GLENWOOD, Iowa — The Glenwood boys basketball team is undefeated in its new gymnasium.
Sure, its record is only 1-0, but the Rams leaned on a steady defense and timely shooting Tuesday night to defeat Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 45-31.
The Rams christened their new home in style. After senior center Cory Simms scored on a layup 78 seconds into the game, play stopped momentarily for a team photo marking the occasion.
It was the beginning of an enjoyable night for Glenwood — if not very photogenic.
“It's a great start,” Glenwood coach Curt Schulte said. “Our kids had a great offseason and worked extremely hard. They were very excited to play in our new gymnasium, and we had a great crowd for a Tuesday night. The kids are excited, but they know this is just part of a journey.”
The Rams fell behind 10-7 after an opening quarter in which Simms scored six of their seven points. Thomas Jefferson's Austin Hennings and Trevin Taylor each contributed four points in the frame as Glenwood came out playing man-to-man defense.
The Jackets (0-1) weren't so successful against the zone. After Glenwood adjusted, T.J. managed only a single basket in the second quarter, then allowed 15 unanswered points to go into halftime trailing 31-17.
“They took away our penetration and we missed a couple shots, missed two, then three, then four, then 10,” T.J. coach Dave Lutz said. “I thought it really played on our psyche. Hopefully we shoot the ball a little better next time.”
Glenwood junior guard Cole Darrow led all scorers with 15 points, including four 3-pointers. He collected eight of his points during the Rams' decisive second-quarter run.
The Jackets got no closer than 14 the rest of the way. Glenwood repeatedly broke T.J. pressure and held the visitors to 19 second-half points.
Thomas Jefferson (0-1)...............10 2 5 14—31
At Glenwood (1-0)..............7 15 9 14—45
G: Drake Ruth 6, Kyle Wheeler 2, Taylor Kaufman 6, Cole Darrow 15, Dylan Blankenship 5, Cory Simms 10, Josh DeYoung 1.
TJ: Trevin Taylor 9, Matthew Haynie 2, Jordan Sanford 3, Jewel Sanford 3, Austin Hennings 9, Brett Derrig 3, Tim Kazmarek 2.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds