BENTON – The Benton Zephyrs boys’ basketball team bounced back from a humbling loss to Six Rivers West leader Shullsburg last Friday night by opening a new week with a 56-45 non-conference win over Argyle at home on Monday, Jan. 9.
Freshman Caleb O’Neill poured in a season and a game high 17 points to help rally the Zephyrs (4-6 overall, 1-4 SRW) to the victory over the Orioles (2-8).
Argyle opened up a 10-3 lead to start the game, but the Zephyrs came charging back with an 11-0 scoring run to take a 14-10 lead, and they doubled that the rest of the first half to build up a 28-20 lead by the break.
Benton maintained their lead the entire second half as they never let the Orioles get closer than five points. Senior Aaron Coffey and sophomore Wyatt Bastian added 11 points apiece for Benton.
Dylan Stietz led three Orioles in double figures with 16 points. Brent Ritschard netted 11 and Collin Argue added 10 for the guests.
At Shullsburg, on Friday, Jan. 6, the #2-ranked Miners (9-0 overall, 4-0 SRW) used a group of scoring bursts early in the first half to pull away from the Zephyrs for an 80-25 SRW win.
A 3-pointer by junior guard Cameron Doyle kicked off a 9-0 by the Miners that snapped a 4-4 tie; and then, after Benton Brooks Tiedeman ended that run with a basket at the 10:46 mark of the first half, Doyle added another trey during a 10-0 run that put the Miners up 23-6.
A basket by senior guard Aaron Coffey with under eight minutes to play in the half brought the Zephyrs back within 23-8, but the Miners followed with 18 unanswered points to extend their advantage to 41-8. Senior Lance Lierman and Noah Wand sank 3s during the streak, while fellow senior Joey Meyer brought down a thundering dunk for the hosts.
Shullsburg held a 43-11 lead at the intermission, and then open the second half on a 17-2 run to build up a 60-13 cushion before rolling to a 55-point decision. Meyer scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the first half. Lierman added eight of his 14 points in the first half and Doyle hit two treys in each half to finish with a career-high 12 points.
Tiedeman and Nick Wagner scored six points each to lead Benton, while Coffey and Nick Jansen followed with four points apiece.
Benton hosts Scales Mound in a non-conference game on Thursday, Jan. 12, and the Zephyrs get back to SRW play at Belmont on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Benton…………... 11 14 – 25
Shullsburg………. 43 37 – 80
Benton – Nick Jansen 4, Aaron Coffey 4, Nick Wagner 6, Brooks Tiedeman 6, Nathan Mowry 3, Caleb O’Neill 2. Totals – 11 1-1 25.
Shullsburg – Lance Lierman 14, Alex Wand 8, Hunter Matye 9, Jeremiah Bailey 6, Noah Wand 7, Nate Wedige 4, Joey Meyer 18, Cameron Doyle 12, William Martin 2. Totals – 33 7-12 80.
3-point goals– B 2 (Wanger 1, Mowry 1), S 7 (Lierman 1, Matye 1, N. Wand 1, Doyle 4). Total fouls– B 11, S 7. Fouled out– none.
Argyle…………… 20 25 – 45
Benton………….. .28 28 – 56
Argyle – Argue 10, Ritschard 11, Stietz 16, Dammen 2, Amorose 4, M. Flannery 2. Totals – 18 6-11 45.
Benton – Nick Jansen 4, Aaron Coffey 11, Brian Brant 2, Brooks Tiedeman 6, Nathan Mowry 3, Wyatt Bastian 11, Josh Redfearn 2, Caleb O’Neill 17. Totals – 18 11-16 56.
3-point goals– A 1 (Ritschard 1), B 3 (Coffey 1, Mowery 1, Bastian 1). Total fouls– A 15, B 9. Fouled out– none.
