A tough week for MFL MarMac boys basketball team
Carver Blietz-Bentien racked up a team-high 23 points and seven rebounds in MFL MarMac’s Jan. 19 loss to South Winn. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Gavin Meana evaded a Warrior defender on his way to the basket during the 80-49 loss.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac boys basketball team had a tough run last week, losing all four of its games by double digits.
The Bulldogs opened play Jan. 19, against South Winneshiek. They stayed with the Warriors through the first quarter, trailing just 17-10, but couldn’t keep pace in the second, and South Winn entered the break up 38-21. The Warriors continued to pull away in the second half, winning 80-49.
South Winn made over 58 percent of its shots, compared to a 40 percent mark by the Bulldogs. The Warriors also won the rebound battle, 36-21, and snagged 16 steals.
Carver Blietz-Bentien was MFL MarMac’s top scorer, with 23 points, and also tallied a team-high seven rebounds. Wyatt Powell added 12 points, two rebounds and two assists. Caleb Mezera chipped in three points off the bench.
The Bulldogs played Waukon next, losing 86-55 on Jan. 21. Like the previous game, MFL MarMac hung around in the first quarter, down just 14-10. However, the Indians managed a 46-36 lead by halftime. The second half didn’t get any better, as Waukon out-scored the Bulldogs 50-29 to win by 31 points.
Again, the Bulldogs allowed their opponent to shoot over 50 percent, at 52.4. MFL MarMac, although hitting 43.8 percent of attempts from behind the arc, made just 36.5 percent of overall shots. The Bulldogs were also severely out-rebounded again, 47-22, and coughed the ball up 13 times.
Powell led the MFL MarMac effort with 12 points, in addition to three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Cayden Ball finished the night with 11 points, three assists and a rebound, while Gavin Meana’s stat line included nine points, two assists, a rebound and a steal. Along with a team-leading eight rebounds, Blietz-Bentien had seven points and an assist.
The Bulldogs continued to struggle Jan. 22, dropping a 72-57 match-up at West Central. The Blue Devils had an early 19-5 lead, but MFL MarMac clawed its way back into the game in the second period, to trail just 28-21 at halftime. The Bulldogs narrowed the advantage to 43-39 in the third, but couldn’t sustain the momentum. West Central ended the game with a 29-18 run.
The Bulldog defense forced 13 steals in the game, but couldn’t keep West Central under wraps otherwise. The Blue Devils made 56.2 percent of shots from the field, which was over 20 percent higher than MFL MarMac, who finished the night at 33.8.
Powell had the hot hand again, picking up team highs in points and assists, with 20 and five, respectively. He also had three steals and two rebounds. Ball earned 12 points, four rebounds, four steals and an assist, followed by Meana with 11 points, two rebounds and a steal. Kaden Stocker added five points, a rebound and a steal off the bench, while Blietz-Bentien came away with four points and a team-high six rebounds, along with an assist and a steal.
The Bulldogs concluded their week Jan. 23, losing 67-35 at Wapsie Valley. They were hurt by a slow start, down 20-9 by the end of the first quarter. The Warriors upped the lead to 40-22 at the break, then went on a 16-4 run to open the second half, on their way to a 32-point win.
MFL MarMac held Wapsie Valley to just 45.3 percent shooting from the field—the best defensive effort of the week. But the offense struggled, making only 10 of 57 attempts. The rebounding disparity also made a difference, with the Warriors pulling down 49 compared to the Bulldogs’ 24.
Stocker led MFL MarMac with 11 points and added a steal to his stat line. Powell chipped in five points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists. Blietz-Bentien had four points and four rebounds, and Ball totaled three points, three rebounds and three assists.
The losses dropped the Bulldogs’ record to 4-10. They are now 4-7 in the Upper Iowa Conference.
The team will look to get back on the winning track this week, with three home games. Kee will come to Monona on Tuesday, Jan. 26, then Postville on Friday, Jan. 29. MFL MarMac will host Crestwood on Saturday, Jan. 30.
