Cardinals sneak past Miners
BY MICHAEL NATHAN
BHG News
"We must wear out Wilton with up-tempo play," Washburn Cardinals boys head coach Derrick Seiler said as he prepared to face district foe Wilton-Wing on Tuesday. The Miners answer was to run and gun right along with them.
The first quarter was exactly as the Cardinals had planned, with them scoring on fast breaks and running high-pressure defense to create turnovers. The Cardinals took a 10-4 lead with 1:22 left in the quarter. That’s when the Miners exploded with a 7-0 run, led by a No. 35 Nick Backman’s great low block play and rebounding, which prompted the Cardinals to take a timeout. The quarter ended with the Miners on top 11-10.
The Cardinals’ No. 35 Zach Schell came alive in the second quarter making some tough shots and offensive rebounds while guarding the shifty No. 32 Brandon Jenkins for the Miners, holding him to only 2 points in the first half. The Cardinals took a 20-17 lead heading into the break.
