Late surge lifts Panthers over Trojans

All season, Creston boys basketball coach Bryce Schafer has tried to develop consistent scoring threats to take some of the defensive attention away from junior guard Rhett Driskell, the team’s leader at 17.2 points per game.

On Monday, Driskell was again the leader with 16 points, but he had plenty of help in the team’s first home victory of the season, 63-58 over Atlantic.

Senior Cael Barton scored all 12 of his points in the first half. Senior Jaxson Jondle made two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, both times breaking a tie. Jondle finished with 11 points, CT Stalker and Tanner Ray each added eight, and Nathan Carroll chipped in six.

Down the stretch, Driskell, Carroll and Ray made crucial free throws as the Trojans fouled to gain possession in trying to come back. It all fell together for a winning formula.

“That’s the kind of distribution that we have to have,” Schafer said. “And, Baret (Lane) should have had four. That short one late was in and out. Rhett is finding people. Cael was confident in the first half, and Jondle was playing well tonight. Nathan was more under control and got some outlets to people. Even when Tanner isn’t shooting it well, he’ll be on the ground and fight. He does things to help us win. There were a lot of good things tonight.”

Creston’s switch from being a primarily man-to-man defensive team to one that now relies heavily on an active 3-2 zone concept, with some extended pressure looks mixed in, has triggered opportunities on the other end.

“The guys facilitated each other a lot better and got easy baskets,” Schafer said. “Defensively we picked up the pace a little bit and got some turnovers. I think that opened up Rhett a little bit. We were able to push the ball and he was able to facilitate.”

The game was tied 58-58 when a costly technical foul was called on the Atlantic bench, even though coach Dalton Franken, former Trojan standout player, said he and his staff said nothing to the officials. The official on the far side of the gym made the call, and Driskell converted one of two free throws in that opportunity.

On the possession associated with that technical, Jondle rebounded a miss from the field and was fouled trying for the putback. He made one of two for a 60-58 edge.

Lane rebounded an Atlantic miss and Carroll was fouled while advancing the ball with 23 seconds left. Carroll’s first make was nullified for a lane violation, but he converted the second to make it 61-58.

After another Atlantic miss and Panther defensive rebound, Ray was fouled. He made both free throws with 9.9 seconds left for the final 63-58 spread.

“Don’t get me wrong, there were some iffy calls that went our way,” Schafer said. “I think he picked up the bench tech because of parents behind him. I get that they were upset when we weren’t picking up the same number of fouls, but we were also playing that 3-2 zone, which generally doesn’t fouls as much. We’re getting better with it each game.”

Atlantic fell to 4-11 overall and a tie with Creston in the Hawkeye Ten Conference at 2-5. Creston improved to 2-11 overall going into Tuesday’s trip to Glenwood.

Tuesday’s game

Glenwood defeated the Creston boys Tuesday night, 65-51. It was much more competitive than the Rams’ 67-29 rout in Creston on Dec. 19. The game was tied 30-30 late in the second quarter before Glenwood took a 33-30 lead into halftime.

A 16-6 third quarter pushed the Rams into a double-digit lead at 49-36. Creston cut the lead to five before the Rams broke away again for the 14-point win. Kaden Crouch led the Rams with 18 points. Rhett Driskell tallied 17 for the Panthers, now 2-12 overall and 2-6 in the Hawkeye Ten. Cael Barton added 11 points and Nathan Carroll scored eight, including a pair of 3-pointers.

“We’re making great strides,” Schafer said. “We just got a little loose with the ball in the third quarter.”

Glenwood improved to 10-4 overall and 8-2 in league play. Creston hosts Harlan (4-9 overall, 1-6 conference) on Friday. Creston’s girls, coming off a 44-41 loss at Glenwood, host Harlan in the 6 p.m. game Friday.

ATLANTIC (58) — Totals (FG FT PTS) — 22 7-8 58. Gavin McLaren 9 1-1 20, Sawyer Tarrell 4 2-2 13, Hudson McLaren 2 0-0 5, Kale Jensen 2 2-3 6, Shelton Mualia 2 1-1 5, Gage Gross 0 1-2 1. 3-point goals — 5-22 (Tarrell 3, H. McLaren 1, G. McLaren 1). FG shooting — 22-52 (42.3 percent). Rebounds — 36 (G. McLaren 13, Jensen 7). Assists — 13 (Tarrell 3, B. McLaren 3, G. McLaren 3). Steals — 2 (Tarrell 1, G. McLaren 1). Turnovers — 21. Team fouls — 20. Fouled out — H. McLaren, Tarrell.

CRESTON (63) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 24 10-16 63. Rhett Driskell 5 6-8 16, Cael Barton 5 0-0 12, Jaxson Jondle 4 1-2 11, CT Stalker 4 0-2 8, Tanner Ray 3 2-2 8, Nathan Carroll 2 1-2 6, Baret Lane 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 5-23 (Barton 2, Jondle 2, Carroll 1). FG shooting — 24-55 (43.6 percent). Rebounds — 25 (Ray 6, Barton 6, Driskell 5). Assists — 13 (Carroll 6, Driskell 4). Steals — 9 (Driskell 4, Barton 3). Blocked shots — 2 (Ray 1, Stalker 1). Turnovers — 13. Team fouls — 13. Fouled out — None.