OHS Tigers claim sixth straight Wausa Tournament Championship
WAUSA — It had been 12 days since the Osmond Tigers last played a basketball game, during which they won 50-33 in the Randolph Holiday Tournament Championship. The Tigers competed in the Wausa Post-holiday Tournament Jan. 9-11, and came out with their sixth straight Wausa Tournament Championship.
Osmond vs. Niobrara-Verdigre
Osmond would be paired against Niobrara-Verdigre in the first round of the Wausa Post-holiday Tournament after the near two-week break. The long layoff proved to be of great benefit for the Orange and Black. The Tigers came out firing against the Cougars, utilizing a full court press to force seemingly endless turnovers and earn easy buckets as a result.
Osmond outscored N-V by 20 in the first and never looked back. The team effort on defense resulted in 33 turnovers by the Cougars as the well-rested Tigers were energized and in attack mode the entire 32 minutes.
A balanced scoring attack was evident in the victory, with 11 of 12 varsity players scoring in the contest. Graysen Schultze led the way with a game-high 17 points to go with his five assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Teammates Aaron Chishiba and Ryan Schmit each tallied 11 points. Chishiba posted a career-high eight assists to add to his offensive contribution. The three Tigers would combine for 39 of Osmond’s 70 points.
Osmond vs. LHNE
As the Tigers moved on to the championship game, they would match up with the 8-3 Lutheran High Northeast Eagles, a team that beat Wausa 78-50 in first-round action. The Tigers’ second C2 opponent of the season would prove to be the toughest competition of their schedule thus far.
LHNE played a fast-paced spread the floor style of offense that gave Osmond fits in the first two quarters. Osmond found themselves in unfamiliar territory early in the game, trailing for the first time this season.
The Eagles scored six quick points before the Tigers got on the scoreboard and led 11-4 before Osmond responded with a 15-4 run of their own to finish the first quarter of play. All five starters scored in the first as the Tigers once again displayed a balanced, unselfish offensive game.
The second quarter would go to the Eagles. The team in blue hit three of its seven three-pointers in the quarter and would take a twopoint lead into the locker room, leaving the Tigers trailing at halftime for the first time this season.
The third quarter was back and forth until around the 4:00 minute mark, when the Tigers began to go on a run and string defensive stops with scores, forcing LHNE to call a timeout to regroup.
The Eagles switched to a 2-3 zone defense, but a key three-pointer by Ryan Schmit gave the Tigers momentum as they held on to a five-point lead entering the final quarter. Osmond displayed great poise in the fourth and leaned on its seniors to finish the game. Elders Keaton Timmerman and Justus Maertins scored eight and six points, respectively, in the final eight minutes to help seal the 10th consecutive Osmond victory.
Timmerman put up another double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass for some devastating second-chance points. Graysen Schultze played the full 32 minutes and came away with 14 points, five assists and five steals.
Justus scored 12 and snagged a season-high seven rebounds. Schmit snuck in eight points and Chishiba (also playing the full 32) finished with seven points, three assists and five rebounds, all of which came on the offensive glass.
Josh Gansebom gave rest to Maertins and Schmit throughout the contest, contributing quality minutes with one made free throw and two rebounds.
“This tournament was a great one for us and I couldn’t be prouder of how our guys handled themselves in both games,” commented Coach Todd Schulze. “This really sets the stage for an exciting month of January.”
Up next for the Tigers was a long road trip to face Neligh-Oakdale on Tuesday, followed by another to Emerson-Hubbard on Friday, Jan. 17.
