The West Central Trojan girls and boys basketball teams hosted the Vermillion Tanagers on Tuesday, January 25th.  Both the Trojan teams beat very good Vermillion teams.  The girls won 63-49, while the boys came from behind to win 62-58.

West Central 63, Vermillion 49 – Girls

The West Central Trojans used a fast start to get the win against the Tanagers.  The Trojans jumped out to a 12-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The lead grew to 20 points, 23-3, with 5:15 to play in the second quarter.  Vermillion rallied and cut the lead to 27-15 with 1:08 to go in the half.  West Central ended the quarter on a 5-0 run for a 32-15 halftime lead.

The Tanagers tried to cut into the lead throughout the second half, but every time they made a run, West Central had an answer.  The Trojans still led by 16 points, 45-29, heading into the fourth quarter.  Vermillion started the fourth by scoring the first three points.  They then got the lead down to single digits, 52-44, with 2:25 to go in the game.  West Central, however, shut down the rally and ended the game on an 11-5 run.

Rylee Haldeman had 28 points.  Grace Harden finishe with 15 points.  Addy Kramer added nine points, and Tabor Teel had five points.

West Central 62, Vermillion 58 – Boys

The Trojans went on a late rally in the fourth quarter to earn the victory over the Tanagers.  Most of the game was back-and-forth between the two teams.  Vermillion had a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 17-14.  West Central did take the lead in the second quarter, but the Tanagers still held the advantage at halftime, 35-33.

The Tanagers scored the first five points of the second half for a 40-33 lead with 6:30 to play in the third quarter.  West Central cut into the lead throughout the quarter, but Vermillion still held a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 49-46.  The Tanagers led 56-51 with 2:30 to go, and that’s when the Trojans made their move.  West Central went on a 6-0 run with the Grafton Stroup hitting a three pointer with :36 left in the game.  The Trojans were able to make their free throws in the closing seconds to get the win.

Dillon Jackson led West Central with 24 points.  Stroup ended with 13 points.  Jacob Krempges had eight points.  Carter Schmeichel finished with seven points, and Braden Dierickx had six points.

The West Central Trojan girls and boys basketball teams hosted the Lennox Orioles in a doubleheader on Thursday, January 20th.  Both teams were victorious on the night.  The girls won 51-15.  The boys team beat Lennox 66-49.

West Central 51, Lennox 15 – Girls

Joe Caffrey won his 300th game as a head coach after the Trojans defeated Lennox 51-15.  It took a quarter for the West Central Trojan offense to get going, but had no troubles when they did.  The Trojans led only 7-3 after the first quarter, but the offense found their groove and extended the lead to 24-6 by halftime.  The defense also played strong all night and held the Orioles to just nine second half points in the win.

The Trojans finished at 43% (21-49) shooting in the game, 32% (7-22) from three-point area, and 2-5 from the free-throw line.  The Trojan defense forced 19 turnovers, 12 of those on steals.  Lennox shot just 18% (6-33) in the game, 0-12 on three pointers, and 3-9 from the free-throw line.

Tabor Teel had 13 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.  Josslin Jarding had 10 points, two rebounds, two steals, and two assists.  Addy Kramer had six points and six rebounds.  Grace Harden also had six points.  Rylee Haldeman and Tessa VanOverbeke both had four points each.

West Central 66, Lennox 49 – Boys

After trailing 8-2 with 6:15 to play in the opening quarter, the Trojans locked down the Orioles the remainder of the first half and built a large lead.  The Trojans responded to that early 8-2 deficit with a 17-4 run to end the first quarter to lead 19-12.  West Central then held Lennox to just two made free throws with :23 to go in the second quarter while building a 31-14 halftime lead.  Lennox kept pace in the third quarter as West Central led 47-33 after the third quarter.  The Trojans opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 for a game-high 24-point lead, 57-33, with 6:18 to play in the game.

West Central shot the ball well finishing at 54% (27-50) in the game, 31% (5-16) from three-point area, and 64% (7-11) from the free-throw line.  Lennox cooled off after their fast start and finished 33% (13-39) from the field, 37% (10-27) from three-point area, and 81% (13-16) from the free-throw line.

Grafton Stroup had 18 points and five rebounds to lead the Trojans.  Dillon Jackson had 12 points, three rebounds, and three steals.  Jack Linneman had nine points.  Braden Dierickx finished with seven points, and Jacob Krempges had six points and three assists.

The West Central Trojan girls and boys basketball teams had a doubleheader at Dakota Valley on Tuesday, January 11th.  The girls team won 64-53, but the boys team fell to to the Panthers 73-60.

West Central 64, Dakota Valley 53 – Girls

The Trojans turned a one-point advantage at the end of the third quarter to an 11-point win with a big surge in the fourth quarter.  West Central led 17-14 at the end of the first quarter.  They continued to hold a three-point lead at halftime, 25-22.  The Panthers pulled within a point at 40-39 heading into the fourth quarter.  West Central went on a 9-1 run for a 49-40 with 6:15 to play.  They continued to hold that lead  and pushed it to 60-50 with 1:35 to go.

Three players finished in double figures.  Rylee Haldeman had 16 points, three assists, and two steals.  Tabor Teel finished with 15 points, two rebounds, and two steals.  Cambell Fischer added 14 points, six rebounds, and two assists.  Addy Kramer had eight points, 17 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

West Central (8-0) will host Crofton, NE on Thursday, January 13th.

Dakota Valley 73, West Central 60 – Boys

The West Central boys got down in the first quarter and couldn’t overcome that deficit.  The Panthers led 18-10 at the end of the first quarter and then pushed the lead to 33-21 by halftime.  The Trojans had the lead down to five points, 39-34, but the Panthers hit back-to-back three pointers to end the third quarter and lead 45-34.  The offenses really picked up in the fourth quarter as the two teams combined for 54 points, but Dakota Valley was able to maintain their lead throughout the quarter.

The Trojans shot 43% (23-54) from the field, 34% (10-29) from three-point area, and 4-6 from the free-throw line.  Dakota Valley was 42% (20-48) in the game, 50% (11-22) on three pointers, and 65% (22-34) from the free-throw line.

Mubarak Ibrahim had 14 points and six rebounds.  Jack Linneman finished with 11 points.  Jacob Krempges added 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists.  Dillon Jackson had seven points, three assists, and two steals.

West Central (4-3) will host Baltic on Monday, January 17th.

TrojansThe West Central Trojan girls and boys basketball teams played a doubleheader at Winner on Friday, December 17th.  The girls got a 10-point victory over the Winner Warriors 58-48, but the West Central boys lost 67-55

West Central 58, Winner 48 – Girls

The Trojans had a nine-point run to end the first half, which propelled them into the second half in the win.  West Central led 12-7 after the first quarter.  The Warriors responded with a 7-0 run to start the second quarter to take a 14-12 lead.  Winner pushed that lead to 23-16, but the Trojans ended the quarter on a 9-0 run of their own for a 25-23 halftime lead.

That run gave West Central the momentum in the second half.  The Trojans extended their lead to 43-34 heading into the final quarter, and then they outscored Winner 15-14 in the final quarter for the win.

The Trojans finished the game shooting 38% (18-47) from the field, just 16% (4-25) from three-point area, but 64% (18-28) from the free-throw line.  Winner was 32% (18-56) shooting on the night, 28% (7-25) from three-point area, but just 45% (5-11) from the free-throw line.

Rylee Haldeman had 19 points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals to lead the Trojans.  Addy Kramer had 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal.  Tabor Teel ended with eight points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots.

Winner 67, West Central 55 – Boys

The Warriors seemed as if they couldn’t miss in the middle two quarters of the game, which proved to be enough for the win.  West Central held an 11-9 lead after the first quarter, but Winner missed a total of only four shots the entire second quarter.  The Warriors outscored West Central 27-14 for a 36-25 halftime lead.

The hot shooting continued into the third quarter.  Winner only missed six shots in the third quarter and led by as many as 17 points, 50-33, with 1:30 to play in the third quarter.  The third quarter ended with Winner leading 53-38.

West Central made a bid for a comeback in the fourth quarter.  The Trojans got within six points a couple of times, first at 54-48 and then again at 59-53.  The boys scored the next basket to pull within four points 59-55, but Winner got a timely three-pointer with 2:00 to go in the game to push the lead to 62-55.  The Warriors made enough free throws the remainder of the game to secure the win.

The Trojans finished the game shooting 42% (22-52) from the field, just 26% (5-19) from three-point area, and 60% (6-10) from the free-throw line.  Winner was 49% (23-47) from the field, 47% (9-19) from three-point area, and 52% (12-23) from the free-throw line.  Winner also out-rebounded West Central 32-22 in the game.

Grafton Stroup had 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals.  Jacob Krempges added 12 points, three steals, and two assists.  Braden Herr had 11 points and five rebounds.  Braden Dierickx had eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.

The West Central Trojan girls and boys basketball teams won a doubleheader against the Mt Vernon/Plankinton Titans at home on Tuesday, December 14th.  The girls team won 51-42, and the boys team won 72-58.

West Central 51, Mt Vernon/Plankinton 42 – Girls

The Trojan girls built a 35-16 lead late in the third quarter only to see the Titans nearly make a complete comeback.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton held a 6-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Trojan defense locked down the Titans in the second quarter.  West Central outscored the Titans 18-4 in the second quarter for a 23-10 halftime lead.

That lead grew to 35-16 with 2:06 to play in the third quarter.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton then ended the third quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 35-26.  The Titans then scored the first three points of the fourth quarter, and the Trojan lead was only 35-29 with 6:40 to go in the game.  The offense found their groove at that point and scored 16 points the rest of the game to hang on for a 51-42 win.

West Central shot 31% (16-51) from the field and 33% (9-27) from three-point area.  The Trojans were also 63% (10-16) from the free throw line.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton finished the game shooting 39% (16-41) from the field, 29% (5-17) from three-point area, and 45% (5-11) from three free-throw line.

Rylee Haldeman had 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.  Tabor Teel added 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists.  Addy Kramer finished with nine points and four rebounds.  Josslin Jarding had seven points and six rebounds, and Cambell Fischer had five points and six rebounds.

The Trojans (2-0) will play in Winner on Friday, December 17th.

West Central 72, Mt Vernon-Plankinton 58 – Boys

The Trojans and Titans had a very physical boys game, but the Trojans were able to pull away in the second half.  West Central led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter, however, the Titans had the lead at halftime.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton took advantage of 16 trips to the free-throw line in the second quarter to take a 30-28 lead at the half.

West Central’s defense stepped up the intensity in the third quarter.  The Trojans forced 12 turnovers alone in the third quarter as West Central regained the lead.  The Trojans led 49-43 heading into the final quarter.  West Central continued to slowly pull away in the fourth quarter for the 72-58 win.

The Trojans shot 38% (22-58) from the field, 50% (13-26) from three-point area, and 79% (15-19) from the free-throw line.  The Titans were 51% (19-37) from the field, but 36% (5-14) from three-point area and 60% (15-25) from the free-throw line.  The Titans also turned the ball over 25 times in the game.

Grafton Stroup had 26 points and four rebounds.  Dillon Jackson finished with 13 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and three steals.  Jacob Krempges added 10 points, three rebounds, and three steals.

West Central (2-0) will travel to Winner on Friday, December 17th.