The Madill Wildcat boys basketball team debuted a new offense during its 44-35 victory over Antlers Dec. 2 at the Wildcat Field House.
Madill boys head basketball coach Brett Weiberg said the new offense focuses on spacing. He said players will be given free to make extra passes and find good looks from three-point range and the resulting space should allow players to drive to the basket.
“Overall I feel like we did a good job trying to execute at this time of the year,” he said. “It always helps us to make a few threes. You have to make shots to win.”
The Madill starters were guards Aron Vann, Miguel Duran and Exekial Fuentes and forward Trent Harvey and Wyatt Gray.
Duran led Madill with 13 points. Both Gray and Harvey had eight points each while Vann scored six.
Sophomore guard Destiny Adams provided some punch off the bench with nine points. Gomez added four points while Lambertsen scored three.
Antlers’ Cason Gee scored first for Antlers on a pull up midrandge jumper. Fuentes answered with a three moments later to give Madill a 3-2 lead.
Gee would hit one of the two free throws to tie it at three apiece. Duran followed that with a three of his own to put Madill up 6-3.
Hammons scored on a floated to cut the score to Madill 6, Antlers 5.
Later in the quarter, Gee bounced a shot off the glass to put Antlers up 7-6, which would be the score at the end of the first quarter.
Madill scored 11 in the second quarter while Antlers got nine points. The teams went into halftime with with Madill up 17-16.
Wildcats light it up
Gee scored to start the quarter putting Antlers up 18-17. On Antlers next play, Gee was fouled on his shot and hit one of two free throws to increase his team’s lead to 19-17.
Then, Madill’s Gray found Duran in the left corner for a three. On their next possession, Harvey scored on a contested shot in the post. The pair of scores gave Madill a 22-19 lead.
Antlers’ Conner Hanks hit a pair of free throws to cut Madill’s lead to 22-21.
But the Wildcats did not rest as Vann hit a three from the left side before Duran added a short jumper. The scoring spurt gave Madill a 27-21 advantage.
Gee forced a foul by Harvey to return to the line where he hit one of two shots to make 27-22.
Vann got open on the next play and hit a three close to the left corner to put Madill up 30-22. Madill forward Lolo Ortega kept one possession alive by outworking four Antlers players for a rebound. His efforts paid off as he scored from on a close shot moments later. Ortega’s bucket gave the Wildcats a ten-point lead.
Gray hit a three as the quarter ended to make it Madill 35, Antlers 23.
The Madill defense started the game’s final period strong by forcing two offensive fouls and grabbing a steal during Antlers’ first three offensive possessions. Gee scored on consecutive possessions to cut the Madill lead to 35-27.
Madill moved into the bonus after Antlers accumulated too many fouls.
Another off the ball foul by Antlers sent Gray to the line where he hit both free throws to restore Madill’s ten-point lead.
After an Antlers possession, the Wildcats moved down the court quickly where Duran took the ball to the basket. Although he missed the shot, he was fouled and made one of the two free throws to put Madill up 38-27.
On the next Antlers possession, Gee hit a pair of free throws. But Madill struck back quickly on a Harvey layup to make the score 40-29.
After an Antlers score, Madill forced another foul and received two more free throws. Duran converted both shots to make it Madill 42, Antlers 31.
The basket made the score Madill 42, Antlers 33. After being fouled, Harvey made a pair of free throws to increase Madill’s lead to 11 points.