The Van Buren County boys basketball team bounced back from their season-opening loss to Burlington Notre Dame, edging conference opponent New London 60-56 in a tightly contested home opener on Friday, December 5th.
Game Recap
The Warriors grabbed an early 18-17 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 35-31 by halftime. Van Buren County maintained a slim 48-45 advantage after three quarters before holding on for the four-point victory in the final frame.
The game featured no significant runs by either team, with both squads trading baskets throughout the contest.
Van Buren County Stats
Starters:
Jace Duncan led Van Buren County with 15 points, scoring 14 of those in the second half, while adding two rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Will Cocherell added 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal before fouling out. Cocherell shot 5-of-10 from the field, with all his points coming in the first half. Kinnick Millard scored eight points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds while contributing two assists, two steals, and one block. Lincoln Bainbridge chipped in six points, seven rebounds, and one assist. Landry Loeffler added one point, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Bench:
Brandon Taylor provided a crucial spark with 11 points, three rebounds, a team-high five assists, and one steal while shooting an efficient 4-of-8 from the field. Kayden Simmons contributed six points, two rebounds, and one steal while shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.
As a team, Van Buren County shot 22-of-60 from the field, 11-of-40 from three-point range, and 5-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Warriors totaled 30 rebounds and committed 14 turnovers.
Coach’s Perspective
Van Buren County head coach Nathan Shelman was pleased with his team’s ability to refocus after their opening loss.
“We were able to turn the page here quickly to New London and focus on how to get better and what to do to get better, and that was to minimize the possessions and get turnovers. And obviously not give up 92 points,” Shelman said.
Shelman praised the play of Brandon Taylor, who provided a crucial spark off the bench.
“We have a really solid seven or eight kids on our team that all deserve to start for that starting five. Taylor’s been one that probably deserves it the most, but he’s one that cares more about his team than himself and is willing to come in and give us a spark. That’s exactly what he did—you like to chalk that up as a coach win,” Shelman said. “He went in, did his job, and really excelled. He’s worked really hard and is always in the gym shooting and loves the game of basketball. It’s always great to see a kid excel like that.”
Shelman also highlighted the performance of sophomore Jace Duncan, who delivered down the stretch.
“Jace is only a sophomore, and he’s a name you’re going to hear for the next three years. You heard him a lot on the football field and track—he’s an athlete. He’s going to do well. He’s one of those that feeds off the crowd, and the crowd was tremendous. The whole team fed off of that,” Shelman said.
