BUFFALO – Improvement from their previous outing was evident in the performance of the Altoona-Midway Middle School boys’ basketball team here Monday afternoon, but the Jets were left still seeking that elusive first victory of the season.
The St. Paul Indians posted a 36-20 victory in the Mineral Belt League contest played at Milo Peterson Gymnasium, leaving Altoona-Midway with an 0-6 overall record. “We played much better tonight than our last game (a 49-12 loss to Thayer last Thursday), said AMMS head coach David Batzer. “We had a good effort for all four quarters, especially defensively. Our help
defense was sometimes too good at helping in the paint as we struggled to close out on three-pointers, and St. Paul was on fire from behind the arc tonight.”
St. Paul connected on six treys during the contest, with three different players hitting two each.
Meanwhile, Altoona-Midway’s Chance Carter controlled the inside on both ends of the court, finishing with a double-double. Carter led all scorers with 14 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and recorded three blocks. “Chance Carter was on the verge of being dominant tonight,” Batzer proclaimed. “He was unstoppable when he got the ball down low. If we had done a better job of getting him the ball, we would have had a chance to be in it at the end. On the defensive side, he really made it tough for St. Paul to score in the paint.
“Chance Mustain and Zach Good were also disruptive on defense, and Eliot Ard was great on-ball and seemed to be involved every time there was a rebound opportunity,” the coach added.
St. Paul led 13-4 at the quarter and 23-10 at halftime. The Indians increased their advantage to 33-12 entering the final stanza and went on to post the 36-20 win. In addition to Carter’s 14 points, the Jets got four points from Good and two from Mustain.
“We still have too many turnovers,” Batzer noted. “That hurt us in the first quarter when we had a chance to keep it close. We also continue to miss too many layups and point-blank shots, but the execution in getting open looks is getting better.
“I’d like to give a big shout-out to our crowd and cheerleaders,” he added. “They were fantastic tonight and we could absolutely feel the energy in the building!”
Next up for the Jets is a road to trip to Parsons on Thursday, when they will square off against Meadow View Middle School.