Osky Loses Heartbreaker to Warriors then Crushed by Pella
Oskaloosa Indians
by Matt Saville
Tuesday’s Senior Night brought out a huge crowd to the Oskaloosa High School gym. It would be the last time that ten Oskaloosa seniors would take to the floor in a home basketball game. Those seniors were: Ryan Rieter, Max Johnson, Tanner Lanphier, Nate Van Veldhuizen, Ki-Jana DeJong, Samuel Ginaven, Jordan Silvers, Harland Almond, Dewayne Lipscomb and Brayton Carter.
Oskaloosa came out with fire in their eyes, as they were set on making it a much better game than the first time they met Norwalk earlier in the season. At that meeting, the Warriors cruised by Oskaloosa.
The one thing the Warriors don’t lack is height, boasting of one of the taller lineups in the state. Norwalk has a line-up of 6’10, 6’8, 6’6 and 6’3, not including what height comes off the bench.
Norwalk quickly looked inside, going up 4-0. Oskaloosa’s Ryan Rieter stepped in and drained a long three, and the Indians trailed 4-3. It looked as though Osky may be in turnover mode, with 4 traveling calls whistled early.
Sophomore Jack Moore went hard to the hole and made a very athletic play for the lay-up. A very physical first half came to an end, with Norwalk leading 9-7.
Norwalk went right back to the inside game, going up 11-7.
Norwalk was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Rieter hit 1 of 2 from the charity stripe. Reiter followed that up with a baseline floater. The momentum was topped off by Moore hitting a jumper from the top of the key. Oskaloosa led 12-11.
Moore was starting to get heated up as he drove for another basket and a 14-12 lead, after a Warrior free-throw. Rieter was bound and determined to go out with a great effort, as he hit another long three and Osky led 18-12. Oskaloosa and Norwalk swapped baskets as Johnson fed junior Wade Votroubek on a sweet pass and the junior converted. Osky led 22-20 at the half.
As the second half began, the Warriors obviously looked to take advantage of their height.
Votroubek rebounded and put the miss back in, tying the score at 24-24.
Freshman Tanner DeKock drew a foul and hit both shots from the free-throw line. Moore hit one of two from his trip to the stripe, to continue to build on the Indian lead.
DeJong put back in a miss and Lanphier draws the foul and makes one of two to end the quarter 34-29, Oskaloosa favor.
The fourth quarter started with Rieter nailing a layup, only to be duplicated by Norwalk.
Votroubek and company had worked and bothered the 6’10 center for most of the game, getting him his 4th foul late in the third quarter, but the young man in the middle showed exactly why he is a top player in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Norwalk kept feeding the ball inside, which helped the Warriors climb back into the game. Norwalk went up 41-39 over Oskaloosa.
From there on Osky was having trouble finding the basket and Norwalk was taking full advantage of their big guys by converting their free-throws.
Rieter hit a layup and Moore nailed a jumper, but despite the great effort and tremendous improvement Osky fell to the Warriors 54-48.
Oskaloosa was led by Rieter with 20 pts., 10 rebs., and 1 blk., Moore had 13 pts. and 4 rebs., and Votroubek had 8 pts., 3 rebs., and 1 blk.
Oskaloosa traveled to league leading and #1 ranked Pella Friday night. They probably wished they would have stayed home. The Little Dutch pounded the Indians 95-25. Oskaloosa has had one thing all year that has just killed them, that being turnovers. Friday night was no different, as they were forced into 30 plus turnovers.
Oskaloosa is now 6-14 on the season as they travel to Chariton Tuesday night for their final regular season game.
