Freshman, Aiden Morsette, (22) puts the ball in for 2.
The Pioneers faced a physical Hays Lodgepole and an aggressive North Star team this past weekend. The Pioneers came out on top against Hays, beating them by 33 points even without key player Ryder Galbavy, who was out with a hand injury. They then played a tough North Star team and kept pulling within distance to close the gap, but in the end, it wasn't enough to pull out the win. The Pioneers lost by 17 points with a score of 36-53.
The Pioneers came out strong against Hays with a big 3-pointer from Aidan Morsette and a nice steal and fast-break layup from Karter Jurenka. The Pioneers also had their rebounding machine in Jaesun Yirsa on the floor and some great rebounds from Aidan. The Pioneers went up by one point after the 1st quarter with a score of 8-7.
The Pioneers also had some great contributions from Tommy Sant and Braxton Hajenga, with some great steals, passes, and buckets. Eyon Serburn had a nice steal and fast-break layup, as well as a nice pass to Tommy. Aidan had a nice rebound with a great up-and-under to put the Pioneers up by 9 to end the first half with a score of 25-14.
The Pioneers scored 25 points in the first half and 36 points in the 2nd half while holding Hays to just 14 points in each half. Braxton had a nice pass to Jayton Ophus for a nice bucket in the 3rd quarter, and Travis Wilford had a nice 3-pointer to add to the lead for the Pioneers. Karter had a nice rebound and full-court take to put the Pioneers up 44-23 early in the 4th quarter, and Braxton had a couple of nice steals and a great tip-in for a couple of points. The Pioneers also had some great contributions from Colter Han with a rebound, a great pass from Anderson Yeadon to Karter Jurneka, and Josh Hagan to Karter for a 3-pointer. Henry Merrill also got a rebound to finish the game for the Pioneers. The Pioneers finished the game with a final score of 61-28.
Team Stats:
Rebounds: 34~ with Karter having 9
Free throws: 10/22
Assists: 9 ~with four players having 2 each
Steals: 22~ with Karter having 8
Turnovers: 12
The Pioneers then turned around and faced a tough North Star team, which struggled with turnovers in the first quarter to start with. This boys' team works so hard, and you can see the fight in them. They are getting better, and they are fun to watch grow.
The whole game, they would get so close to coming within a few points and miss a couple of big shots, turn the ball over, or foul, but their effort was commendable. The Pioneers once again had some great offensive and defensive plays from Karter Jurenka, Braxton Hajenga, Jaeson Yirsa, Eyon Sherburn, and Aidan Morsette. They also had great hustle and hard work from Tommy Sant, Jayton Ophus, Anderson Yeadon, and Jackson Jones.
Assistant Coach Ella
wrote, "We were excited to get a good conference win under our belt against Hays on Friday night. We played with North Star for most of the game Saturday night, but their press and aggressive defense rattled us. This group is full of potential, and we are really excited to help them grow and learn together as they develop their skills and understanding of the game. This year, our goal is to emphasize the developmental aspect of coaching young players and the potential for future success. We are learning the importance of working hard in the classroom and practicing every day, playing hard for the entire 32 minutes of the game, regardless of what the scoreboard reflects, supporting each other, and overcoming challenges that are oftentimes out of our control. We will embrace the learning curve and use every mistake as a chance to grow and improve. The future is certainly bright for these boys!"
Team Stats vs North Star:
Rebounds: 30~ with Karter having 10
Free throws: 8/12
Assists: 5~ with five players each having 1
Steals: 9~ with Aidan and Jayton each having 2
Turnovers: 26
