CASSVILLE – Despite watching their Comets fall to Benton, 67-59, in Six Rivers West boys basketball action, Cassville fans still had reason to celebrate last Thursday night.
Senior Mason Infield became only the sixth player in Cassville basketball history to score his 1,000th career point, which he did with 5:43 to play in Thursday night’s loss to the Zephyrs.
Infield concluded Thursday night’s game with a team-high 22 points, giving him 1,008 career points 10 games into his senior season.
After scoring 136 points in 23 games as a freshman, 284 points in 18 games as a sophomore, and 358 points in 21 games as a junior, Infield came into this season needing 222 points to reach 1,000.
Counting Thursday night’s loss to Benton, Infield has now scored 230 points in 10 games, giving him an average of 23.0 points per game.
He needed just 14 points going into Thursday night’s game, and after scoring nine in the first half, had to wait until the second half to join the 1,000-point club.
With 11:34 to play in the second half, Infield made 1-of-2 free throw attempts, and then knocked down a jumper at the 10:25 mark. He reached the 1,000-point mark on a short bank shot with 5:43 to play in the game, at which point the game was stopped and he was presented with a plaque from head coach Jacob Bernetzke.
Infield became only the sixth player in school history to score 1,000 points, joining Dick Pellock, Mike Uppena, Sam Okey, Kent Faurote and Ty Kartman.
Infield helped lead the Comets to an early 15-3 lead over the Zephyrs last Thursday night, but Benton eventually tied the game at 23-23 before holding a halftime lead of 29-25.
The Zephyrs maintained their lead throughout the entire second half, and with 2:51 to play in the game held a 10-point lead of 57-47.
Over the next minute and a half, the Comets got 3-point baskets from Sam Ihm, Ty Bausch and Carter Matousek, while an old-fashioned 3-point play by Infield pulled Cassville to within 62-59 with 1:03 to play in the game.
From then on though, Cassville failed to make another basket, while Benton knocked down three free throws, including a 3-point play from Brooks Tiedeman.
While Infield finished with a game-high 22 points, Bausch was close behind with 21 before fouling out late in the game.
The Zephyrs had a more balanced attack, getting 17 points from Tiedeman, 15 from Nick Jensen, and 13 each from Will Lawrence and Wyatt Bastian.
With the loss, coach Bernetzke’s Comets fell to 1-3 in league play and 2-8 overall. The Cassville boys follow up this past Tuesday night’s home game against Potosi with a road game at Highland Friday night.
Benton 67, Cassville 59
(from Thursday, Jan. 3)
Benton 29 38 - 67
Cassville 25 34 - 59
Benton - Will Lawrence 13, Nick Jensen 15, Holden Murphy 9, Brooks Tiedeman 17, Wyatt Bastian 13. Totals - 22 16-24 67.
Cassville - Colin Esser 4, Mason Infield 22, Ty Bausch 21, Cater Matousek 3, Sam Ihm 7, Kaleb Hauk 2. Totals - 22 10-12 59.
3-point goals - B: Murphy 3, Bastian 2, Jensen 1, Lawrence 1; C: Infield 2, Bausch 1, Matousek 1, Ihm 1. Team fouls - B 11, C 24. Fouled out - Esser (C), Ihm (C), Bausch (C).
Cassville 85, Coulee Christian 40
(from Thursday, Dec. 27, at New Lisbon Tournament)
Cassville - Colin Esser 10, Mason Infield 32, Ty Bausch 8, Carter Matousek 8, Sam Ihm 12, Christian Fure 4, Kaleb Hauk 11. Totals - 37-59, 7-13 85.
Coulee Christian - Individual scoring not available.
3-point goals - C: (4-17) Infield 1, Matousek 2, Ihm 1; CC: n/a. Team fouls - C 3, CC n/a. Fouled out - n/a.
New Lisbon 71, Cassville 50
(from Thursday, Dec. 27, at New Lisbon Tournament)
Cassville - Colin Esser 2, Mason Infield 22, Ty Bausch 8, Carter Matousek 2, Sam Ihm 5, Brandon Klein 5, Christian Fure 3, Kaleb Hauk 3. Totals - 16-50, 15-19 50.
New Lisbon - Individual scoring not available.
3-point goals - C: (3-22) Ihm 1, Fure 1, Hauk 1; NL: n/a. Team fouls - C 11, NL n/a. Fouled out - n/a.
