MFL MarMac extends winning streak to 11
Eli Hanson had nine points and three rebounds off the bench in MFL MarMac’s win over West Central. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Landyn Miene denies a West Central basket in MFL MarMac's dominant victory.
Wyatt Powell lays in two of his eight points versus the Blue Devils.
Parker Kuehl's 19 points were tops on the team in the win over West Central.
Bryce Diehl defends a Blue Devil player.
Carver Blietz-Bentien knocked down 13 points and was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds against West Central.
Carter Lightfoot searches for an open teammate in MFL MarMac's conference win over the Blue Devils.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac boys basketball team pushed its winning streak to 11 games last week, thanks to victories over North Fayette Valley, Waterloo Christian and West Central.
The Bulldogs held a slim 34-31 lead over the TigerHawks heading into the final period on Jan. 23, but closed out the game on an 11-0 run to win 49-41.
MFL MarMac’s defense continued to drive its offense, utilizing 11 steals—and 17 total turnovers by the TigerHawks—to shoot 40.4 percent from the field.
NFV leading scorer Cael Reichter led all players with 23 points, but received minimal help from teammates. The Bulldogs had a more balanced attack, with 14 points from Parker Kuehl and 12 by Carter Lightfoot. Kuehl was also responsible for six of MFL MarMac’s steals.
Carver Blietz-Bentien contributed nine points, five rebounds and two assists, while Landyn Miene added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. Wyatt Powell totaled six points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.
MFL MarMac defeated Waterloo Christian 66-49 on Jan. 25, relying on a 15-4 second quarter run to build a sizeable 32-18 halftime lead. The Bulldogs continued to out-score the Regents 21-10 in the third, to seal the win.
The Bulldogs racked up 40 rebounds to the Regents’ 24, and limited Waterloo Christian to one second chance scoring opportunity. The defense lifted another 11 steals, as the Regents turned the ball over 19 times.
Every player in the MFL MarMac starting lineup scored in double digits, led by Powell’s 13 points. His six assists and three steals were also team highs. Blietz-Bentien notched another double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds, and Kuehl added 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Lightfoot hit a trio of three-pointers, making up most of his 11 points, and had six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Bryce Diehl closed the night with 11 points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist.
MFL MarMac finished out the week with an 89-37 rout of winless West Central on Jan. 26. The Bulldogs shot over 51 percent from the field and landed another seven three-pointers, including two apiece by Kuehl and Brock Hackett.
Kuehl’s 19 points were tops on the team, and he had five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Blietz-Bentien knocked down 13 points and was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. He also had two assists and two steals. Lightfoot contributed 11 points, two assists, a rebound and a steal, while Eli Hanson had nine points and three rebounds off the bench. Powell added eight points and seven rebounds along with 11 assists and four steals—both team highs.
The Bulldogs are now 14-3 overall and 10-3 in the Upper Iowa Conference, recent wins propelling them to second place behind Kee. This week includes home match-ups against Clayton Ridge on Jan. 30 and South Winneshiek on Feb. 2. They will close out the regular season next week.
