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Huskies outlast Lions
Highland picks up second SEISC North win
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Highland boys basketball coach Bill Zywiec knew his team could step up the way it did in the final minutes of the fourth quarter Monday night. With a win against rival Lone Tree there for the taking, the Huskies did just that to snatch their second Southeast Iowa Super Conference North victory of the season.
Up 51-49 points with three minutes remaining, Highland went on a 11-0 run to end the game and pull away from Lone Tree for a 62-49 home win. The victory snapped a three game losing streak.
“We talked about going into the game that this is going to be a roller coaster of emotions, and we’ve just got to stay steady the entire time,” Zywiec said. “They made a run, we made a run, they made a run late and then we just kept our focus.”
Lone Tree turned the ball over four times during the run, including back-to-back giveaways straight to Highland’s Bryce Hazelett. Hazelett turned the gifts into four easy points on the other end.
The senior finished the game with 19 points and six steals. He added five rebounds and three assists to help lift the Huskies.
“I was just trying to put as much pressure out there (as I could),” Hazelett said. “They brought the ball to me and I took advantage of it and took it down to the other end and did my best to settle myself down before I took the layup.”
Highland’s knockout blow came after Lone Tree erased an 11-point deficit with 6:21 to play. The Huskies were able to make enough adjustments after Lone Tree went on a 9-0 run of its own by getting Highland out of sync on offense.
The Lions had counter punches to Highland runs earlier in the game, including a 9-3 run out of halftime that forced Zywiec to call timeout. After Highland started the game up 7-2, the Lions ended the quarter on a 10-4 run.
But Highland found answers each time the Lions tired to adjust, including the pivotal final strike in the final minutes. It maintained a strong presence on the defensive end, racking up 15 steals and finishing with the second fewest points allowed in a game this season.
“I think it all started with our defense,” Zywiec said. “We were very unselfish with the ball. We have guards that can attack the basket, which helps. It was just a great team effort.”
Four players for Highland finished in double figures in the win. Landon Roling matched Hazelett on the defensive end with six steals, and had 16 points.
Jacob Schneider finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. He was a force in the paint on defense, tallying four blocks while also dishing out four assists.
Off the bench, freshman Kyler Fink went 4 of 6 from the field for 10 points. Junior Presten Smith finished with six points and three rebounds.
Highland could build on its momentum in a big way against undefeated Hillcrest Academy. The Ravens (9-0, 8-0) sit alone atop the North after also defeating Lone Tree in their last game on Jan. 3.
Hillcrest will host Highland at 7:30 p.m. Friday inside the Hillcrest Union. The Ravens won the first matchup 68-39 at Highland.
Here are the other area small school boys basketball scores from Monday and Tuesday.
Cardinal 65, Seymour 59
WACO 58, Wapello 43
Alburnett 60, Mid-Prairie 49
Danville 56, New London 49
Central Lee 79, Van Buren County 56
