Wolverines fall just short of upset

GREENFIELD – Nodaway Valley boys basketball battled back from down 13 points in the second quarter to give Class 1A No. 2 Martensdale-St Marys (5-0) a scare Thursday.

The Wolverines (3-3) turned a 26-13 deficit into a 63-54 final behind big offensive runs and the ability to slow down a 46% 3-point shooting Blue Devil team.

“Identify the 3-point shooters. They had three threes in the first half. That was actually my No. 1 key for the game,” Nodaway Valley co-head coach James Larson said. “... The first half we identified the three and got it, but in the second half, they had 21 points off threes. I think that was kind of the big difference.”

Martensdale-St Marys connected with 10 3-pointers on the night, seven coming in the second half.

Trailing by 13 points after a slow start offensively, Avery Phillippi took over the final three minutes of the first half.

He finished his night with 16 points, a team-high, before fouling out.

Scoring on the baseline and finding holes in the Blue Devil’s defense, he scored six of the final eight points – Toby Bower sandwiched a basket between Phillippi’s scores – to go on an 8-0 run to the end first half trailing 26-21.

Bower scored 15 points, going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

“I think the biggest thing was just attacking,” Larson said on what the offensive difference was during the first-half run. “Boston DeVault put his head down and went by his man, then took it to the hoop and found the open man and we finished. I think that’s really what it was. I think that kind of set the tone for the rest of our guys.”

Carrying all the momentum going into the locker room, Mason Menefee drilled a 3-pointer to start the third quarter out hot.

Martensdale-St Marys quickly shut down any energy Nodaway Valley had going. Trey Baker connected on a three from the top of the key, Chase Boelling scored from the baseline and Carson Elbert sunk another 3-pointer from the corner to score eight unanswered points and force a Nodaway Valley timeout.

The Wolverines responded, allowing one score as both teams went on an extended scoring drought in the third quarter.

After a turnover, Martensdale-St Marys JT Archibald was called for a technical foul to swing the momentum, sending Bower to the free-throw line. He connected with both shots.

Nodaway Valley, receiving the ball after the technical, added three more points as Boston DeVault drilled a 3-pointer, making the technical worth five points, to cut the deficit to 40-34.

After a 3-pointer from the Blue Devils and Phillippi scored for the Wolverines, Martensdale-St Marys called a timeout.

“We had some mental errors where we didn’t identify some shooters in the second half,” Larson said. “They had seven threes in the second half, so I feel like that was kind of the difference.”

Out of the break, Nodaway Valley cut the lead down to three points behind four points from Bower and a fast break score from Menefee, sending the game into the fourth quarter as Nodaway Valley trailed 45-42.

Neither side scored until Troy Holt drilled a 3-pointer for Martensdale-St Marys a 5:39 in the final quarter. From there, Nodaway Valley was in the bonus, going 5-for-8 from the throw line.

The Wolverines were able to hang in the game, cutting things to six points as Martensdale-St Marys played keep away late in the fourth quarter until Nodaway Valley was forced to foul, leading to the lead being stretch to the final nine-point differential.

“We have to be encouraged. We didn’t want a moral victory tonight, but it was the (No. 2) team in the state,” Larson said. “There was a point where it was three points. They made a few plays, and we didn’t. It was right there.”

UP NEXT – Nodaway Valley takes a road trip to face Atlantic (1-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Martensdale-St Marys 63, Nodaway Valley 54

MSM (63)—16 10 19 18

NV (54)—11 10 21 12

MARTENSDALE-ST MARYS (63) — (FG FT PTS) Totals — 23 9-13 63. Trey Baker 6 3-4 18, Jack Franey 4 3-5 12, Carson Elbert 4 0-0 10, Hogan Franey 3 0-0 9, JT Archibald 4 0-0 8, Derek Kleve 1 2-2 5, Troy Holt 0 1-2 1. 3-point goals — 10 (Baker 3, Hogan Franey 3, Elbert 2, Jack Franey 1, Keleve 1). Team fouls — 18. Fouled out — Archibald.

NODAWAY VALLEY (54) — (FG FT PTS) Totals — 19 10-16 54. Avery Phillippi 8 0-0 16, Toby Bower 3 8-8 15, Mason Menefee 3 2-4 9, Boston DeVault 1 0-2 6, Matthew Weber 2 0-2 6, Nate Russell 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 6 (DeVault 2, Weber 2, Menefeee 1, Bower 1). Team fouls — 16. Fouled out — Phillippi.