Packer boys top Kasson-Mantorville in quarterfinals
Published 9:08 pm Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Austin’s Tom Aase battles inside to a get a shot up during the first half of their opening-round Section 1AAA playoff game against Kasson-Mantorville Wednesday night in Packer Gym.– Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Packers didn’t have too much trouble getting past No. 8 seeded Kasson-Mantorville in the Section 1AAA boys basketball quarterfinals, but they still weren’t high on the way they played in a 71-35 win in Packer Gym Wednesday.
Austin led 44-17 at the break, but it outscored the KoMets just 27-18 in the second half.
Joe Aase gets two going underneath during the first half of the Packers’ Section 1AAA quarterfinal game against Kasson-Mantorville Wednesday night in Packer Gym.
“I thought in the second half we were stagnant and we just didn’t play very well,” Austin head coach Kris Fadness said. “I didn’t feel like we ran a very good half court offense tonight. I don’t what’s going on with our guys right now, but they’ve got to get over it.”
KM (4-22 overall) was within 24-14 halfway through the first frame, when top-seeded Austin (26-0 overall) rattled off a 14-0 run that was capped by a pair of Gach Gach 3-pointers.
Tom Aase finished with nine points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals, but he also had his shot blocked a couple of times in the paint.
“I don’t think we played up to the level that we wanted to tonight,” Aase said. “There were a lot of mental mistakes. You have to give (Kasson-Mantorville) credit for working really hard and they brought it, but a lot of it was just us not being ready to play.”
Austin’s Ajuda Nywesh fights past the defense of Kasson-Mantorville’s Peter Schwartz in the first half of their Section 1AAA quarterfinal game in Packer Gym Wednesday night in Packer Gym.
The Packers shot just 27 percent on 3-pointers in the win and they hit just one three in the second half.
“I just don’t think we came out as strong as we should’ve. We won, but we could’ve given a better effort at times. Nothing really clicked tonight,” said Austin guard Bret Lukes, who had seven points. “This will motivate us to practice harder the next two days so we can give our best on Saturday.”
Austin guard Zach Wessels had 14 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals and Joe Aase had 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Austin will host the winner of No. 5 Waseca and No. 4 Winona (16-11 overall) Saturday at 7 p.m. in Packer Gym.
Austin beat Winona by scores of 63-38 and 61-53 during the regular season.
“I don’t want to demean Kasson,” Fadness said. “But at the same time, I hope this can be a lesson for Saturday night and I hope we can rebound from this.”
KM 17 18 — 35
Austin 44 27 — 71
Austin scoring: Joe Aase, 14; Zach Wessels, 14; Ajuda Nywesh, 13; Tom Aase, 9; Bret Lukes, 7; Gach Gach, 6; Collin Weisert, 4; Curtis Oberbroeckling, 4; field goals: 45 percent (31-for-69); three-pointers: 27 percent (6-for-22); free throws: 60 percent (3-for-5); turnovers: 7