Early lead puts Weiser in driver’s seat of win over Vale

 The Weiser boys started strong, quickly taking a 14-2 lead. Vale slowly narrowed the margin, bringing the game within 5 points midway through the third quarter. However, Weiser maintained their focus and determination to secure a 15-point lead at the final buzzer, winning 70 to 55.

 In the first period, the Wolverines scored the first 10 points before Vale was able to score. Jack Shirts made the first basket after winning the tip with a sweet floater near the free throw line. Kolin Cook scored with a classic fake pass and a high-arching 3-pointer. Josh Mizar fed Carter Jensen for another 3-pointer in transition from defense to offense. Cook then converted off a lay-in after stealing the ball on the next trip to defense. 

 Vale’s first score came from a baseline in-bounds play.

 After Vale put a couple of points on the board, the Vikings seemed to recover from their surprise at the quick start by the Wolverines, making swift transitions from defense to offense. Weiser had a hard time stopping the Vikings in fast-break situations. However, Weiser’s offense remained hot and continued to score on their end of the court.

 At the buzzer ending the first quarter, Weiser’s Owen Funke gave Weiser a 13-point lead with a rebound and fadeaway jumper. The first 8 minutes ended Weiser 21, Vale 8.

 The Weiser Wolverines basketball team started the second quarter with a bang, as Cook hit a 3-pointer followed by a steal from Shirts who passed the ball to Carter Jensen for another 3. Mizar then added a third 3-pointer after grabbing a long offensive rebound and making a turnaround jumper. These quick scores gave Weiser a 15-point lead halfway through the second period. 

 However, the Vale Vikings are a strong team who are capable of going on scoring runs, so Weiser couldn’t afford to get complacent.

 Going into the locker room, Weiser was ahead by 7 points with a score of 35-28. 

 The two teams continued their battle in the third quarter, with Vale reducing Weiser’s lead to just 5 points with 3:42 left in the third period. But then, Jensen made a nice pass to Mizar at the top of the arc, and Mizar scored a 3-pointer. 

 After a couple additional buckets, the third quarter ended with Weiser leading 52-43.

 Vale started off the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, but Weiser responded with a six-point scoring run thanks to back-to-back buckets and one free throw from Shirts. The score was now 58-46 in favor of Weiser. 

 The game then entered a period where scoring was slow, but with just under 3 minutes left to play, the Wolverines hammered down and increased their lead to 15 points. The final score was 70-55 in favor of Weiser.

 Rebounding is a crucial aspect of defense that allows you to stop your opponent from scoring and provides a significant advantage when you can grab offensive rebounds. 

 In the game, Weiser’s rebounding was led by Mizar with an impressive 12 boards, out of which 10 were defensive rebounds. Other notable rebounds were made by Shirts with 7, and Walker and Cook with 5 each. 

 The Wolverines’ scoring was led by Shirts with 23 points, followed by Cook with 15 points. Mizar and Jensen both contributed 14 points each, and Dolton and Funke scored 2 points each.

 Scores at the end of quarters:

Weiser Vale

1st: 21 8

2nd: 35 28     

3rd: 52 43

4th: 70 55