IAC BOYS BASKETBALL: WAVERLY DROPS SIXTH STRAIGHT; FALLS 52-42 AT WHITNEY POINT (2019-01-18)

Valley Sports Report
WHITNEY POINT - Waverly got off to a quick start, but Whitney Point roared back to post a 52-42 win here Friday night in IAC Large School boys basketball action.

Senior Dylan Ward scored the first eight points of the game to give the Wolverines an 8-0 lead three minutes into the game, but the Golden Eagles used a 12-0 run, with Jake Kemak and Tanner Kallfelz scoring five points apiece, to take a 12-8 lead after the first eight minutes.

Whitney Point outscored Waverly 15-7 in the second quarter to take a 27-15 halftime lead.

"We came out with some energy, and got off to a good start," said Waverly coach Lou Judson. "Then, Dylan Ward got into a little foul trouble, which we obviously can't have now with the size we have, and the way he's scoring for us.

Whitney Point stretched the lead to as many as 17 points in the second half, but Waverly closed the gap to seven points midway through the fourth quarter, thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by junior Jalen McCarty, and one apiece by sophomore Ryan Lambert and junior Austin Ellers.

"We could never quite get over the hump," noted Judson. "We committed too many turnovers again, and our shooting woes continued."

The Wolverines turned the ball over 24 times, and shot 28 percent (15 of 53) from the field.

Waverly has lost six in a row since the season-ending injury to junior standout Scott Woodring. Despite the losing skein, Judson is pleased with his team progress.

"It's tough because at this level, the measuring stick is wins and losses," he noted. "It's tough for me to send the message to our guys that we're getting better, yet we're still losing.

"That's where we're at right now, we are getting better as a basketball team, but at the end of the day day we're losing by six, eight, 10 points a night.

"Obviously it's frustrating, but from a coaching standpoint these guys are giving everything they've got and I'm pretty proud of them," said Judson.

Ward led Waverly with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while McCarty added nine points on a trio of 3-pointers, three rebounds, and three steals, Lambert chipped in with five points and four rebounds. and sophomore Peyton Bowen had five rebounds and one blocked shot.

Aaron Austenfeld led Whitney Point with 15 points, and Kallfelz added 11 points.

Waverly, now 5-8, returns to action Friday when it hosts Notre Dame.