A pair of freshman combined for 30 points to lead Ripon to a 71-55 win over Waupaca Nov. 22 in a matchup of Eastern Valley Conference boys’ basketball teams.
Luke Loewe scored 16 points and Ben Vander Plas added 14 in the Tigers’ win over the Comets.
Even Waupaca coach Ron Weber was impressed.
“You can see how good those freshmen are,” he said. “Boy, they’re nice players. I scouted them Tuesday and I didn’t know what Ripon would be like. Those freshmen just opened my eyes. They’ve got the pieces, but I’m very anxious to get them back at our place. I think it’s going to be a different ballgame.”
The Tigers outscored the Comets in each quarter, leading 14-10 after one quarter, 38-26 at halftime and 45-39 heading into the fourth quarter.
“I thought a couple things were key,” Weber said. “One, when they started nailing those threes and got so hot. We closed it a couple of times, but we could never get over the hump. Two, they’re quicker than us. They took advantage of us defensively in one-and-one situations.”
The Comets 6-4 midway through the first quarter, but starting forward Zander Neuville picked up his second foul and didn’t return until midway through the second quarter. By then, the Tigers had taken the lead for good.
“Those two fouls early hurt him because he had to be out for a stretch and that was where they took the lead on us,” Weber said. “This, that and the other thing and all of a sudden, you look up and you’re down by 10 and fighting from behind all night.”
A 14-2 run that included a pair of three-pointers from Vander Plas and Landon Fenner’s three-point play gave the Tigers a 38-22 lead shortly before halftime.
Waupaca never got any closer than eight points in the third quarter, but John Popham’s three-pointer with 3:56 remaining in the game cut the Tigers’ lead to 60-53.
However, Ripon hit 15 of 17 free throws in the game and sealed the win with free throws down the stretch.
“I thought there were some bright spots,” Weber said. “For the most part, we handled that press OK. We actually scored against it and I like that. Eventually, they had to get out of it and that’s a good sign.”
Neuville, who hit eight of his nine shots, led Waupaca with 16 points, while Brando Vasquez chipped in with 14.
“We’re all disappointed,” Weber said. “We thought we would play better than this. We didn’t shoot it as well as they did. We didn’t rebound as well as they did. They just outplayed us.”
Sam Vander Plas led Ripon with 18 points, while Fenner also finished in double figures with 10.
The Comets hosted Clintonville Dec. 26 in the second of seven EVC games to open the season.
“We have to get ready for another conference game,” Weber said. “Losing this one makes that one all the more urgent for us to win. We have to play with a real urgency.”
Still, one game will not make or break a season, according to Weber.
“I told them we have 21 games left,” he said. “The sky’s the limit. We’re going to be OK, we really are.”
Waupaca
Boys’ Basketball
2013-14 Schedule
Varsity
Friday, Nov. 22 – at Ripon, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 – vs. Clintonville, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – vs. Appleton Xavier, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6 – at Little Chute, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 –at Winneconne, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20 – at Berlin, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27 – at Auburndale Invitational, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28 – at Auburndale Invitational, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 3 – vs. New London, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9 – at Freedom, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11 – vs. Green Bay Preble, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14 – vs. Ripon, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Clintonville, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23 – at Appleton Xavier, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 – vs. Little Chute, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 6 – vs. Winneconne, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Berlin, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 – vs. Hortonville, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – at Denmark, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Freedom, 7:15 p.m.
Junior Varsity
Friday, Nov. 22 – at Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 – vs. Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – vs. Appleton Xavier, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6 – at Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 –at Winneconne, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20 – at Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27 – at Auburndale Invitational, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28 – at Auburndale Invitational, 2 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 3 – vs. New London, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11 – vs. Green Bay Preble, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14 – vs. Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23 – at Appleton Xavier, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 6 – vs. Winneconne, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 – vs. Hortonville, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – at Denmark, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Freshman
Friday, Nov. 22 – at Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 – vs. Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 – vs. Appleton Xavier, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6 – at Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 –at Winneconne, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20 – at Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 3 – vs. New London, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9 – at Freedom, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11 – vs. Green Bay Preble, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14 – vs. Ripon, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 – at Clintonville, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23 – at Appleton Xavier, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 – vs. Little Chute, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 6 – vs. Winneconne, 5:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – vs. Berlin, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14 – vs. Hortonville, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – at Denmark, 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20 – vs. Freedom, 5:45 p.m.