Jaguars beat Langford

Kris Menning scored 24 points to lead Corsica/Stickney to a 48-41 win over the Langford Lions in high school boys’ basketball action at the Hanson Classic Saturday at the Corn Palace.

The Jaguars improved to 10-0 and are ranked second in Class B, while eighth-ranked Langford falls to 11-2.

Menning scored eight points in the opening quarter to lead Corsica/Stickney to an 11-10 lead after the first qaurter.

The start of the second quarter saw Lions use a 5-2 run to grab a 15-13 advantage, only to see the Jaguars respond with an 8-0 run. Corsica/Stickney led 21-15 with 1:42 left until intermission.

Langford got a three-point play from Nick Alberts and two free throws from Michael Alberts to pull to within 21-20 with 44 seconds left in the half, but the Jaguars got a basket from Dustin DeWaard just before the buzzer to take a 23-20 lead into halftime.

Michael Alberts hit a 3-point shot to tie the contest at 23 to open the second half, but Corsica/Stickney went on an 11-2 run to take the lead for good at 34-25 halfway thought the third quarter.

Two baskets from Michael Alberts got the Lions to with 34-29, but Menning hit a 3-point shot and was fouled. With the rare four-point play completed, Corsica/Stickney’s lead was back to nine points.

Jaguar co-head coach Mike Tuschen had nothing but praise for Menning.

“Kris is such great player in all aspects, and as you can see, he can shoot from the perimeter and he can also play inside,” he said. “When you have a full package like that, he’s definitely a player who you want to have the ball.”

Langford’s Jordan Deutsch cut the Corsica/Stickney lead to 39-34 with a basket to open the fourth quarter.

But as was the case in the third quarter, the Jaguars responded. Menning hit another 3-point shot from the top of the key, Colin Wieczorek added a basket and Menning hit a bucket to give Corsica/Stickney its biggest lead of the game at 46-34.

The Lions tried to get back into the contest as Matt Erickson hit two free throws and a 3-point shot to get Langford to within seven at 46-39, but the deficit was too great and the Lions would get no closer.

Luke Bamburg scored nine points and had seven rebounds and seven assists for the Jaguars.

Corsica/Stickney was 15-of-29 from the floor and 13-of-20 from the free-throw line.

The Jaguars outrebounded the Lions 27-18 and committed 17 turnovers.

“That is what a good team is supposed to do,” said Tuschen of his team’s win. “If that challenge is there, you have to step up, and I commend the kids for doing that. The momentum can switch and as long as you can keep the momentum your way, it makes things a lot easier.”

Michael Alberts led Langford with 17 points followed by Nick Alberts with 10 points.

The Lions were 14-of-49 for 29 percent from the floor and 10-of 13 percent for 77 percent from the free throw line.

“We got a nice play to start the second half, then they went on a run. Then, it was back and forth, and we crawled to get back to within five and that four-point play broke our backs a little bit,” said Langford coach Paul Raasch. “Even though we didn’t shoot very well tonight, our kids hung in there. (Corsica/Stickney) is an elite team.”

Corsica/Stickney will travel to Tyndall tonight to take on Bon Homme.

Langford 10 20 32 41

C/S 11 23 39 48

Tags: our towns, hanson classic, sports, basketball, corsica, stickney