MSJHS boys’ basketball continues strong season heading into holidays
By Fred Kroner
The season-long winning streak continues for the Mahomet-Seymour eighth-grade boys’ basketball team, but it ended on Tuesday (Dec. 19) for the seventh-grade squad.
The eighth-graders registered their 18th consecutive win of the season with a 50-26 victory at Bloomington, but the seventh-graders suffered a 57-36 loss.
The eighth-graders were led at Bloomington by Jackson Golden with 17 points. Tristen Adams added 13 points. Camden Beedy hit nine points on the strength of three three-pointers and Luke Buh contributed eight points.
Levi Lunney netted two points and Preston Clark notched a free throw.
The Bulldogs trailed, 10-8, after one quarter, but shot into a 27-13 lead by halftime. M-S gave up five field goals in the first quarter, but just six more baskets thereafter.
Mahomet-Seymour’s eighth-graders won twice at home in a round-robin tournament on Saturday (Dec. 16) to maintain their season-long winning streak. The Bulldogs defeated Taylorville, 43-32, and Teutopolis, 49-44.
Golden led the eighth-grade team in scoring in both games, notching 16 points in each outing. He also made four free throws against Taylorville to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 11.
Against Taylorville, Buh totaled nine points, Clark netted eight points and Konner Fisher added six points. Both Bradley Jones and Colin Hammerschmidt each ended with two points.
The teams were tied, 12-12, after one quarter, but the Bulldogs pulled into a 26-14 lead at halftime.
Against T-Town, following Golden in the scoring column were Beedy (10 points), Clark (six points), Fisher (five points), Buh (four points), Hammerschmidt (four points) and Jones (four points).
M-S expanded a 16-12 first-quarter lead into a 32-23 bulge at halftime.
On Monday (Dec. 18) at home, M-S handed Champaign Franklin a 47-36 loss.
Golden notched a team-high 18 points. Fisher knocked down three three-point shots and scored nine points. Following them were Hammerschmidt (seven points), Adams (six points), Clark (three points), Buh (two points) and Jones (two points).
M-S turned a 20-19 halftime lead into a 33-26 margin after three quarters.
The eighth-graders are 18-0.
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The seventh-graders took their first loss on Tuesday (Dec. 19) at Bloomington, falling behind, 14-4, after one quarter and 28-15 at halftime before dropping a 57-36 decision.
A.J. Fenelus led the Bulldogs with eight points, Scoring seven points apiece were Will Martin and Nathan Stabler. Jaxson Tiefenthaler hit five points and Owen Henry made four points. Jackson Dancer tallied three points and Landon Benner added two points from the free throw line.
In a round-robin tournament at home on Saturday (Dec. 16), the seventh-graders topped Taylorville, 48-19, and Teutopolis, 49-25.
The seventh-graders took control early against Taylorville, zooming into a 21-2 lead after one period and taking a 30-5 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Stabler recorded a game-high 19 points. Fenelus chipped in with 12 points.
Other point-scorers for the Bulldogs were Benner (four points), Evan Franz (three points), Stephane Mwilambwe (three points), Logan Rehberg (three points), Martin (two points) and Tiefenthaler (two points).
Fenelus was the top scorer, with 19 points, against Teutopolis. Stabler totaled 16 points. Following them in the scoring column were Tiefenthaler (seven points), Benner (four points), Martin (two points) and Oliver Graham (one point).
The Bulldogs held a slim 15-14 lead after one quarter, but surged into a 33-14 lead at halftime by keeping T-Town off the scoreboard in the second stanza.
On Monday (Dec. 18), the Bulldogs knocked off visiting Champaign Franklin, 46-13.
Stabler collected a game-high 19 points. Teammates reaching the scoring column were Caleb Knox (six points), Tiefenthaler (six points), Benner (four points), Henry (four points), Rehberg (three points), Fenelus (two points) and Martin (two points).
The Bulldogs expanded a 12-7 first-quarter led into a 27-15 edge at halftime.
M-S returns to action on Thursday (Dec. 21) at home against Champaign Edison. The seventh-grade team has a 17-1 season record.
