Scoring was hard to come by Feb. 1 at Beckman, but the Solon boys’ basketball team outlasted the Blazers for a 39-31 victory and then closed out the week with a win over Maquoketa.
“We got two good wins last week,” coach Jared Galpin said. “The Beckman game was a defensive battle as expected. Our previous three games the past two years were very similar. We are two teams that pride ourselves on playing good defense.
Neither team could get anything going and found the net just once in a 2-2 first-quarter score.
The second opened up some, especially for the Spartans. They pushed through six baskets, from six different players and ended with three straight three balls for a 17-12 halftime advantage. Those came from Gehrig Turner, Carson Miller and Jake Benzing.
Jacob Quillin began the third with double free throws and a basket for a 21-12 lead, but that quarter ended much like the first. Only a Kinnick Pusteoska basket in the final seconds added to those four and it was 23-16 to enter the fourth.
The free throw line became the Spartans’ territory in the fourth. They attempted 24 shots, making half, to keep the game out of reach for the Blazers, even though they cut the margin to five points with just over a minute to go with two Logan Goedken makes at the stripe. The Spartans went 7-of-12 at the line in that last minute to hold off any more Blazer comebacks.
“The game started slow, but we got a lift, off of the bench from Carson Miller. He made two three-pointers in the second quarter to help us extend the lead,” Galpin said. We were able to extend the lead in the third quarter and hung on at the end by making enough free throws. I was extremely proud of how well we guarded.”
Solon’s leaders against Beckman were: points — Quillin nine, Miller seven, Jacob Timmons and Pusteoska six, Benzing and Turner four, Sean Stahle two and Oaken Foster one; rebounds — Timmons, Pusteoska and Benzing six, Miller four, Mullen, Turner and Qullin two; assists — Pusteoska three, Timmons and Stahle two and Quillin one; steals — Turner two, Timmons, Pusteoksa and Mullen one; blocks — Pusteoska one.
Solon returned home Feb. 4 and earned a 53-44 win Maquoketa.
“It was great to get the win over Maquoketa after losing to them earlier in January,” Galpin said. “Again, we played great defense. The guys played our 1-3-1 zone well and made it difficult for Maquoketa to get good looks.”
The Cardinals got out to an 11-9 first-quarter lead, but the Spartans won the second quarter, 14-9, to take a 23-20 lead into halftime. Solon added on in the third and held a 40-32 lead with eight minutes left. The Spartans had a one-point edge in the fourth quarter, 13-12, to seal the win.
“Jacob Timmons had a career-high with 14 points, all in the second half,” Galpin said. “We got great scoring off the bench. Oaken Foster and Cayden Knipper scored eight, Brady Mullen scored six. I was proud of the effort.
“There is no gym better than our gym, especially on a Friday night. The fans and student section were great and brought great energy,” he added.
The Spartans’ leaders were: scoring — Timmons 14, Cayden Knipper and Foster eight, Mullen six, Quillin five, Turner and Pusteoska three, Benzing, Stahle and Grant Gerdin two; rebounds — Pusteoska 10, Mullen five, Timmons and Knipper four, Miller and Foster three, Quillin, Benzing and Turner one; assists — Quillin, Pusteoska, Benzing, Mullen and Miller two and Stahle one; steals — Quillin five, Timmons, Benzing and Stahle two, Pusteoska, Mullen, Miller and Turner one.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Jeff Hess

Brady Mullen pops up for a shot against Maquoketa.