Balanced scoring guides CMB boys to another win

BAXTER — Collins-Maxwell/Baxter seniors Bryce Kemp and Seth Baalke have been consistent double-digit scorers all season.

But the Raiders have started to find a few other bullets in their arsenal of late.

Five Raiders scored in double-figures and CMB won its second straight game against a team above them in the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference standings Friday.

Leading Nevada by six after one quarter, the Raiders used an 8-0 run to grab a 24-16 halftime lead and then a ran away from the Cubs with a 13-2 spurt in the third quarter during a 69-55 victory in Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play.

CMB (5-7, 4-6) dropped its first five games of the season but has since won five of the past seven to get back into the conference race. The win Friday avenged a season-opening 58-51 loss to the Cubs back on Dec. 2.

“We want to peak at the right time. If this is the start of our peak that will be really good for us,” CMB coach Scott Brummel said. “We just need to play it one game at a time and try to keep picking teams off.”

Nevada made eight 3-pointers in the game and the shots from long range helped the Cubs stay relatively close.

The visitors got within 10 following a 3-pointer from Cole Gidel, but CMB extended the lead at the foul line, making nine freebies in the final 2 minutes.

Kemp had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Baalke chipped in 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.

But it was the contributions from the other guys that catapulted the Raiders to another impressive win.

Brady Stover continued to spark the CMB offense as he scored 17 points for the second straight night, and Patrick Girard recorded his first double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Tommy Galloway also put in 10.

“If we can get someone at 15-plus and contributions from a lot of different spots, then we are hard to guard. You can’t just concentrate on one individual the whole time,” Brummel said.

Gidel led Nevada with 15 points and Joseph Heintz buried three 3-pointers to finish with 12, but dropped to 6-3 in league play following the loss.

The Raiders led 12-6 after one quarter but quickly went up 11 following an 8-0 spurt that featured back-to-back jumpers by Kemp, a jump shut by Galloway and two Baalke free throws.

Gidel and Duncan Westphal knocked down consecutive triples to close Nevada’s gap, but the Raiders still led by eight at the break.

CMB started the third like it began the second, using the big run this time to pull away for good.

Stover started the frame with a steal and a layup and then his trey came between two buckets inside by Girard. Galloway buried another jump and Kemp converted a shot inside the lane after that.

The 13-2 burst pushed the CMB advantage to 37-18 and the lead stayed around 20 following more buckets from Stover and Girard.

“He has stepped up a little bit. His defense to offense has ignited him. That is where he is good,” Brummel said of Stover. “In football, he had a ton of interceptions and that’s kind of what he does in basketball, too. He has a knack for getting after the ball.

“(Patrick) has taken that toughness talk to heart. He has played really tough the last few nights. If we can get double-figures out of him, because of his size and how he plays, that’s a real bonus for us.”

Heintz made sure Nevada wasn’t completely out of the game before the fourth quarter. He drilled two 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes to narrow the visitor’s gap to 14 after three quarters.

The Cubs hit four of their eight 3-pointers in the fourth period and Gidel’s trey with less than 4 minutes to play made it a 10-point game.

Kemp hit a jumper at the other end and the Raiders hit nine free throws in the final 2:12 to close it out.

“I think we were playing as individuals before but have played as a team the last few games,” Kemp said. “It is showing up on the scoreboard what we can do.”

Joey Nissen missed his second straight game Friday because he was attending a kicking camp in Florida. The senior guard is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday when the

Raiders travel to Greene County. Tip off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Nevada 6-10-14-25—55
CMB 12-12-20-25—69

Nevada (FG/3pt): Gidel 6/3-0-5-15, Strottman 2-0-4-4, Westphal 1/1-0-5-3, Heintz 3/3-3-0-12, Hansen 3/1-1-5-8, Chitty 2-2-3-6, Dobernecker 2-0-1-4, Stowe 0-0-4-0. TOTALS: 19/8-6-28-69.

CMB (FG/3pt):Galloway 2/1-5-4-10, Baalke 3-7-3-13, Kemp 6-3-2-15, Stover 7/3-0-1-17, Girard 5-1-2-11, Thomson 2-0-0-4, Gunderson 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 25/4-16-15-69.

Contact Troy Hyde at
641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com