SHULLSBURG – Junior Pierce Russell poured in 11 of his game-high 18 points in the first half to lift Shullsburg out to a double-digit halftime lead and the host Miners matched Belmont basket-for-basket in the second half to put the finishing touches on a 52-39 victory over the Braves in boys’ basketball action at SHS on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
    Russell scored the final four points of the first quarter to put the Miners (8-7 overall, 5-2 in SRW) ahead of the Braves (1-16, 0-7) by a score of 13-6, and the Shullsburg guard added five more points during a 9-2 run by the hosts late in the first half that extended their advantage to 29-18 at the intermission.
    In the second half, the Miners matched every basket by the Braves with one of their own to cruise in for their fourth consecutive SRW victory.
    “I thought we played a very solid game and executed offensively quite well,” said Shullsburg head coach Mark Lierman. “Belmont has improved, and to their credit they were able to keep the game from getting out of control score-wise.”
    Russell added five rebounds and three assists, while Nate Carrier added nine points and Jacob Scott chipped in with eight for the Miners. Sophomore center John Meyer tallied six points and 10 rebounds for the hosts.
    Junior Brandon Wedig led the Braves with 14 points. Jeremy Richardson netted eight points, while Avery Willborn and Isaac Haag added six points apiece for Belmont. 
    “We got behind in the first and second quarter; and, while we cut the lead to six, we never were able to get out of the hole we put ourselves in,” stated Belmont head coach Jeff Hodgson. “I thought we played hard and played well except for our first quarter offense.”
    Shullsburg hosts Cassville in a key Six Rivers West contest on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
    Belmont returns home to face River Ridge on Thursday, Feb. 2, and the Braves host Benton on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
    At Shullsburg, on Monday, Jan. 30, Collin Hauser sank four 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 19 points and Pierce Russell added 16 of his 18 points in the second half to rally the host Miners over Scales Mound, 54-51, for the team’s seventh straight victory.
    The Hornets (10-11 overall), who are coached by SHS alumnus and current Shullsburg school board member Erik Kudronowicz, led 15-4 at the end of the first quarter and were still ahead by as many as nine late in the third quarter until the Miners started to heat up behind the arc thanks to Hauser and Russell.
    Hauser’s trio of treys in the third quarter helped the Miners keep pace with their guests, while Russell ended the third with a trey and started the fourth with another to jumpstart a 16-0 Shullsburg run that turned a 42-35 deficit into a 51-42 lead.
    The Hornets made things interesting thanks to some clutch 3-point shooting by sophomore guard Steven Korte, but free throws by Nate Carrier and Russell down the stretch finished off the win.
    Jacob Scott and Reid Schwartz each added eight points for the Miners, while S. Korte and Greg Cox tallied 16 points apiece for Scales Mound. T.J. Staver netted 11 points for the Hornets.
   
Belmont…….    6  12  10  11 - 39
Shullsburg…  13  16  12  11 - 52
Leading Scorers: Belmont– Brandon Wedig 14, Jeremy Richardson 8, Avery Willborn 6, Isaac Haag 6, Lane Friedrich 5. Shullsburg–Pierce Russell 18, Nate Carrier 9, Jacob Scott 8, John Meyer 6, Kyle Hoppman 5, Collin Hauser 4, Reid Schwartz 2.

Scales Mound…  15    8  19    9 - 51
Shullsburg……..    4  14  20  16 - 54
Leading Scorers: Collin Hauser 19, Pierce Russell 18, Jacob Scott 6, Reid Schwartz 6, Nate Carrier 5.