Hastings ends season for McCook boys

Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Tyler Bieck/McCook Daily Gazette McCook and Hastings players battle for a possible rebound during Monday night's Nebraska Class B-5 sdistrict basketball game at the University of Nebraska Kearney Health and Sports Center. McCook's Bobby Gaulke (22 in dark) tries to get in position as do Hastings players Andy Williams (32), Matthew Carper (24) and Michael Etzelmiller. McCook's Derick Lorentz (40) is in the background. Hastings won 56-39.

Bison close

campaign with

15-12 record

KEARNEY -- The height of the Hastings Tigers boys basketball team proved to be too tall of a challenge for the McCook Bison in the B-5 District semifinals Monday night at the Health and Sports Center on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus.

Hastings took advantage of seven McCook turnovers in the first quarter to jump to an early lead and carried it through to a 56-39 victory.

Hastings (16-4) advanced to the finals Tuesday night against Lexington at 7 p.m. in the Health and Sports Center.

McCook had a problem finding the basket for most of the game. The Bison shot 28 percent from the field in the first half. and finished the game at 30 percent.

"We just didn't shoot the ball well enough in the first quarter," McCook co-head coach (with Ron Coleman) Steve Nicholson said of falling behind 15-6 in the starting period. "And we missed some easy baskets that would have kept it even."

McCook cut down its turnover problem in the second quarter, but Hastings still went away with a two point advantage in the quarter and a 28-17 lead at halftime.

Not until the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter was McCook able to cut into Hastings‚ lead.

In a span of three minutes, the Bison went on a 13-0 run to close within five, 40-35, with 5:18 left in the game.

But, just as fast as the Bison caught back up with the Tigers, Hastings reclaimed its lead. Hastings finished the final five minutes of the game on a 16-4 run and advanced to the B-5 finals with a 56-39 victory.

McCook wrapped up its season with a 15-12 record.

Trent Lyons paced McCook with 13 points. Paul Putz scored 11 points (8 in McCook's run) and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Derick Lorentz added 6 assists.

Greg Berndt led the Tigers with 13 points. Michael Etzelmiller had 11 points. Jed Kautz and Andy Williams each added 9 points and Matt Carper 8.

After the season ending loss, Nicholson was in a sincere and thankful mood.

"I'm not sad," Nicholson said. "I realize all good things must end and I feel blessed to have spent time with Coach Coleman and these kids. Ron (Coleman) and I had a great season together, we worked well and we would've liked to played in one more game (district final), one more game (state first round), one more game (state semifinal), and one more game (state championship).

"But it wasn't meant to be, so I can accept that. A huge credit to these kids, they did just about everything we asked of them. I love them."

Nicholson also credited the people that help make Bison basketball happen.

"I'd like to thank the parents for their tremendous support," he said. "Good parents make good kids and that makes our job much easier."

McCook61181439
Hastings1513121656

McCook: Williams 3, Lyons 13, Gaulke 2, Putz 11, Lorentz 2, Liess 6, Bedore 1, Young 1.

Hastings: Berndt 13, Kautz 9, Carper 8, Williams 9, Etzelmiller 11, Williams 2, Lind 4.

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