by Jack McLoone

Thursday night’s Western Cloverbelt Conference loss against Cadott is one the Stanley-Boyd boys basketball team would certainly like back.

The Orioles controlled much of the game before letting the Hornets take control halfway through the second half, S-B had to play catchup and ended up just on the short side of a 53-51 game after a last-second shot to tie it didn’t fall.

The loss dropped the Orioles to 3-11 overall, 2-7 in league play. It was Cadott’s first conference win.

It’s a big week for the Orioles, as they play at conference-leading Altoona Friday night. Saturday, they’re on the big stage: They face Bloomer at 2:15 p.m. at the Target Center. Head into Minneapolis and support your Orioles. Your ticket will also get you in to that evening’s Timberwolves game.

Cadott drew first blood against the Orioles, but Jake Schneider gave the Orioles an 11-10 lead with an inside jumper. Lucas Smith’s 13-foot jumper gave the Orioles a 13-10 lead.

Schneider worked hard on the glass in the first half, and Carsen Hause found him underneath for another bucket to give the Orioles a 15-10 edge.

Hause was fouled after a steal, and refs had to warn the Cadott player for being overly aggressive. Hause connected on two free throws, and the Orioles led 17-10. They led at the half 19-12 after Smith stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup.

The Orioles looked to be in control in the second half, extending the lead to 21-12 at the 16-minute mark. By the halfway mark, though, the Hornets had chipped away and took their first lead since early in the game, 32-30.

They extended their lead quickly and were up by 10, leading 44-34 with six minutes to go.

Bo Chwala had a couple nice assists to Spencer Booth inside and the Oriole big man connected to get S-B back within six.

A steal by Brady Ingersoll, a Booth block and a Smith jumper got the Orioles within 47-42 at the four-minute mark.

Ingersoll kept the game close himself with some excellent defense and driving. He brought the Oriole crowd back into the game with a steal and full-court drive to bring the Orioles within three points late in the game.

Cadott burned clock, and the Orioles were forced to foul, but S-B was right in the game. Brady Potaczek’s jumper from 12 feet tied the game 51-51.

Mason Poehls, who did damage against the Orioles all night, hit two free throws with 20.7 seconds left to provide the margin of victory. Poehls led all scorers on the night with 18 points.

Lucas Smith led the Orioles with 14 points. Brady Potaczek and Brady Ingersoll were close behind with 11 and 10, respectively. Spencer Booth and Jacob Schneider both chipped in five as well.

“We made a nice run in the second half but we dug ourselves too big a hole,” Coach Tom Hause said. “Up until the last three minutes when we started to do a better job on Poehls, basically he shot or assisted every possession they scored in the second half. We’ve got to force somebody else to make those plays,” Hause stated. “Cadott is a very good young team.”

The previous Tuesday, the Orioles traveled to Somerset. The Spartans boast an 11-4 record and sit at third place in the Middle Border Conference standings behind New Richmond and Prescott.

“They were long, strong kids and they pressed us. We got them to shut off their press in the first half because they had so many fouls,” Hause said about the Spartans. “Second half, they came back with it and we struggled. We didn’t match their physicalness.”

Stanley-Boyd trailed just 34-31 going into the half. Lucas Smith led the Orioles with 10 points and Carsen Hause scored eight in the first half.

The second half was a different story. Somerset went on to win, 73-53.

Hause led the Orioles in scoring with 13 and Smith finished with 12. Jacob Schneider scored another ten for Stanley-Boyd.

Saturday, February 8th, the Orioles will get the opportunity to play against the 7-7 Bloomer Blackhawks at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Tipping off at 2:15 p.m., the Orioles will play two entire games inside of a 24-hour period.

“They’ve got a nice team. They’re strong, physical kids,” Hause said about the opponent.

Following the Oriole matchup, fans that attend will have the opportunity to stay and watch the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the top teams in the league. To purchase a ticket, visit www.timberwolves.com/groupoffers and enter the promotional code “orioles”. During the high school game, fans will not be required to sit in the seat they purchase for the Timberwolves game, as a special area near the court will be reserved for fans. The Timberwolves do not use hard copy tickets, so fans will be asked to create an account or download an app to get into the game. The sections/tickets that have been reserved for Oriole fans are section 216 upper level for $25 and section 116 lower level for $95.

That game will be the end to a very busy week for the Orioles. Following the printing of this publication, the Orioles hosted the Thorp Cardinals. Friday night, the Orioles travel to Altoona. The Cardinals are 6-3 in conference and the Railroaders lead the conference at 9-0.

Photos by Joseph Back.