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MFL MarMac tops Clayton Ridge in battle of unbeaten teams

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Carver Blietz-Bentien dropped 17 points in MFL MarMac’s 65-44 victory over Clayton Ridge. The win kept the Bulldogs unbeaten this season. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

Brock Hackett has been a key contributor off MFL MarMac's deep bench.

Parker Kuehl netted six points in the win over Clayton Ridge.

MFL MarMac’s improved defense has been a key to success this season. Here, Wyatt Powell keeps pace with an Eagle player.

Zach Driscoll continued his streak as the Bulldogs' leading scorer last week, tallying 20 points against the Eagles.

Bryce Diehl puts up a three-point shot in the Dec. 20 game against Clayton Ridge.

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

The MFL MarMac boys basketball team came out on top in a Dec. 20 battle of unbeatens, defeating Clayton Ridge 65-44.

 

This gave the Bulldogs their fifth Upper Iowa Conference win and eighth overall.

 

“Both teams were 7-0, and I knew they would give us a good test. I wanted to see where we were at,” said head coach Eric Dettbarn. “Are we playing bad teams, or are we that good? It’s kind of a mystery at this point.”

 

MFL MarMac came into the contest ranked 10th in Class 2A. The team is now averaging nearly 79 points per game, and its 44.5 point differential is the most in Class 2A by nearly 10 points.

 

Despite what Dettbarn called an off shooting night, the Bulldogs made 44.4 percent of field goals and five of 19 attempts from behind the arc.

 

Zach Driscoll’s 20 points led the way, followed by Carver Blietz-Bentien with 17 and Parker Kuehl and Brock Hackett with six apiece.

 

Kuehl tallied a team-high six assists and Wyatt Powell distributed five.

 

Defensively, MFL MarMac held Clayton Ridge to 37.5 percent shooting. Second chance opportunities were also few and far between for the Eagles, who snagged just six offensive rebounds.

 

Blietz-Bentien was responsible for 10, giving him a double-double, while Powell and Driscoll each had five.

 

The Bulldog defense also pressured Clayton Ridge into 19 turnovers, including 14 steals, and blocked two shots.

 

Kuehl topped the steals column with five, and Driscoll picked up three steals and both of the team’s blocks.

 

MFL MarMac was in control the whole game, only wavering in the third quarter, when a defensive lapse allowed the Eagles to trim the lead to single digits.

 

“I thought we gave up some easy buckets, but then we got back focused,” Dettbarn said.

 

Even with the team’s offensive success, he said its defense has most impressed him so far.

 

“Defensively, we’re playing really well. That’s helping us offensively. Regardless of the score and the time in the ballgame, we have good kids who work really hard,” he said.

 

Improving defensively was a goal this season, the coach added.

 

“I felt we were athletically gifted enough and quick enough that we could be a very good defensive ball club,” Dettbarn said. “I’m pretty happy with how things are going.”

 

The team’s depth has also contributed to its success so far. Up until last week’s game, all 12 players had seen the floor in each contest.

 

“We can go at least eight or nine deep on the bench and not lose much,” Dettbarn said. “The way we want to play, sometimes we tend to get in a little foul trouble. That means we have to have guys coming off the bench who play just as well as the starters do.”

 

The Bulldogs’ next game after winter break will be Tuesday, Jan. 3, against South Winneshiek. They’ll then host Central on Friday, Jan. 6.

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