LA CROSSE — It can be difficult for Logan Becker to get in an offensive rhythm, which is hard to believe about a player who has scored more than 1,300 points during his Aquinas High School career.
Becker has been a threat from long distance since joining the team, but his value for coach Brad Reinhart has increased every season. His ability to defend is as important as the points he scores, and Becker had to zero in on an exceptional assignment on Friday.
Eau Claire Regis was in town with senior Blake Ristler, and he was Becker’s responsibility during their game at the Midwest Players Classic.
Wherever Ristler ran, Becker followed. He fought through screens and any switch made with a teammate was only temporary. He contested shots in the lane and on the perimeter and cut off drives to the baseline.
And Becker’s ability to do so had as much as anything to do with what became a 77-66 victory for the Blugolds (12-1) — ranked fourth in Division 3 by the Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports media poll — during the first day of the Midwest Players Classic at the La Crosse Center.
“He has been there and done that every night for us,” Aquinas coach Brad Reinhart said of Becker. “He has taken the other team’s most potent offensive weapon and owned that matchup and chased for 36 minutes.
“We stress all the time that it’s five-man defense, but you still have to be there athlete for athlete and move for move, and he answers the call every night.”
Rister, who entered the game with a scoring average of 27.4 points per game, did finish with 19. But he didn’t reach double figures until a drive to the hoop cut the Aquinas lead to 61-42 with 8 minutes, 1 seconds remaining.
The Ramblers (9-2) — ranked sixth in Division 4 after beating G-E-T 68-57 in its last game — had a nine-game winning streak come to an end and trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half before mounting a comeback.
Ristler’s basket with 8:01 left started a 10-0 Regis run, and Ramblers turned the Blugolds over on the press a couple of times in cutting that down even more. Ristler nailed a 3 over Becker that got the Ramblers within 65-59 with 3:53 left, but Aquinas was able to finish them off on baskets from Calvin Bahr and Finley Strom before making all six of its free throws in the final 1:27.
Strom finished with 19 points and Bahr 18 as the Blugolds won their ninth game in a row. Becker made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points in addition to the defensive production.
Becker took advantage of the offensive opportunities he was give and didn’t force anything with the way Strom, Bahr and sophomore Will Dickinson were playing. Dickinson, who averages 5.0 points per game, scored 10 in the first half and made consecutive 3-pointers during a key 13-0 run.
Ristler scored eight points in the first half as Aquinas took a 37-26 lead.
“I take pride in my defense,” Becker said. “I think defense creates offense, and if I can shut down their top guy, it gives us a better chance.”
Becker said defense became more of a priority than it was previously last season. The past two years, he said, is where the most work has been put in to be much more than a scorer for the Blugolds, who won the WIAA Division 4 state championship a year ago.
“It’s exhausting,” Becker said of maintaining offensive flow while exerting so much energy on the defensive end. “Especially the first couple games of the season, but then it gets better.”
