Friday in what is building to be one of the biggest games in the NTC so far this season. It was close early on, but Altamont showed its defensive muscle in the middle quarters. The Indians went on to win in decisive fashion, 61-43 over North Clay.
Both teams were on winning streaks and were back in fourth place at the start of the game, justifying the enthusiasm of the game. Alex Boose started the game with a 3-pointer for North Clay. Altamont would take a 5-3 lead on a three-pointer by Avery Jahraus. Logan Fleener for the Cardinals would trade back-and-forth baskets with the Indians as Fleener scored six in the first quarter. Fleener had a layup at the end of the quarter to cut the lead to three, 16-13 after one.
Mason Robinson would take over in the 2nd for Altamont. Robinson scored eight in the quarter including several big 3-pointers. Jared Hammer would also come up big in several parts of the next few quarters with several key steals. Eric Kollmann was also a beast at the plate with six in the first half, mostly on the offensive line of the guards. Fleener would score six more to try and keep the Cardinals at bay. A late defensive stop for the Indians would push the lead to nine at the break 30-21.
North Clay from the locker started getting some turnovers and the shots just weren’t falling for the Cards. Altamont would take control in the second half. A couple of key moves in the late quarter would come from Hammer and Dillan Elam. After the steal, Hammer would find Kollmann running in transition for a layup to send the crowd into a frenzy. Elam also made a three-pointer at the end of the quarter, as the lead increased to 14 after a three-pointer, 43-29.
In the fourth quarter, Altamont finished things off with a couple more baskets from Kollmann, who finished with 14 points on the night. A 3-pointer by Jahraus with less than two minutes left would be the dagger and Altamont would win 61-43. Altamont’s hitting streak is now in double figures at 10.
Altamont improves to 15-3 overall and 3-0 in the NTC. The win is so important with the seeding meeting for the conference tournament taking place on Saturday morning.
North Clay sees its winning streak snapped at eight. The Cardinals fall to 12-5 and 3-1 in the NTC.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| North Clay | 13 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 43 |
| Altamont | 16 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 61 |
Altamont points
Robinson 19, Jahraus 15, Kollmann 14, Elam 5, Eirhart 4, Hammer 2.
North Clay Points
Fleener 23, Boose 12, Zimdars 4, Smith 4.