WAHOO - Just weeks removed from a 19-point loss to Fremont Bergan, the Wahoo Neumann boys basketball team seemed to have all the right answers in Friday night's rematch.
Seniors Matt Maly and Brandon Mach combined to score 54 points, leading the Cavaliers to a 76-72 win over Bergan in front of a capacity crowd at Neumann.
With an added spring in its step since the first meeting, Neumann matched the high-scoring Knights offensively by cutting its turnovers down from 30 to 12.
“One thing we did better tonight than last time is we attacked the press harder.,” Neumann coach Mike Weiss said. “We didn't get ourselves in difficult spots like we did in the first game. We really executed some good plays.”
Perhaps no one executed better than Maly. The senior guard scored a career-high 32 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field with five 3-pointers.
“We didn't have an answer for Maly. I was very disappointed in our defense tonight,” Bergan coach Chris Paulson said. “They got the hustle points. I thought they outworked us, they got the loose balls and they got offensive rebounds. They did everything they needed to do to beat us tonight.”
Throughout the entire game Maly and Bergan standout Wes Eikmeier matched each other shot-for-shot. Eikmeier scored a game-high 38 points on 15-of-21 shooting. He turned in an 8-for-9 effort from 3-point range.
“It's tough when (Eikmeier's) hitting everything,” Maly said. “I don't know if he missed a 3 tonight or not. But it feels great to respond when he shoots like that.”
With the game tied at seven in the first quarter, Eikmeier scored 11 consecutive points for the Knights - including two threes from well beyond the arc - giving Bergan an 18-11 lead. Maly answered with six of Neumann's next eight points, allowing the Cavaliers to take their first lead of the game at 19-18.
In the second quarter, Bergan guard Jim Wilmes came off the bench to hit four-of-four shots for all 10 of his total points. The sophomore's effort allowed the Knights to take a 39-34 lead into halftime.
With Bergan keying on Maly outside, the Cavaliers' 6-foot-5 center Mach took control inside. He scored six straight points on assists from Alex Kuhlful and Maly to allow Neumann to regain the lead for good at 44-41 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
“Since the last time we played them, we really worked on lobbing the ball to (Mach),” Weiss said. “Tonight we just put it up there and let the kid go up and get it. We did a lot better job of throwing it over the rim.”
Bergan cut the Cavs' lead to 66-63 with 1:50 left in the game, but Neumann made 10 of its final 11 free throws to seal the win.
Bergan, 15-3, returns to action 7:45 tonight at home against Omaha Christian Academy. Neumann, 12-7, hosts Raymond Central on Friday.
Fremont Bergan 22 17 9 24 - 72
Wahoo Neumann 19 15 19 23 - 76
BERGAN (72)
Liekhus 4-8, 0-0, 3, 11; Brown 0-6, 0-0, 3, 0; Wilmes 4-8, 0-1, 2, 10; Morrissey 0-2, 4-5, 3, 4; Swanson 1-3, 3-4, 5, 5; Eikmeier 15-21, 0-0, 2, 38; Melies 1-5, 0-0, 1, 2. Totals - 26-54, 7-10, 20, 72
3-point field goals - Eikmeier 8, Liekhus 3, Wilmes 2.
NEUMANN (76)
Morrissey 1-4, 0-0, 2, 3; Kuhfahl 2-7, 0-0, 3, 5; Dailey 2-7, 2-2, 0, 6; Maly 11-16, 5-6, 2, 32; Proskovec 0-3, 0-0, 1, 0; Bartek 2-3, 4-4, 3, 8; Mach 7-10, 8-13, 3, 22. Totals - 26-48, 19-25, 14, 76.
3-point field goals - Maly 5, Morrissey, Kuhfahl.
Rebounds: FB 26 (Swanson 7), WN 30 (Mach 7). Turnovers: FB 11, WN 12. Steals: FB 5, WN 7.
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