Tigers finish regular season undefeated at home
OSMOND — Friday night marked the final home contest of the regular season for the Osmond boys. The junior varsity squad finished out their season on a high note and remained undefeated at home as well .The Tigers closed out the Falcons 21-16, finishing the season with an impressive 14-3 record, including aWausa Tournament Championship.
The game was perhaps a bit of a foreshadowing event for what was to come when the two varsity teams tangled later that evening. Coming into the game, the Osmond varsity team had been in eight games decided by eight points or less, the Tigers being victorious in six of those.
The experience in close games paid off yet again for Osmond as they captured their seventh narrow victory in nine attempts, defeating the Falcons by one point (the third one-point win of the season).
The game got off to a slow start for the Tigers, not getting on the scoreboard until 2:24 remained in the first quarter. Elkhorn Valley was playing an effective 2-3 zone that was giving Osmond fits.
The top two guards were very active and did a nice job disrupting passing lanes to the wings. Behind those guards was 6-ft., 4-in. Carter Werner, a leaping shot blocker that made finishing near the basket next to impossible for the Tigers.
That stingy defense coupled with the week between games proved to show some serious rust on the Osmond offense . The Tigers ended the first half trailing 20-16 while shooting 33% and committing eight turnovers.
Graysen Schultze had a difficult time getting open looks in the first half with just four points in the opening 16 minutes. Stevin Hasler came through in a big way for the Tigers in the first half,contributing with eight points that Osmond desperately needed.
In the third quarter, the home team executed the adjustments made in the locker room and were able to get Schultze some open looks as he attacked off the wing area instead of the top of the key. This resulted in 10 third-quarter points for the senior as Osmond outscored E-V 14-11 in the quarter, cutting the deficit to one point heading into the final quarter.
Both teams were refusing to lose as they competed during the final eight minutes. Big shots were hit by each team and major defensive stops were made.
Up one with 1:27 left on the clock, Coach Schulze called a timeout to discuss their strategy for finishing the game. The Tigers spread the floor, not interested in scoring but rather eating away some clock.
They did so until Bryan Solorzano was fouled with 40 seconds remaining, sending the junior to the free throw line to shoot a one-and-one. Bryan had been playing confidently all game long, sinking two 3s in the second half.
He nailed his first free throw and his second attempt hit every part of the rim, bounced off the backboard and dropped in, giving Osmond a three-point edge.
On the following possession, Zach Huwaldt followed instructions and fouled the afore-mentioned Carter Werner. Despite shooting 58% on free throws throughout the season, the sophomore stepped to the line and sank both, cutting the lead back to one.
A full court press was implemented by the Falcons, but Schultze was able to get the ball up the court to Huwaldt who passed it right back to Graysen, getting fouled and confidently going to the line and making both from the charity stripe with 22 seconds left.
Down by three once again, the Falcons got a three-point attempt from junior Carter Rautenberg. He had already made three from behind the arc in the game, including two of them in the fourth quarter. This shot attempt was an air ball.
The Falcons hustled to save it from going out of bounds but when the ball was being sent back into the action, Ryan Schmit grabbed it. The junior took a few unnecessary dribbles before picking the ball up and getting fouled.
With 4.8 ticks left, the junior swished his first attempt but missed his second.All Osmond had to do now was not commit a foul and the game would be over. They did just that. Graysen kept his distance and held his arms straight up as Connor Larsen hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, resulting in yet another one-point victory for the Tigers.
The victory moved Osmond to 19-3 on the season as they prepare to play the winner of Boyd County and Niobrara-Verdigre in the D1-5 subdistrict.
“I’m proud of everything this group has accomplished to this point and, no doubt about it, we’ll have to play our best basketball to advance through the subdistrict with two additional wins,” commented Coach Todd Schulze.
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