Thunder can’t maintain hot start in Osborn
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Nodaway Valley junior Lane Larabee drives to the basket on Friday night in Osborn.
OSBORN, Mo. — The Nodaway Valley offense couldn’t have looked much better in the early going on Friday against Stewartsville-Osborn.
The ball was flying around and everyone was getting into the action as all five starters scored and the Thunder built a 16-8 lead against Stewartsville-Osborn. Nodaway Valley could not maintain that as Brennon Lundy and the WildCard shooters took over in 71-57 victory.
Nodaway Valley built its lead with high pick-and-roll and consistently hitting the roll man with Michael Cook, Cooper Snodderley and Kayden Conn all picking up early assists. Preston Jenkins and Tyler Gray were finishing inside.
“That is probably the best we’ve run that kind of offense and our other offense, circle, all year,” Gray said. “It is the smoothest we’ve run it.”
The WildCard offense got going after a timeout with Lundy scoring inside then two 3-pointers from freshman Ian Saunders before another 3-pointer by senior Carson Smith. The WildCards took a 21-20 lead in the second quarter on a bucket from Saunders.
Lundy scored twice to open the second quarter before the Thunder cut it back to one on baskets by Conn and Jenkins.
Saunders hit two more 3-pointers as the lead grew to 33-26, but Gray had two scores to end the half and pull the Thunder within 33-30. Gray scored again to begin the second half and get back within one, but that was as close as it got.
A 10-0 run by the WildCards opened the game up and the teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter as Stewartsville-Osborn led 54-45 at the end of the third.
Lundy took over in the fourth quarter as Nodaway Valley had to play man defense to limit the WildCard shooters and Lundy took advantage of a smaller front line for the Thunder. The center of 12 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter.
“I was really proud of what we did in the first half,” Nodaway Valley coach Shawn Emerson said. “They still hit those shots, but there were times where they continued to shoot them and didn’t (hit) and we rebounded out of that situation. In the second half, they hit those shots and we had to man match up. With that, they did a really good job of getting downhill.”
Aside from the 30 for Lundy, Saunders had 19 and Smith had 12. The two guards combined for nine 3-pointers.
“They kinda just started hitting tough shots and we kinda got down,” Gray said. “… Coach tells us all the time to keep our heads up and keep playing as a team because last year, we struggled with that.”
Gray finished with 16 points while Conn, Jenkins and Cook each had nine. Deontrae Mincy had seven, Lane Larabee had five and Cooper Snodderley had two. The Thunder had four 3-pointers as a team.
“We need to hit those shots like they did,” Emerson said. “If you watch Stewartsville-Osborn, they were on fire out there. We need someone that is going to do that.”
Nodaway Valley plays in the Fairfax Tournament this week. The fourth seed opens with fifth-seeded East Atchison on Tuesday at 8:15 p.m.
“Our boys played a lot tougher tonight than we did the first time,” Emerson said. “They’ve gotten a lot better. We’ve improved and we’ve gotten better, but we just aren’t making the same jump that they are making right now.
“They hit their shots and we didn’t. That’s the type of team we are right now. We have to prove that we can hit open shots when we get open shots. That’ll make us a better team as we get going.”
