The Ipswich Tiger boys' basketball team salvaged a girls/boys doubleheader split vs. North Central in their LRC league twin-bill on December 14 in Ipswich. The varsity boys indeed raced to a 56-24 victory over their Thunder counterparts, after the North Central varsity girls had up-ended Ipswich 35-30 earlier in the evening.

The IHS boys scored 26 unanswered points starting with a Trevor Beyers three-ball before the Thunder could even get on the scoreboard and Ipswich's initial double-figure lead was 10-0 during that run, thanks to a Ty Kadlec layup.

Ipswich would finish the opening quarter with a 18-0 lead, concluding that stanza with another Kadlec steal breakaway and their 26th point would then prove to be an and-one free throw opportunity from Carter Geditz, completing an old fashioned three-point play.

Ipswich would comfortably lead 37-12 at intermission and then owned a 46-22 third-quarter lead with the visitors actually out-scoring Ipswich 10-9 during that stanza.

Ipswich would land nine players in its scorebook, led by a trio of game-high 10 point scorers, Trevor Beyers, Ian Beyers and Kadlec. (The Beyers brothers each included a pair of treys and Kadlec added four of his team's 17 assists.)

Next were Taylor Thorson with eight points and Carson Gohl with seven points, followed by Zach Geditz with four points, Carter Geditz with those three points and Luke Peterson and Chet Peterson with two points apiece.

Meanwhile the Thunder were led by Colo Bukaske with nine points and Bryce Beitelspacher with five points. Four other players would score.

Ipswich shot a warm 24-51 from the floor and featured those four treys along with a 4-13 free throw effort. The Thunder were 8 of 12 in their own floor-shot attempts, which would include two treys. They were 6-8 at the free throw line.

Ipswich obtained 30 rebounds with a balanced effort paced by Taylor Thorson with six retrieves. The Thunder countered with 29 rebounds, led by Bryce Beitelspacher and Dawson Walz with five rebounds each. Ipswich sustained 15 turnovers; the Thunder, 28, partially thanks to 18 Tiger steals, led by Ian Beyers with six thefts.

The Tiger boys improved to 1-1 at that point in time.

Now for the girls! Free throws often make a huge difference in close games, especially late in the game and this would prove to be true in this instance. Ipswich had gotten a late rebound basket by Quincy Olivier to draw to within two points, 32-30. But Brittney Frickson countered with two accurate free throws and was again fouled. This time she converted the first of her two attempts for that two-possession five-point lead with the game clock rapidly ticking away.

This contest would feature some mini runs by both teams. The Thunder had led 11-9 after a quarter and 20-16 at halftime. They would then narrowly nurse a 26-24 third-quarter lead the rest of the way.

Tena Gibson

Quincy Olivier in basketball action last week in Ipswich.

Ipswich shot 14-17 from the floor with all of them from within the three-point arc and only managed two free throws in 10 trips to the line. North Central would include three treys among its 12 accurate floor shots and more importantly were 8-19 in free throw tries, four of which occurred in that decisive final quarter.

The rebounding war was dominated by Ipswich 50-38, helped by Olivier's 13. But the Tigers committed 26 costly turnovers; the Thunder, 17. Ipswich had nine steals, led by Olivier and Reaghan Bowers with three each.

That left Ipswich at 1-2 at that juncture of their girls' schedule.