The Aplington-Parkersburg basketball teams split an NICL crossover doubleheader at Jesup Tuesday, as aired on 99 The Wave. The girls lost 42-41 and the boys won 71-56.
In the girls game, the teams had trouble hitting many shots in the first half while racking up an abundance of turnovers. Jesup led 19-14 at halftime, but the Falcons hit their stride early in the third quarter. AP led by as many as four in the second half, but the J-Hawks kept the lead from growing. With 20 seconds left, Quinnlyn Schultz went coast to coast for a go-ahead layup at 41-40. But with five seconds left, an AP foul on a shot attempt put Jesup at the free throw line, where Peyton Weber hit both shots to seal the game. Head Coach Brady Driscol says a 2/11 free throw performance cost the team the win.
“Obviously in a one-point game, even 4/11 or at worst, we go to overtime with just one more,” Driscol says. “So it’s a thing we work on in practice, but we have to keep doing it more and adding some pressure to it to make it very game-like for us. And we had some good learning moments in this game that we can take going forward. I think the playoff seeding-wise, everything like that, it’s been a great experience. We’re not gonna be a one-seed, maybe a two or three, so you’re playing the same people, it’s just a matter of if it’s home or away. But you can really take a lot from these close game situation type stuff of executing and being in that situation. That way when you get to the postseason games, you’re in that situation. You’ve been through it before, at least once or twice. So we’ll use it as a building block going forward, and another big one Friday.”
Kolbie Wangsness led with nine points.
In the boys game, the teams went shot for shot throughout the first half, with Jesup remaining within striking distance. But the Falcons came out on fire in the third quarter by pouring in 26 points in the period to create separation. AP led by as many as 18 points on their way to their seventh straight win. Head Coach Aaron Thomas was proud of the second half performance, especially by senior Jackson Mulder in his first career start.
“We’d get up 10 and then we’d let it get back to four or five, just either a weak turnover or not finishing around the rim, and then to their credit they come down and hit a shot,” Thomas says. “I challenged the guys at halftime, we’ve got to be a lot more intense, a lot sharper with our rotations of what we’re doing defensively, and then just stronger. I thought our second half, we keep track of our points per possession and it was really, really high, and just proud of the guys with their second half performance. Tonight I thought Jackson Mulder did an unbelievable job for us at the five spot. Giving up probably five inches off their center. Their second-leading scorer and he held him scoreless. Him, Gavin Allan, Sully Janssen, all those guys rotating, it was a really good team win.”
Tyler Wedeking hit six three-pointers and led with 22 points. Benny Waller added 20 after a slow first half.
The Falcons will return to action Friday by hosting Gladbrook-Reinbeck.
Brady Driscol interview:
Aaron Thomas interview:
