Tigers stop North Central Thunder

Ipswich hosted the North Central basketball teams for a girls/boys Lake Region Conference clash on Tuesday, Dec.17 and the Tiger boys came away with a 62-36 varsity win.

The host school jumped out to a 21-6 opening-quarter lead. (The game had been initially tied at 2-2 with the NC's Bryce Beitelspacher's lane drive in response to an IHS game-opening layup from Maxwell Geditz.) The game was also tied at 4-apiece, as Ipswich's Will Kadlec got into the scoring act, countered by a Kaden Hix basket. And the Thunder would shortly gain what would prove to be their lone lead of the night at 6-4, thanks to an Alec Maier basket. But the Tigers would out-score their visitors 17-0 the rest of the quarter, capped by a Jordan Richardt trey.

Despite another Thunder basket from Maier to open the second quarter, Ipswich would lead 41-14 at the half which was concluded by Ethan Gilbert's buzzer-beating layup for the Tigers.

But the Thunder compiled a 15-10 scoring edge in the third quarter to trim their deficit to 51-29 at the third break, despite a second-half opening basket by Geditz. But Ipswich out-scored the Thunder 11-7 down the stretch for the final margin.

Ipswich received 36 combined points from the Kadlec brothers, as Will Kadlec finished with 23 points and Ty Kadlec netted 13 points including a trio of treys. Josh McQuarie added six points to the Tiger cause, as did Richardt with a pair of three-balls. Geditz finished with those four points and Tucker Green also tallied four points in a relief role. Gilbert, Eric Severson and Matt Jaenisch each tallied two points.

The North Central Thunder were led by Beitelspacher with 13 points, that featured a trey. From there, though, scoring tapered off to six points by Hix and four each from Maier, Chris Marshalek and Austin Faw. Colton Mohr had the remaining NC trey for his three points. JT Brockel and Ian Beyers rounded out the scoring ledger with a free throw apiece.

The Thunder finished with 12 two-point floor shots and those two treys plus a 6-11 free throw night. Ipswich responded with 23 two-pointers and those five treys, but was only 1-3 at the charity stripe.

Ipswich edged NC 37-32 in rebounding. McQuaire and Ty Kadlec each totaled five rebounds for the Tigers. Meanwhile, Beitelspacher nearly achieved a double-double, while obtaining nine rebounds for the Thunder. Marshalek added five retrieves.

Ipswich had a well-played floor game, sustaining only eight turnovers, compared to NC's 24.