'Cats down Commodores

MINSTER - Minster coach Mike McClurg's initial remarks after Tuesday's win over Perry weren't positive.

"I didn't like giving up 60 points," he said, shaking his head.

McClurg liked seeing 72 points on the scoreboard, though.

Trent Roetgerman led a trio of Wildcats in double figures with 19 points, leading Minster to a 72-60 victory over an always quick and talented Perry squad at Wildcat Gymnasium.

"I felt like we would be more physical and I thought they would be more quick," McClurg said. "That's really how it played out. I just think the physicality won out at the end of the day."

Jacob Salazar and Justin Nixon each pitched in 16 points for Minster (10-4), which used a 10-2 run to start the second quarter to gain some separation. Roetgerman led that charge.

The teams were tied at 17-apiece after one quarter. Facing an 8-3 deficit 3 1/2 minutes into the game, Minster hit Perry with a 7-0 run. A 3-ball by Brady Hoelscher gave the Wildcats their first lead. But Perry's Brayden Knight made two 3s as part of his nine-point quarter. Five seconds remained in the quarter when Knight made a steal at half-court and banked in a trey to level the score.

Roetgerman scored half of Minster's points during a 10-2 run to start the second frame. The Wildcats upped their lead to 10 at one point. Knight later helped the Commodores get back in it, though, adding eight more points to his total and another 3. A late offensive stickback by Roetgerman made it 36-30 Minster at the break.

"Trent Roetgerman had an unbelievable game," McClurg said. "He had a lot of offensive rebounds. He had five. That was huge for us."

Roetgerman and Nixon helped keep Minster comfortably ahead with four points apiece early in the third quarter. When Perry began what it had hoped would be a comeback and switched to a zone defense, Salazar cashed back-to-back 3s at the other end to stretch Minster's lead to 13. He later added his third trey of the frame, and Alex Albers' 3 just before the buzzer made Minster's margin 58-43. Minster led by double figures throughout the fourth.

"I thought we did a lot of good things offensively," McClurg said. "Our stats had us for 10 turnovers. We knew that if we were able to keep it to 12-and-under that we'd have a shot. I like the way our guys share the basketball. I knew we were going to see a lot of run-and-jump and a lot of 1-2-2. I felt like if we could just get it in the half-court, then we were going to get a lot of layups and we did. I think that was what gave us our offensive prowess."

Roetgerman finished 8-of-10 shooting while also corralling a game-high 12 rebounds. Nixon also had a double-double with 10 boards. Hoelscher added nine points.

Knight led all scorers with 26 points for the Commodores, who had an inspiring performance despite being without leading scorer Chazz Jackson.

McClurg knows it likely won't be the last time the Midwest Athletic Conference will face off with Perry this year.

"There's a lot of parity (in the Division IV Wapakoneta district) right now," McClurg said. "I think Lima Perry could be one of the top seeds. I think there's a lot of teams who could be in line for top seeds. So these next two weeks are important."

Minster visits rival New Bremen on Friday.