New Ulm opens Kwik Trip Holiday tourney with loss to Maple River
New Ulm set for crosstown battle with MVL on Friday
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MANKATO - New Ulm couldn't keep up with Maple River on Thursday as Maple River came away with a 70-50 victory in a 2024 Kwik Trip Holiday Tournament boys basketball game at Bethany Lutheran College.
"When we let Maple River control the pace and get what they wanted out of their sets, it was really tough for us." New Ulm head coach Matt Dennis said. "Number zero [Wyatt Birr] is a beast in there. They look for him really, really well. He's a strong player and he's tough to stop when they're running at their pace."
Birr led with 23 points.
Mitchell Hopp and Owen Castleman each scored 17 points for New Ulm, while Brady Dennis had 7 points.
The game started evenly, with the score knotted up at 8 early on. However, Maple River went on a 20-5 run to take a 28-14 lead. Maple River continued to maintain a large lead into halftime, where they held a 39-23 advantage.
New Ulm came out of halftime shooting well, with Castleman and Mitchell Hopp both hitting 3-pointers to cut the Maple River lead down to 46-39.
"Second half we changed things," coach Dennis said. "Right out of the gates we started playing faster, making them play a little faster, forced a timeout when we cut it to 7. That's the way we have to play.
"It's tough, because they adjusted, and then the shots stopped falling like they were during that onslaught we put together, but we have to play that way. If the shots don't go in, they don't go in, but we have to keep playing hard and keep playing our way. I think we learned something tonight, and that's the most important thing."
The score stayed within 10 for several possessions, but Maple River pushed the lead back out to double digits, and subs entered the game with two minutes remaining.
New Ulm will now play fellow hometown team Minnesota Valley Lutheran for the first time with Matt Dennis as the head coach on the second day of the tournament at 6:30 p.m. Friday in BLC's Younge Gym.
"What we got to do is look at what they want to do and think about what we want to do," coach Dennis said. "Yeah, our guys will know some of their guys I'm sure, but it's still the game of basketball and you have to think about how we're going to be successful tonight, no matter what it says on their chest.
"We have to keep grinding. It's a three-day tournament, you're going to have some games like this with some inner battles, and we're going to enjoy it. You enjoy those things because it's fun, those are good memories for the boys, and that's what this is all about is playing hard and having fun."