LA CROSSE — The Aquinas High School boys basketball team was trying to get the bad taste of its first loss on Friday.
The Blugolds had an unbeaten season stopped three night earlier in Onalaska, and a game against Fall Creek during their own Midwest Players Classic at the La Crosse Center was the perfect place to get back on track.
The Crickets provided resistance in the first half, but a great start to the second half paved the way for a 60-47 Aquinas victory.
“It means a lot to come our here and play on a court like this against a team like that,” Aquinas senior Brayden Young said. “We want to play at the Kohl Center later this year, so this was a good experience for us.”
Young scored a game-high 15 points as the Blugolds (12-1) beat a program that has averaged 18 wins over the past five seasons. Fall Creek had a 27-24 halftime lead before Aquinas started to find its way.
The Blugolds forced turnovers and converted on the opportunities that followed for a 14-2 run early in the second half that put them in front for good.
Young started the run with a layin, and junior Logan Becker followed with another. Young then hit a 3-pointer, and sophomore Calvin Bahr knocked down two free throws after being fouled.
Suddenly, a 30-27 deficit was a 36-30 lead.
The Crickets (5-6) finally hit a jump shot , but senior Trey Bahr drilled a 3-pointer turned another turnover into a layup to make it 41-32 with 11 minutes, 55 seconds left. Fall Creek was able to get within seven once the rest of the game.
“Our focus was to get our fast and get into transition,” Young said. “They went into a zone, and we didn’t want to force any shots, so we concentrated on good shots, cutting to the rim and open 3s.”
The turnovers early in the second half opened things up, and that allowed them to put a 68-64 Tuesday loss to the Hilltoppers behind them.
“That was a tough game,” Young said. “Hopefully, we can get them next time.”
Trey Bahr added 13 points and Becker 10 for Aquinas, which hosts Sparta (9-6, 1-2) on Tuesday and plays at Tomah (5-6, 0-3) on Friday. The Blugolds have beaten the Spartans seven straight times.
