Mustangs fall to Wolves despite phenomenal performance from Coleman
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
North Nodaway’s Peyton Coleman knocks down a jump shot for two of his 37 points in Friday night’s loss to East Atchison as the Wolves’ Brody Cooper looks on. North Nod will play at Worth County on Tuesday.
Although North Nodaway’s senior captain Peyton Coleman finished with an astounding 37 points, the Mustangs were downed by the East Atchison Wolves 64-58 in Tarkio on Friday night.
“You’re not going to blow them out, Coleman’s this outstanding scorer who keeps them in games,” East Atchison coach Robbie Bates said. “You don’t want to make him a jump shooter, you’ve got to make him put the ball on the floor. He made shot after shot after shot. (North Nodaway coach Jake) Shipman does an excellent job with his personnel. It’s a hard matchup, they’re always in the game.”
North Nod (11-10) lost to the Wolves (17-5) by 12 in the Mound City tournament earlier in the year.
The Mustangs trailed 16-11 entering the second quarter. Coleman scored the first seven points of the quarter to give North Nod its only lead of the game at 18-16.
The Wolves outscored North Nodaway by six the remainder of the quarter to take a 34-30 halftime advantage. Coleman scored 15 of the team’s 19 second-quarter points.
Dakota Smyser was also in double figures with 13 points, but Coleman outscored his teammates combined output in each quarter.
“Seeing the ball go through the hoop more since the (holiday) break has really helped me get my confidence up,” Coleman said. “I feel better in my shot right now than I did before the break. We came out playing a lot better than we did in the first game against them. We never give up, because any given night, someone’s going to cough one up to us.”
The Mustangs were able to cut the Wolf lead to four points with 20 seconds left in regulation after Coleman hit a floater, but East Atchison executed from the foul line to put the game on ice.
Aside from Peyton Coleman and Smyser’s 50-point showing, Cole Bird had four points, Arron Coleman had three, and Tyler Bix contributed a free throw.
East Atchison had three scorers in double figures. Brody Cooper led his team’s charge with 19 points, Gage McAdams finished with 16, and Garrett Meyer had 14.
Even after the loss, Shipman gushed about Peyton Coleman’s performance, and his team’s resiliency to hang tough while playing from behind the whole way.
“He understands the game. I can draw up some plays or get him to do a certain cut, whatever it may be, but when it comes down to it he just plays. That’s not me, that’s him getting better over the years. That’s something you definitely need from your leader.
“It seems like we’re in this every single game, like we’re caught in a loop. Our guys battled, we couldn’t have given any more effort. We let their shooters get away from us there at the end, but those are just three or four possessions. We have so much youth, to look at where we started and where we’re at now is amazing. They attempt to do what I tell them to do.”
North Nodaway travels to Worth County on Tuesday night. The game will begin 10 minutes following the 6 p.m. girls’ game.
SCORING SUMMARY
NORTH NODAWAY (11-10): P. Coleman 37, Smyser 13, Bird 4, A. Coleman 3, Bix 1. Totals 20 11-15 58. 3-point goals: 7 (P. Coleman 4, Smyser 3)
EAST ATCHISON (17-5): Cooper 19, McAdams 16, Meyer 14, McEnaney 9, Joesting 4, DeRosier 2. Totals 22 14-25 64. 3-point goals: 6 (Cooper 3, McAdams 3)
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
Despite absorbing contact from East Atchison’s Mason Straub, Mustang sophomore Arron Coleman continues toward the cup. North Nodaway was downed 64-58.
HENRY JANSSEN/DAILY FORUM
North Nodaway’s Dakota Smyser drives inside the perimeter in Friday night’s 64-58 loss to East Atchison. Smyser finished with 13 points
