BARRETT — The West Central Area boys basketball team scored on all three of its opening possessions in its game against Brandon-Evansville (10-6) on Monday, Jan. 29. And after establishing the early 8-0 lead, the Knights never looked back and coasted to a 76-39 victory to improve to 14-3 on the season after winning its fourth straight game.
“We have high expectations, and our guys have high goals, so we try to create that consistency to go out and play as hard as we can for 36 minutes every game,” WCA head coach Kraig Hunter said about his team’s strong start to Monday’s game.
“It’s all about preparation,” WCA senior guard Bryce Kjesbo said. “Our coaches put in a lot of work to make a game plan for us, and that plan changes every game. So, we come prepared, but also, we’re just ready to play because it’s so fun to be out there together as a team. These guys are my best friends and have been my whole life, and it’s just so fun to be out there with them.”
WCA’s preparation and excitement were evident early in the contest as junior forward Ben Bye scored two easy buckets inside – one with an extra free throw added on – and senior guard Mitchell Dewey nabbed a steal and buried a quick transition three-pointer to set the tone for the game.
“The Knights gamble a lot and run hard all over the court,” B-E head coach Trent Hintermeister said. “They make you play out of control, and we played right into their hands early on.”
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The Chargers trailed by double digits (22-10) at the midway point of the first half but were able to settle in and make a run to cut the lead to nine (26-17) a couple of minutes later. But the Knights responded with a 9-0 run over the next two minutes (35-17) and went into the half up 41-23.
WCA continued to be aggressive in the second half and had a 62-34 lead at the 9-minute mark as it rolled to a 37-point win.
“Our defensive intensity, our movement on offense, and the amount of scoring weapons we have [are our biggest strengths as a team,” WCA’s Kjesbo said. “And the guys we have coming off the bench make a huge difference by stepping into their roles. Ben [Bye’s] rebounding also carries our team.”
Bye and Kjesbo both led WCA in scoring on the night with 18 points and 16 points, respectively. Senior guard Camden Anderson added 11 points to give the Knights three scorers in double figures. Bye also had a game-high 13 rebounds to earn a double-double, and Anderson led the team with six assists.
On the Chargers’ side, Micah Fuller led the team with 17 points and also notched a double-double with 11 rebounds.
Monday’s big loss to WCA, who is ranked No. 4 in the Class A Minnesota Basketball News poll, comes on the heels of an 81-59 loss to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on Friday, Jan. 26 – two losses that feel out of place for a 10-win B-E squad.
“We lost to two really good teams,” B-E’s Hintermeister said. “But a couple of losses don’t mean we’re not headed in the right direction. I love our team leadership and the way that we do things. You can still be successful without the win if you keep getting better. We’re still a good team, and there are more games to come.”
The Chargers have the opportunity to rebound quickly as they host Browerville-Eagle Valley (8-6) at 7 p.m. on Jan. 30.
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The Knights will return to action at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 when they host Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (11-5) in a conference clash. WCA notched a 65-64 road victory over MA-C-A in early December.