Sterling Jets VS Nebraska City Lourdes
January 19, 2008
By Jimmy Motz
January 25, 2008
Fourth Quarter comeback carries Jets past Knights
The signs of a week off from competition began to show on the Sterling boys basketball team early in the 2nd half of their game with Nebraska City Lourdes Central Catholic Saturday night. Trailing 39-31 after three quarters, the Jets went on a 8-0 run to tie the game halfway through the 4th quarter and held on late to beat the Knights 54-49, in front of a near capacity crowd at the Sterling gym.
Sophomore forward Zach Lempka and senior center D.J. Thiel sparked that 8-0 run early in the 4th quarter for Sterling. But the Knights countered back with baskets from forward Alex Heng and guards Jake Kaiser and Andy Fedoris hit some free-throws to keep it close toward the end. Will Wirthele, who scored eight of his 12 points in the second half, hit some key free throws to give Sterling a 50-48 lead with just under a minute left. After a Lourdes turnover, Wirthele hit a basket from inside to give the Jets a 52-48 lead.
After the Knights hit a free-throw to cut the lead to three, Sterling's Devin Heusman iced the game with a basket from three-feet out.
“We found a way to win and that was the most important thing” said head coach Jimmy Motz. “Going into the last quarter down eight tested our character and will to win. Our kids against answered the bell and found a way to get it done. I’m very proud of the way they fought back to win.”
Sterling
got out to a 6-2 lead off of baskets from Jake Saathoff, but the
Knights relied on Derek Wichman, Garrett Hoyle and Heng to pull
them through the rest of the 1st quarter, taking a 11-8 lead over
the Jets.
Thiel and Wirthele helped Sterling offensively through the 2nd
quarter, including a buzzer beater from Wirthele underneath the
basket as time ran out at the end of the 1st half to give the Jets
a 25-23 lead.
