Visitors win battle of the Bulldogs

HAMPTON — Keyed by a big fourth quarter from senior Wyatt Wegener, the Algona boys downed Hampton-Dumont/CAL, 56-50, in Friday night’s North Central Conference basketball battle of the Bulldogs.

Algona maintained its hold on second place in the league standings at 9-2 and raised its overall record to 13-3. Hampton-Dumont/CAL slipped to 1-11 in the conference and 3-14 overall.

Wegener finished with 30 points on the night for the winners. Jason Cecil collected 12.

Drew Uhlenhopp, one of several seniors honored prior to the start of the game, led the way for Hampton-Dumont/CAL with 14 points. He shot 6-for-8 from the floor and also tied for the team lead in rebounds with six.

Mario De La Cruz and Jordan Severs were next in line for the hosts with seven points each.

Carson Miller scored via an offensive rebound and also added a pair of free throws to help stake Hampton-Dumont/CAL to a 6-2 edge to begin the game.

Algona went up 7-6 on Wegener’s three-point play midway in the quarter.

Caleb Helmers converted an offensive rebound at the buzzer to give Algona a 12-10 edge entering the second frame.

The largest margin of difference in the second frame was five points. Algona went to the locker room with a 24-21 edge.

Algona ran off seven straight points to start the third frame, capped off by a Wegener hoop to put the lead at double digits at 31-21.

Hampton-Dumont/CAL concluded the period with a 9-2 spurt, capped off by buckets from Wyatt Sutter and Jace Spurgeon to climb to within 33-30 heading into the final quarter.

With Wegener taking over the flow for the Algona offense with 19 points in the final frame, the visitors were able to stay in front.

The visitors led by as many as 12 points, the last time at 56-44.

Malyk Schunk provided some outside firepower for Hampton-Dumont/CAL in the final minute, knocking down a pair of trifectas.

Algona 56, Bulldogs 50

Algona (13-3, 9-2)– Wyatt Wegener 10-17 7-9 30, Caleb Helmers 1-5 1-2 3, Elliot Berkland 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Brown 1-3 0-0 2, Noah Nelson 1-8 1-3 3, Tyler Manske 1-1 0-0 2, Jason Cecil 5-7 2-5 12, James Wartick 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 21-43 11-19 56.

Bulldogs (3-14, 1-11)– Malyk Schunk 2-2 0-0 6, Cade Klein 0-1 0-0 0, Jace Spurgeon 3-8 0-0 6, Logan Colglazier 0-0 0-0 0, Drew Uhlenhopp 6-8 2-3 14, Wyatt Sutter 2-7 0-0 4, Benji Sauke 0-1 0-0 0, Carson Miller 1-5 2-2 4, Mario De La Cruz 3-3 0-0 7, Jordan Severs 2-9 3-4 7, Colin Hill 1-1 0-0 2, John Palacios 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-45 7-9 50.

Algona       12   12     9   23      -   56

H-D             10   11     9   20      -   50

Three-point goals – Alg 3-12 (Wegener 3-7, Helmers 0-1, Nelson 0-4); H-D 3-13 (Schunk 2-2, De La Cruz 1-1, Klein 0-1, Sutter 0-2, Miller 0-2, Severs 0-2, Spurgeon 0-3). Rebounds– Alg 25, 6 off., 19 def. (Wartick 6, Cecil 5, Helmers 4, Nelson 4, Manske 3, Wegener 2, Berkland); H-D 22, 6 off., 16 def. (Uhlenhopp 6, Severs 6, Sutter 4, Hill 3, Spurgeon, Miller, Palacios). Assists– Alg 11 (Nelson 3, Cecil 3, Wartick 2, Wegener, Helmers, Manske); H-D 9 (Spurgeon 2, Sutter 2, De La Cruz 2, Uhlenhopp, Sauke, Miller). Steals– Alg 9 (Cecil 3, Wegener 2, Helmers 2, Brown, Nelson); H-D 10 (De La Cruz 3, Spurgeon 2, Sutter 2, Miller, Severs, Hill). Blocks– Alg 5 (Wartick 2, Wegener, Helmers, Cecil); H-D 3 (Sutter 2, Hill). Total fouls– Alg 9, H-D 19. Fouled out – None.