Strong first half for Rockets ward off DeKalb’s comeback attempt
West Nodaway’s Dylan Carden sinks his fourth layup of the first half in his 11-point first quarter as the Rockets coast to a 34-18 halftime lead in their win over DeKalb. Carden scored 13 total in the Rockets’ 58-46 win Tuesday.
BURLINGTON JUNCTION -— A strong showing in the first half allowed the West Nodaway boys’ basketball team to soar to a double-digit lead over the DeKalb on Tuesday night.
Slowing offensively, it was the initial lead combined with steady defense all four quarters that allowed the Rockets to hold onto the lead all four quarters in the 58-46 win.
“I think tonight just speaks again to how young of a team we are,” West Nodaway head coach Tad Shotten said. “Tonight we were ahead by 20 and acted like the game had already been won after the first half. We also hang our head if we’re down by more than 10 points, so it’s just something we’re going to have to mature out of.”
Shutting down the Tigers inside early on combined well with the press by the Rockets, leading to transition baskets and easy turnovers.
Leading 14-8 after the first quarter, West Nodaway’s defense continued to dominate as their offense picked up the speed to force DeKalb’s defense to draw fouls. In the second quarter alone the Rockets combined for six of eight from the line. Weston Carter scored eight of West Nodaway’s 20 in the second quarter, transitioning steals well.
“I think Weston is beginning to pick up his aggression,” Shotten said of the senior.
Other big contributors in the first half were Dylan Carden, who scored 11 of his 13 total in the first half, and Brody Beason, who had eight of his 11 total in between the first and second quarter.
At halftime West Nodaway led 34-18.
After a strong showing in the first minute of the second half to extend their lead to 20 points, the Rockets’ offense seemed to shut down as DeKalb went on a 13-5 rampage in the final five minutes of the third quarter.
Still up by 12 at 45-33 into the fourth quarter, West Nodaway was riding the coattails of their initial success, but Shotten still wasn’t happy.
“We just seemed to have it in our minds that we had already won,” he said. “We need to get out of that mindset when we’re up by a good amount, or it could cost us a game.”
A steal followed up by a layup by Parker Ogle helped spark West Nodaway’s offense, but it was evident that DeKalb was outhustling the Rockets. After trading baskets in the early minutes the Tigers hit an eight-point streak over the course of four minutes as West Nodaway continued to struggle offensively.
In the final minute of play a key rebound by Austin Wymer settled things down and the Rockets were able to slow possession enough to coast to victory.
With Mound City on the horizon Friday night for West Nodaway’s winter
homecoming, Shotten knows his team is going to have to buckle down.
“I told the guys after the game that we’re going to have to have four full quarters of how we played in that first half if we’re going to stick with them,” he said. “And if we happen to get down, we’re going to have to keep our heads up and in the game if we’re going to stand a chance.”
WEST NODAWAY (4-9) : POINTS (FG, FT made-att, 3PT)- Weston Carter 14 (6, 2-3, 0); Dylan Carden 13 (5, 3-5, 0); Brody Beason 11 (4, 3-4, 0); Austin Wymer 9 (4, 1-2, 0); Korbin Koch 7 (2, 3-4, 0); Parker Ogle 2 (1, 0-0, 0); Eli Sanders 2 (0, 2-2, 0).
DEKALB: POINTS (FG, FT made-att, 3PT)- Zach Novotny 16 (6, 4-5, 0); Dalton Myers 13 (1, 2-2, 3); Josh Bomberger 6 (3, 0-0, 0); Darrin McElfresh 5 (2, 1-2, 0); Tyler Matson 4 (2, 0-0, 0); Caleb Marriott 2 (0, 2-2, 0).
The DeKalb shooter is under pressure by Rocket defenders Brody Beason and Korbin Koch who help West Nodaway’s defense remain impenetrable in the paint through the first half.
Open in the corner, Korbin Koch of West Nodaway throws down a field goal from the corner in his seven-point game for the Rockets.
Pressuring DeKalb’s offense on the perimeter, Weston Carter of West Nodaway plays steady defense in the first half that leads to a number of transition baskets in the second quarter.
