The Annawan Braves won a 52-50 nailbiter Saturday against Wethersfield to claim the title of the Wally Keller Invitational. Annawan emerged with the tourney’s best record of 4-1.
Bureau Valley, Wethersfield and Stark County were all 3-2 in tourney play. The Storm won second place via tiebreaker (fewest defensive points allowed against the other teams with 3-2 records).
BV allowed the fewest (87), Wethersfield was 102 and Stark County was 105.
Wethersfield’s Landon Sauer was named Tournament MVP
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Gabe Sims, Brady Heitzler, Brody Childs – Annawan
Orlando Harris – Putnam County
Corban Chhim and Landon Hulsing – Bureau Valley
Luke Rewerts – Stark County
Bo Windish – Elmwood
Colin Hornback – Wethersfield
Annawan vs Wethersfield
Annawan outscored Wethersfield in the first three quarters of play Saturday in the finale of the Wally Keller Invitational and hung on to win 52-50.
Brody Childs scored eight points in the first quarter in helping the Braves take a 15-8 early lead. Tommy Covington and Maddux Heitzler combined for eight points in the second quarter to extend Annawan’s lead to 29-19 at the half.
Landon Sauer had a steady effort in keeping the Geese within reach of Annawan. Sauer scored 13 points in the first three quarters of play. By the end of the third, the Braves had built a 42-31 lead.
Wethersfield used a 19-10 fourth quarter effort in an attempt to overcome the Braves, but the effort came up just short by two points. Sauer scored nine points and Kellan Keane made two treys in the final push for the Geese.
Sauer led all scorers with 22 points. Colin Hornback added nine for the Geese. Annawan had three players in double figures. Childs scored 14, and Covington and Brady Heitzler each had 10 in the win.
Stark County over Putnam County 50-43
The score was tied at 21 at the half, but Stark County used a 15-11 third quarter and a 14-11 fourth quarter to outlast Putnam County, 50-43.
Stark County made three 3-pointers en route to scoring 12 in the first quarter and Putnam County struggled to put points on the board, totaling just seven.
Luke Rewerts scored 17 second-half points and made nine of 12 free throws to lead Stark County with 22 points. Matthew Bowser and Ross Saner added 11 and 10.
Orlando Harris had seven first-half points and nine second-half points to lead Putnam County with 16. Owen Saepharn scored nine of his 15 points in the second half in support.
Bureau Valley beats Elmwood 45-41
Bureau Valley led 17-11 after the first quarter and outscored Elmwood 13-7 in the second frame to take a 30-18 lead at halftime.
Elmwood had a big third quarter, scoring 14 points and holding BV to just three points to come to within one point of the Storm, 33-32.
Bureau Valley scored just enough in the fourth (12-9) to hang on for the 45-41 win.
BV’s Landon Hulsing had game scoring honors with 18 points and Landen Birdsley contributed 12. Leading Elmwood were Jackson Magee with 11 and Bo Windish added 11.
FRIDAY RECAP
Wethersfield defeats Elmwood 72-64
In a game that was fairly close throughout, Wethersfield outscored Elmwood in three out of four quarters. The Geese held a 39-32 halftime lead and had a 10-point cushion (56-46) after three quarters.
Elmwood outscored Wethersfield 18-16 in the fourth quarter, but the Geese thwarted the come from behind effort for a 72-64 win.
Four WHS players scored in double digits in the win. Zeb Rashid led all scorers with 20, Sauer scored 18, while Colin Hornback and Dillon Horrie each had 11.
Elmwood also had four players in double figures. Magee had 17, Durst tallied 12 and Windish and Sirus Nims had 11 apiece.
Stark County slips by Bureau Valley 49-45
Bureau Valley held a slim 24-23 halftime lead, but the Rebels outscored the Storm 27-21 in the second half to seal the 49-45 win.
Will Rumbold led Stark County with 16 points. Saner had 10, Bowser had nine and Rewets added eight.
Corban Chhim led BV with 14 and Bryce Helms chipped in with 11.
Annawan edges out Putnam County 43-39
Annawan rode the strength of first and fourth bookended quarters to take down Putnam County. The Braves outscored PC 16-9 in the first frame and 15-6 in the fourth for the win.
Sims led Annawan with a dozen points and Childs made 8 of 10 at the free throw line en route to scoring 10 for the Braves.
Harris had game scoring honors with 19 and Saepharn added 11 in vain for Putnam County.
