With a convincing 84-66 victory over visiting Galena last Tuesday night, the Southwestern varsity boys' basketball team got off to a winning start in the 2011-12 season.
Coach Mike Allen's squad appeared to take control of Tuesday's game early, holding a 24-14 advantage after one quarter of play.
For the remaining three quarters, the Wildcats added to their lead, outscoring the Pirates 60-52 to claim an 18-point victory.
The Wildcats had great balance when it came to scoring, making it difficult for Galena to focus on just one player.
Leading the team with 17 points was senior Keaton Kephart, while juniors Josh Smith and Aaron Tranel each added 16. Senior Connor Kuhl contributed 13 points, and fellow senior Brady Wilkerson was the team's fifth player to score in double figures with his 11 points. Junior Aaron Kaiser wasn't far behind with eight points.
From the free throw line, Southwestern knocked down 23-of-31 (74%) attempts, as Connor Kuhl was 9-of-12 and Kephart a perfect 6-for-6.
This Thursday night the Wildcats will host Mineral Point in a Southwest Wisconsin Activities League opener. They will then host Belmont on Saturday and travel to Shullsburg next Tuesday.