LaSalle-Peru edges out Geneseo by two
The Geneseo High School freshman basketball team went 1-3 this past week as they went 1-2 in the Moline Holiday Tournament and then returned to NCIC play, but fell short to LaSalle-Peru.
Geneseo vs. LaSalle-Peru
The freshman Leafs were back in action after the holiday break in conference play Jan. 4 against LaSalle-Peru in Atkinson where the visitors slid past Geneseo, 46-44.
LP led 7-5 at the end of the first quarter, but Geneseo responded in the second quarter to take the 17-13 advantage into the half.
The Cavaliers came out in the third quarter to regain control of the lead as they posted 20 points to Geneseo’s six for the 33-23 lead. The Leafs came back in the fourth, looking to steal the win, but fell short, 46-44. Geneseo scored 21 points in the final minutes, while LP hit 13.
Only five Leafs got in the scoring column Monday night with three of them posting double figures.
Jordan Starkey led the team with 14 points as he knocked down 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and four field goals.
Sean Miller and Ethan Reschke both scored 10 points — Miller with one shot from beyond the arc, two field goals and three free throws and Reschke with four shots from the field and two free throws.
Grant Burress added eight points with two field goals and four free throws and Austin Frank finished with two on a field goal.
Geneseo vs. Orion
In their final game of the tournament, the Leafs captured a 53-50 win over Orion Dec. 29.
Orion took the early lead, 14-10 and maintained its advantage at the half, 27-21. Geneseo fought back in the third quarter to take control of the game, 37-34 and then scored 16 points in the fourth to secure the win.
Three Leafs posted double figures for the squad, Reschke with 13, Starkey, 11, and Frank, 10.
Reschke knocked down five shots from the field and three free throws, followed by Starkey with four field goals and three shots from the foul line and Frank hit four field goals and two free throws.
Daulton Johnson contributed seven points with two field goals and three free throws, while Cam Yeater and Burress each scored four — Yeater with a three pointer and a free throw and Burress, a field goal and two free throws. Miller and Shawn DePauw finished with two points apiece, both with a field goal.
Geneseo vs. UTHS
On Dec. 29, the freshman Leafs came up short against UTHS, 46-43 in the Moline Holiday Tournament.
Geneseo led 13-12 in the first quarter, but UT came back in the second quarter to take the 22-21 lead at the half. The Leafs surged back in the third quarter to retake the lead, 32-30, but again UT came back in the fourth quarter to steal the victory.
Reschke led the team with 12 points on six field goals, while Yeater added nine points with two shots from beyond the arc and three free throws.
Johnson, Starkey and Burress added six points apiece, all with three field goals, followed by Miller and Frank with two points each — Miller on a field goal and Frank, two free throws.
Geneseo vs. Boylan
In their first game of the tournament, the freshman Leafs were defeated by Boylan, 64-37 Dec. 28.
Boylan jumped out to an early lead 17-8 in the first quarter and never looked back. Boylan went up 32-23 at the half before taking the 48-33 lead at the end of the third quarter. Boylan outscored Geneseo 16-4 in the fourth quarter for the win.
Leading the effort for Geneseo were Reschke with 13 points on three field goals and seven shots from the foul line and Burress, 10 points on three field goals and four free throws.
Frank finished the game with six points on two field goals and two free throws, followed by Starkey with three on a field goal and a free throw. Johnson and Miller both scored two points on a field goal, while Dylan Dale hit a free throw for his lone point.
Geneseo will be in action this weekend when the Leafs host Ottawa at 10 a.m. Jan. 9 in Atkinson.
