Fall to Colby 63-68 in final seconds upset

The Oriole boys varsity basketball team faced off against the Altoona Railroaders at Altoona on Tuesday January 12, coming away victorious with a score of 57 – 53. Three days later, the tables would turn as the Orioles faced off against the Colby Hornets at Stanley-Boyd high, getting stung with a defeat by just five points–in the last few minutes, mind you. Fighting long and hard to the finish, Stanley-Boyd dominated the first half against Colby, with Stnaley-Boyd’s number 34 Spencer Booth getting the first two points of teh half, while a two-pointer by Colby in the final second of first period made the score 35 – 27. Back to Altoona though.

“At Altoona, our pressure on their guards by Mikey (Karlen) and Cooper (Nichols) was very effective,” boys varsity coach Tom Hause said of the Oriole win. “They made it hard for Altoona to get into a good offensive rhythym.” In addition, for the win over the Railroaders, Hause said that “we hit a couple timely 3 pointers down the strecth to seal the victory.” So if that’s the case, what went wrong with Colby on Friday, or how to correct things?

“At home versus Colby, we put the Hornets on the line too many times,” Hause shared of what he felt had happened. “They scored 21 points at the free throw line.” Regarding the second half, Coach Hause said proximity to the basket was an issue, of sorts.

“In the second half we did not get enough touches in teh paint,” he ssiad, referring to the rectangular area surrounding the basket. “We have our best possessions when the ball touches the paint,” he said. Without enough paint contact, there were quick shots without good rebounding position. Still, Hause was hopeful for the period going forward. “We don’t need to make any major changes going forward,” he said, “just do a better job of the things we are doing.” Speaking of which, there was the first basket symmetry, if overcome in the last minutes by fierce competition and some free throws. What was that symmetry. After the whistle on Colby and a turnover to Stanley- Boyd, it was Lucas Smith, passing in to Carsen Hause, who passed the ball back to Smith; who passed it to Spencer Booth; who gave it to Cooper Nichols, with Nichols passing it back to Booth and around the Hornet’s defenses for a two-point basket in the rim. Teamwork gets it done, or so it would seem. The Oriole boys face off next against Thorp next at Stanley- Boyd.

FIGHT TO THE FINISH: Above, Carsen Hause makes a jump shot as a Colby player attempts to guard and Brady Potaczek is seen in the background for Stanley-Boyd. Photo by Avery Vait.