GHV Cardinals pick up two lopsided wins

(Above) GHV freshman James Betz is all business as he slams in two points against Humboldt. Betz can also shoot from outside, as he was 3/4 from the three-point line.  -Reporter photos by Chris Barragy

[caption id="attachment_14629" align="alignleft" width="270"] GHV’s Turner Albertson brings the ball down the court in Monday night’s game against Humboldt. The Cardinals beat the Wildcats, 71-43.[/caption]

The Garner-Hayfield-Ventura boys picked up two more lopsided victories prior to the winter break.

GHV 71, Humboldt 43

Despite a slow start, the GHV boys kicked it up a notch and handed Humboldt (2-5) a huge loss on Tuesday, Dec. 21.

“We got off to a slow start, though we had good looks at the hoop,” said Coach Joe Albertson.

The game started with the Wildcats jumping out to an early 5-7 lead before the Cardinals got rolling.  GHV went on an eight point run to take the lead, 15-5.  Humboldt wasn’t about to give up just yet, as they answered that with seven point run of their own to get to within three-points, 15-12.  That was as close as they got for the remainder of the game.  The Cardinals took a seven-point lead into halftime, 31-24.

“We put it all together in the third quarter and started hitting those open looks, crashing the boards and playing some solid defense,” said Albertson.

GHV opened the second half on fire, collecting 11 answered points to go up, 42-24.  Four of those points came off perfect free-throw shooting by Jonathan O’Connor, who ended the night 9/9 at the line.  The Wildcats didn’t have an answer for the Cardinal’s hot shooting and tough defense as they fell, 71-43.

With four players scoring in double figures, the Wildcats didn’t know who to guard, especially when their post players can also hit the three.  Freshman post player James Betz was 3/4 behind the three-point line on his way to a team high 16-points.  Right behind him was Sam Cataldo and O’Connor with 15-points apiece and Holden Hutcheson added 10-points, while Nick Joynt dumped in seven.

Cataldo had a phenomenal night under the boards, collecting 17 rebounds.  He also had three assists, one steal and three blocked shots.

Other rebounding leaders included Joynt with five and Turner Albertson grabbed four.

O’Connor led the team in assists with five.  Hutcheson had three assists and one steal.

“The guys are doing a good job at finding their teammates in spots they can score,” said Albertson.

GHV 80, Eagle Grove 23

The final game before the holiday break wasn’t much of a contest for the Cardinals.  They handed Eagle Grove (1-5, 2-6) an 80-23 loss.

“We had a big advantage inside and the team used it well,” said Coach Joe Albertson.  “We shot well from the line, the arc, and the paint.”

Behind the hot hand of Holden Hutcheson, who sunk two threes to start the game, the Cards jumped to an early 13-0 lead before the Eagles even got on the board. Eagle Grove got to within 10, 23-13, to end the first quarter.  The second quarter was all GHV, as they went on an unanswered 25-point run, aided by Payton James who had three-threes in a row.  The Cards headed into halftime with a huge 53-18 lead.

The scoring onslaught continued in the second half, as the Cards scored 27 more points, while GHV’s defense held the Eagles to just five second half points.  The Cardinals ended the game with a huge 80-23 victory.

One thing about the Cardinal team is you never know who is going to step up and take the lead.  For this game, Payton James was the top man with 21-points.  He was 6/9 from the behind the three-point line.  Sam Cataldo and Hutcheson also reached double figures with 16 and 13 points respectively.  James Betz added six and Turner Albertson and Jonathan O’Connor had five points apiece.

Cataldo led under the boards with 10 rebounds, while Nick Joynt and Betz each grabbed five.

Harley Forry led the team in assists with seven, while Hutcheson and Joynt had four apiece.

Betz and Logan Dalbeck led the team in steals with three each.

“Having good practices and scrimmages over the break will be important for our success in the second half of the season,” said Albertson.

The Cardinals (6-1, 7-2) travel to Clear Lake for the first game back from break to face the Lions in a junior varsity/varsity double header.  The JV team takes the court at 6:15 p.m.