Titan boys open with three losses
Jarrod Schoenecker photo
Titan Senior Theodore Schatz leap and takes a shot over the Tigers Ethan Martin, making it 17-47 with a little over 15 minutes left in the second half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Belle Plaine. John Titus (right) blocks other opponents. Tri-City United falls after a strong try in the second half Tuesday to Belle Plaine, 51-73. Schatz scored nearly one-third of the points making 15 in the game.
The Tri-City United (TCU) boys basketball team opened their 2024-2025 season with three straight losses.
Belle Plaine downed the Titans, 73-51, Tuesday, Dec. 3. Norwood-Young America (NYA) defeated the Titans, 71-25, Thursday, Dec. 5. Friday, Dec. 6 Waseca came to Montgomery and downed the Titans, 86-16.
In the loss to Belle Plaine, Theodore Schatz scored 19 points, hitting 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Jaylen Nhem added nine points and eight rebounds. Dylan Fink scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.
“We rebounded the ball well, and out-rebounded Belle Plaine, 42-41, in the game, partially because Belle Plaine got more shots up, but also because the Titans had a nose for the ball,” head coach John Rumpza said. “Belle Plaine did not shoot the ball as well as they can, going 36 percent from the field, and 7–of-40 from 3-point land. We turned the ball over more than we wanted to, and Belle Plaine won the battle for transition points.
In the loss to the Raiders, NYA opened up a 30+ point lead at halftime and never looked back. Central played stifling defense and used their size and speed to their advantage Rumpza said.
Nhem was the lone Titan scorer in double figures with 12 points. John Titus added six points and Fink led the team with 12 rebounds.
In the loss to the Bluejays, the Titans faced a team which shot 55 percent from the field and made 10-of-21 from behind the three-point arc.
“The Bluejays run and gun style of play proved to be too fast and up-tempo for the Titans boys. The Bluejays relished in transition points and points off turnovers, and shot the ball well overall,” Rumpza said. “Look for the Bluejays to make noise all year in the Big South Conference and in Section 2AA.”
Senior point guard Eduardo Flores returned and he and Schatz led the team in scoring with four points each. Fink led in rebounding with five and Will Sandbulte added four boards.
TCU, 0-2 in the Big South Conference and 0-3 overall, will host Jackson County Central Friday, Dec. 10, play at Sibley East Tuesday, Dec. 17, and host Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Thursday, Dec. 19.
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