Courier
DES MOINES —
The Ottumwa boys basketball team fell to CIML Metro Conference opponent Des Moines East 61-54 despite getting 23 points from Carter Burns.
Burns scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half. The Bulldogs also got a great offensive effort out of Kyle Keck, who finished with 14 points.
“He hit a couple tonight when he was open,” Ottumwa coach Chris Gravett said.
Austin Walker added 11 points and drilled three 3-pointers.
“I thought in the first half we were ready offensively, but we were a little flat defensively,” Gravett said.
The Bulldogs, who trailed 30-19 at the half, started the second half on an 8-0 run spearheaded by Burns, who accounted for six of the eight points. The surge was capped off by a Walker 3 that shaved East’s lead to 34-31. The Scarlets, however, poured in five straight points to extend their lead back to eight. The sequence served as a microcosm of the half, with East able to ward off Ottumwa’s attempts to mount a comeback.
Ottumwa whittled East’s lead down to 53-47 in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, courtesy of a huge 3-pointer by Keck and a two-hand dunk by Burns. Ottumwa, however, wouldn’t get any closer. The Bulldogs struggled to stop Malique Ziegler, who scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half.
Ottumwa (1-18, 1-11) plays Fairfield today at Evans Middle School on senior night.
Des Moines East 61, Ottumwa 54
Ottu 14 7 15 18 — 54
East 19 11 16 15 — 61
Ottumwa (54) — Carter Burns 23, Austin Walker 11, Kyle Keck 14, Andrew Altfillisch 4, Charlie Altfillisch 2. Totals 21 FG 3-8 FT 61.
3-point goals — 7 (Walker 3). Fouled out — Walker, Keck. Total fouls — 16. Turnovers — 20.
DM East (61) — Malique Ziegler 21, Devontae Buckner 4, Xavier James 1, Ted Kofoed 5, William Jackson 14, Ra’Shawn Ryan 2, Dillon Hernandez 10, Jonathon Harrington 4. Totals 33 FG 14-22 FT 61.
3-point goals — 3 (Ziegler 2). Total fouls — 13.
