boys’ basketball: RISE UP

By BRANDON HURLEY

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

Struggling to penetrate a concrete Nevada defense and clinging to a one-point lead, Greene County’s dynamic backcourt shared a moment of clarity. 

With the Heart of Iowa Conference’s leading rebounder on the bench in foul trouble and a 10-point quarter in the rear-view mirror, juniors Trey Hinote and Lance Hughes nodded toward one another, initiating a game-defining run.

The six-foot-one-inch Hughes (10 points) sparked the fourth quarter takeover with a slicing, fast break layup and used his length for a lob pass and bucket to Carter Morton, while Hinote put the proverbial nail in the coffin with a pair of his trademark, silky smooth three-point jumpers. 

Just like that, the Rams built a seven point lead while the bench and hometown crowd was sent into a frenzy. 

The early fourth quarter run – 24 points across the eight minute period – allowed Greene County (8-4, 7-2) to snatch a season sweep of the visiting Cubs with a 63-55 victory Tuesday, Jan. 16. 

The second half offensive explosion – executed primarily without the help of Wade Adcock (14.7ppg, 10.7rpg) – was a matter of the backcourt putting the game on their shoulders. 

“When Wade went to the bench, Lance and I looked at each other and kinda nodded, saying we (have to) make something happen,” Hinote said, who finished with a game-high 25 points and five three pointers. 

It wasn’t the offense that allowed the Rams to secure their second straight victory, no, it was a switch defensively that made the difference. With Adcock picking up his fourth foul with 5:30 left in the third quarter and Nevada now having a size advantage, Greene County head coach Chris Nelson knew a pivotal point had arrived. 

The Rams failed to score and couldn’t keep the Cubs out of the paint, surrendering several key offensive rebounds. 

Nelson launched his team into a defensive ploy set to harass Nevada in the final period. 

“We switched to a zone and our kids really executed and battled,” Nelson said. “We were out-sized but we got a couple kids in foul trouble and off the floor. We are tough to guard offensively.” 

The lightning-quick and athletic combination of Hinote, Hughes, Morton and Ben Bravard sparked the onslaught with their swarming defense. Hinote and company embraced the switch and it paid dividends, ten-fold. They rose to the occasion. 

“We went to our crazy 2-3 zone, which won us that ball game,” Hinote said. “We made a statement, they were bigger than us but none of us backed down.”

Bravard scored three key buckets in the fourth quarter, helping fill the gab left by Adcock. He secured a couple pivotal steals as well. Nelson took notice. 

“Ben played really, really well. He’s been doing that all year,” Nelson said. “He’s not necessarily a scorer but he finds his spots. We got him the ball and he finished. That brought us a lot of energy and I think helped us win.” 

Hinote credited his hot shooting night to the hours of work he’s put in ouside of official team practices. He was finding the bottom of the net with relative ease Tuesday, scoring 15 of the Rams first 23 points, including a string of seven straight in the second quarter. 

The game plan was simple, create a shot he knew he couldn’t miss, that and trust his teammates.  

“I kind of got it rolling and it started with the a simple pull-up jumper that I’ve worked on every day, all weekend,” the HOIC’s leading three-point shooter said. “I went into this game thinking ‘use the pull up, use it.’ All credit to my teammates because I let it come to me and they found me in rhythm and passed up good looks for better ones.”

The Nevada win was significant, as the Cubs came into Jefferson last winter and left unscathed, derailing the Rams’ title hopes with a 66-60 victory. 

It may still be somewhat of a pipe dream, but Greene County is holding serve in league play this year with an outside chance for a conference title.  

The Rams are now 7-2 in Heart of Iowa Conference play, a game and a half back of PCM and two-and-a-half back of sixth-ranked and undefeated South Hamilton. 

Greene County has one crack left at each, as long as they remain on track. With the Mustangs and Hawks squaring off again – S. Hamilton won the first battle by two – looming Jan. 26, the Rams very much so are still in the hunt, despite losses to both. 

Entering Tuesday’s contest, Adcock was leading the HOIC in rebounding at 10.7 rebounds per game, which was the third best average in the state. He has tallied seven double-doubles and is averaging 14.7 points per game, shooting nearly 60 percent. 

South Hardin’s Kevin Rewoldt leads 2A at 13.4 rebounds per game. 

Hinote is now tied for the HOIC lead with 29 made threes along with Saydel’s Zach Bobenhouse, while the junior is fourth in the conference in scoring at 16.6 points per game. 

Beginning with Friday’s road contest at Gilbert, the Rams embark on a journey of four games in  five days, all four of which are on the road. They’ll visit Webster City the following day (Jan. 20) then make a stop in Winterset for a make up game Monday, Jan. 22 before concluding the grueling stretch Tuesday for an HOIC matchup with Roland-Story. This particular slate could provide a strong barometer for where the Rams are going, but certainly isn’t something new. 

“We’ve been there before, we’ve done the four games in five days,” Nelson said. “We’ll have to make sure to review everything and they’ll be amped up, ready to play.” 

Sixth-ranked Nevada keeps win streak intact

The Greene County girls had no answer for Nevada’s shooting prowess despite their star player out for the entire second half Tuesday. The sixth-ranked Cubs inched closer to securing a 50-game conference win streak with a 50-29 win over the Rams. 

Nevada last loss in HOIC play to Saydel back on Jan. 23, 2015 a nearly three-year span. 

The three-time defending conference champ held Greene County (5-9) to a mere eight first half points as the Rams only attempted 25 shots throughout the 32-minute game. 

The 13-1 Cubs pulled out the victory with little help from 3A’s  top-rebounder and second-leading scorer –Illinois State commitment Lexy Kouldelka – who sat out the entire second half with an injury. Kouldelka entered the contest averaging 22.4 points per game and a staggering 13.9 rebounds per game, coming off one of the best performances in recent history, scoring 44 points while securing a spectacular 25 rebounds - including 11 offensive - in a 30-point win Jan. 13.

Greene County connected on just nine shots and scored four points in each of the first and second quarters, falling behind by 14 at the break. 

Nevada came out firing in the third quarter, taking a 36-14 lead into the final period. 

Laurin Lyons led Greene County in scoring with 11 points, nailing five free throws as the only Ram in double figures. The senior leads the team in scoring (11.9ppg) and rebounding (6.9rpg). 

Greene hits the road four times in the next week, with HOIC tilts at Gilbert and No. 8 Roland Story Friday and Tuesday, with a non-conference matchup in Winterset sandwiched in between on Monday (Jan. 22). They wrap things up with a road game at 10th-ranked North Polk Friday, Jan. 26.