VOLGA – Sioux Valley took control with a big second quarter during an 88-54 defeat of Baltic in a home-opening Big East Conference boys’ basketball game Thursday night.
“It was a good bounce back game for us,” said Cossack coach Bill Vincent. “And when you’re just at the beginning of the year with a bunch of new guys, sometimes you wonder.
“Baltic came out with a lot of early energy and we expected that because they played Tuesday night and they’re on Game 3 of their season, so they’re maybe a little more game ready. But once we settled in, I thought we got the game at our pace and started to take away some layups they were getting early.”
Leading by two points after a quarter, the Cossacks outscored the Bulldogs 30-12 in the second to move ahead 50-30 at halftime.
“I think taking away easy baskets from them; they beat us in transition a little bit,” Vincent said of what changed in the second stanza. “We buckled down and took that away, and then we just had to continue to push the ball and space the floor – we said that good things would happen if we could create that scenario.
“I guess in a lot of ways, that was just Cossack Basketball, kind of how we’ve played and that showed up as the game wore on.”
Sioux Valley was on top 75-47 through three.
Ryan Schuster and Noah Puetz just missed double-doubles.
Schuster dropped in a game-high 20 points and Puetz added 19 as both players grabbed nine rebounds.
Max Nielson contributed 16 points, seven steals and six assists.
Kelton Vincent scored 11 points off the bench.
The Cossacks forced 24 turnovers – 19 of which came on steals. They shot 45.3 percent (34-of-75) from the field, including 11-of-31 from 3-point range.
Brodee Teveldal, who corralled 10 rebounds, and Zach Polzin both had 12 points for the Bulldogs, who dropped to 1-2 (1-2 BEC). Sam Mutson added 10 markers.
Sioux Valley (1-1, 1-1) plays host to Parker in the tail end of a doubleheader Monday at 8 p.m.
SIOUX VALLEY 88, BALTIC 54
Baltic (1-2, 1-2 BEC)
Brodee Teveldal 5-8 0-0 12, Zach Polzin 4-11 3-5 12, Sam Sitting 3-6 1-2 7, Sam Mutson 4-8 2-3 10 Zachary Hazel 3-6 0-2 6, Caleb Schneider 0-3 0-0 0, Alex Haagenson 0-1 0-0 0, Elliot Haux 1-2 3-4 5, Zach Hefty 0-1 0-0 0, Brady Hookie 0-2 0-0 0, Austin Joppe 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Clark 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 9-16 54.
Sioux Valley (1-1, 1-1 BEC)
Noah Puetz 9-13 0-0 19, Trent Hiltunen 2-8 0-0 19, Trent Hiltunen 2-8 0-0 6, Tyge Schiller 1-2 0-0 3, Max Nielson 7-17 0-0 16, Ryan Schutster 5-11 8-10 20, Parker Puetz 3-6 0-0 8, Lane VanderWal 1-3 0-1 2, Kelton Vincent 5-8 0-1 11, Jaxton Schiller 1-2 0-0 2, Oliver Vincent 0-4 1-2 1, Logan Steffensen 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-75 9-14 88.
Baltic 18 12 17 7 – 54
Sioux Valley 20 30 25 13 – 88
3-point goals – B 3-12 (Teveldal 2-2, Polzin 1-3, Sittin 0-2, Hookie 0-2, Schneider 0-3), SV 11-31 (Schuster 2-4, P. Puetz 2-4, Hiltunen 2-5, T. Schiller 1-2, K. Vincent 1-2, N. Puetz 1-3, J. Schiller 0-1, O. Vincent 0-1). Rebounds – B 36 (Teveldal 10), SV 37 (N. Puetz, Schuster 9). Assists – B 8 (Sittin 3), SV 18 (Nielson 6). Steals – B 6 (Teveldal, Polzin, Mutson, Hazel, Haagenson, Haux 1), SV 19 (Nielson 7). Blocks – B 0, SV 1 (Schuster 1). Turnovers – B 24, SV 8. Total fouls – B 12, SV 12. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
