Prep basketball: A split week for Dragons
Ste. Genevieve’s Rudy Flieg (0) attacks the basket during an MAAA interdivisional game versus West County on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at Johnson Gymnasium. The Dragons defeated the Bulldogs, 61-35. (PHOTO BY ERIC VICCARO/Herald staff)
By ERIC VICCARO
eviccaro@stegenherald.com
The Ste. Genevieve High School boys’ basketball team split games last week, including a 61-35 victory over West County on Jan. 4 at Peggy J. Johnson Gymnasium.
Aiden Boyer had already scored double-digit points less than three minutes into the game versus West County.
The Dragons outscored the Bulldogs, 29-12, during the second and third quarters — turning what was a close game early into a 44-23 advantage at the end of three.
“Our defense was really good the entire game,” Ste. Genevieve head coach Robert Coleman said. “I thought we stopped them from attacking us, and kept them off the boards. Offensively, we ran the floor and moved the ball well.”
Coleman said this was a “team victory” with everyone contributed on both ends of the floor.
Rudy Flieg added his customary double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Boyer finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Other top contributors were Blake Morganthaler with 10 points (including two baseline 3-pointers), Ricky Hunter eight (two 3-balls) and Wesley Basler six. Both Nick Plati and Flieg dished off three assists and Basler also totaled five boards.
Farmington continued having Ste. Genevieve’s number on Friday in the Mineral Area Activities Association Large School Division opener for both schools, the Knights downed the Dragons 57-40.
“I thought we did a great job early getting the looks we wanted on the offensive end, but we just didn’t finish well,” Coleman said of the Farmington game. “I think that wore on us some mentally.”
This marked the Dragons’ second loss of the season to Farmington, with the Knights also triumphant at the FCNB Bank-It Challenge in Sullivan in early Dec. 2022.
Farmington pulled away with a big third quarter, and the Dragons struggled to score in the second half — with a 49-27 cushion after three.
The Knights kept a hold of their lead like a reticulated python on prey. And their guards don’t make many mistakes.
Ricky Hunter scored 38 percent of the Dragons’ points with 15, including three 3-pointers. Morganthaler added nine and Flieg eight.
Aiden Boyer paced Ste. Genevieve in rebounds (six) and steals (three). Wesley Basler chipped in with three assists. Ste. Genevieve lost the game, in part, to a 17-8 edge in turnovers.
Bracey Blanton lead all scorers with 20 points, including four triples, and J.P. Ruble added 14 for Farmington.
JUNIOR VARSITY
West County defeated Ste. Genevieve in the junior varsity contest Wednesday, 51-35.
Ste. Genevieve scorers: Carson Kreilich, 5; Adam Oder, 3; Zach Henderson, 8; Tucker Reed, 8; Devin Flye, 5; Jon Merklin, 6.
What’s Next?
Ste. Genevieve (8-5 record) continues MAAA Large School Division play as Fredericktown visits on Friday, Jan. 14. The Dragons played at Arcadia Valley in Ironton last night, with Ste. Genevieve winning 62-40.
The Old Settlement junior varsity tournament will take place at Johnson Gymnasium next week on Jan. 17, 19 and 22.
