POTOSI — After building an eight-point lead with 3:51 left to play, the Chieftains held on for a 64–60 win Thursday night to improve to 5–0 in league play.
Seven different Potosi players scored in the victory, led by 12 points apiece from seniors Riley Hawes and Brent Curtis. Hawes also passed out 10 assists and Curtis pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Dan Post also reached double figures with 10 points and grabbed three boards.
Thursday’s game opened as a virtual 3-point contest with both teams raining shots from behind the arc during the first eight minutes. Each team made four triples in the quarter.
Curtis made a pair and scored eight of his 12 points in the first quarter as Potosi (10–2, 5–0 SRW) opened up a 20–18 lead.
Junior guard Jon Bahr also hit a pair of triples and scored eight of his team-high 21 points to help the Braves (8–3, 3–2) keep pace.
Fellow juniors Lane Kamps and Raine Voigts scored six points each in the second quarter as the Braves held a slim one-point lead at the half at 32–31.
Belmont scored the first six points of the third quarter to push the lead to seven, but Potosi coach Mike Uppena quickly called a timeout and challenged his team to pick up the defensive intensity.
A much more aggressive group of Chieftains responded to their coach and promptly reeled off a 12–2 run to regain a two-point lead.
Jake Udelhoven’s layup just before the end of the quarter tied the game at 45.
Senior Lucas Haag scored a layup at the 7:15 mark of the fourth to give Belmont a 47–45 lead, but Potosi scored the next nine points.
Curtis hit a turnaround jump shot in the lane to give the Chieftains a 54–47 lead with 5 minutes to play, and a layup by David Post made it 58–50 with 3:25 remaining.
Bahr swished a long two on the Braves’ next possession and after forcing a Potosi turnover, Bahr struck again from 3-point land to make it a three-point game, 58–55, with 1:18 left to play, but that’s as close as the Braves would get.
The Chieftains made 6 of 8 from the line in the final 52 seconds to close out the win.
Bahr finished with a game-high 21 points to lead Belmont. Voigts finished with 13 and Kamps added 11.
Belmont hosted Highland (3–7, 0–4) Tuesday night and will return to action Friday at Shullsburg (10–2, 4–1) before hosting Iowa–Grant (3–8) on Tuesday.
Following this past Tuesday night’s conference showdown with host Shullsburg (10–2, 4–1), the Chieftains will host Cassville (6–6, 2–2) on Friday night, then Pecatonica next Tuesday.
Last Tuesday night in non-conference action, the Chieftains defeated host Wauzeka/Steuben, 65–35.
In that game, Curtis poured in a team-high 18 points to go along with eight rebounds, while Hawes finished with 10 points.
This past Saturday, the Chieftains picked up a 64–50 non-conference victory over host Galena, improving their overall record to 10–2.
Curtis poured in a game-high 19 points to go along with five boards, while Dan Post and Nate Friederick each finished with 11 points, Post pulling down six boards.
Hawes added nine points and had four assists in the win.
Potosi 64, Belmont 60
(from Thursday, Jan. 15 @ Potosi)
Belmont 18 14 13 15 — 60
Potosi 20 11 14 19 — 64
Belmont (8–3, 3–2) — Quinn Cushman 9, Jon Bahr 21, Lane Kamps 11, Raine Voigts 13, Lucas Haag 4, Josh Logsdon 2. Totals — 23 7-15 60.
Potosi (9–2, 5–0) — Riley Hawes 12, Kyle Kaiser 9, Brent Curtis 12, Jake Langkamp 1, Dan Post 10, Jake Udelhoven 6, Nate Friederick 8, Tyler Udelhoven 6. Totals — 20 16-22 64.
3-point goals — B: 7 (Cushman 1, Bahr 4, Kamps 1, Voigts 1); P: 8 (Hawes 2, Kaiser 2, Curtsi 2, T. Udelohven 2). Team fouls — B: 14, P: 14. Fouled out — none.
Potosi 64, Galena 50
(from Saturday, Jan. 17 @ Galena)
Potosi 19 14 12 19 — 64
Galena 9 16 12 13 — 50
Potosi (10–2) — Riley Hawes 9, Kyle Kaiser 3, Brent Curtis 19, Trenton Bauer 1, Jake Langkamp 2, Dan Post 11, Jake Udelhoven 2, Nate Friederick 11, Tyler Udelhoven 6. Totals — 64.
Galena — Ward 15, Soat 10, Bingham 9, Spillane 6, Bauer 3, Peebles 5, Townsend 1, Hulscher 1. Totals — 18 12-23 50.
3-point goals — P: 5 (Hawes 1, Kaiser 1, Curtis 1, Post 2, T. Udelhoven 2); G: 2 (Soat 1, Bingham 1). Team fouls — P: 22, G: 20. Fouled out — G: Townsend.
Potosi 65, Wauzeka–Steuben 35
(from Tuesday, Jan. 13 @ Wauzeka)
Potosi — 65
Wauzeka — 35
Potosi (8–2) — Riley Hawes 10, Kyle Kaiser 6, Brent Curtis 18, Trenton Bauer 2, Ryan Schmitz 3, Jake Langkamp 5, Dan Post 7, Jake Udelhoven 8, Nate Friederick 8, Tyler Udelhoven 6. Totals — 20 16-22 64.
Wauzeka–Steuben (3–7) — Slaught 4, Jeramiah Huber 13, Jonah Huber 7, Atkinson 2, Krachey 9. Totals — 35.
3-point goals — P: 4 (Hawes 2, Schmitz 1, Post 1); W: n/a. Team fouls — P: 15, W–S: 12. Fouled out — none.
