“We had a good run for a quarter and a half, but we struggled offensively in the second half,” Sterling coach Jimmy Motz said. “Freeman played solid defense and got after us.”

Freeman Head Coach Jim McLaughlin said Freeman had trouble getting into a flow offensively in the first half.  “Our kids responded well,” he said.
Despite Sterling getting out to a 7-0 lead right off, McLaughlin said Freeman did a good job against the Jets’ press.  “The kids did a good job picking up our game,” he said.
After being tied at 18-18 after the first quarter, Freeman outscored Sterling 42-25 over the final three quarters. Sterling was cold both from the free throw line and beyond the arc, where the Jets made only one of 13 three-point shots.
“It just got ugly,” Motz said.
Ryan Busboom and Kyle Schlake both scored 16 points, while Elliott Mencl had 11 for Freeman.
“Elliott Mencl did a great job getting other people involved, especially against the press,” McLaughlin said. He added that Schlake provided a solid presence on defense, while Busboom was very productive on both ends of the court.
Zach Lempka also had 16, followed by D.J. Thiel with 13 for Sterling.
Sterling will take on Parkview Christian in Class D2-1 subdistrict action at Tecumseh-Johnson County Central at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday.