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(Joe Zumbrun goes up for two during the game against Woodlan. Zumbrun has a key role on defense this year for the Eagles.) photo by hiatt

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by Don Hiatt

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The Churubusco boy’s basketball team returned from Christmas break in fine fashion as they downed Woodlan 71-49 on Wednesday night. But the tables turned on Friday as the Eagles lost to a sharp shooting Fremont squad 76-44. Against Woodlan the Eagles took the lead on the opening tip as Josh LeFever grabbed the pass from Dylan Jones and hit the lay-up. After a Woodlan free- throw Tyler Arrowsmith and LeFever each made baskets to put the Eagles up 6-1. Chris Jones would get fouled driving to the basket and make both free throws making it 8-3. Woodlan made a three-pointer but Busco would go on a 6-0 run after the shot. The Warriors stopped the run with another three and LeFever would make a two to end the first quarter 16-9 Busco. “Woodlan is very athletic and I thought we did a nice job in the first quarter defensively and offensively getting a seven point lead,” said Coach Michael McBride.

Woodlan started the second quarter with a bucket but Busco’s Austin Goepfrich would hit a three starting a 7-0 run for the Eagles. Woodlan added two more points before the Eagles would go on another 7-0 run. The teams would exchange baskets making it 37-22 Churubusco to end the half. 

“Second quarter we did a nice job extending the lead and going up 15,” explained Coach McBride. “We have to do a better job in that situation. Whether it is the starters or the guys coming off the bench. I thought we did a good job extending the lead back up.”

Busco would start the third quarter with the Jones’ with two points from Dylan Jones and an assist by Chris Jones. Then the Eagles scored on a basket by Arrowsmith with the assist by Goepfrich. Chris Jones drained a three off the pass from Arrowsmith giving the Eagles a 46-28 lead. Arrowsmith would get a lay-up to start a 6-0 run. The teams traded buckets to close out the quarter with the Eagles leading 58-36. 

Woodlan started the fourth quarter strong with a 6-0 run until LeFever made a lay-up and drew a foul and connected with the free throw. Busco would get two more points from Goepfrich before Woodlan would make one from the line. Busco would then get two more baskets from Goepfrich and Arrowsmith to close out the scoring for the Eagles. three to end the game, 71-49 Churubusco. 

“Overall I thought it was a pretty good game,” stated Coach McBride. “Offensively we were really good. Defensively I thought we weren’t too bad. They average right around 60 points per game and we kept them to 49. So I’m pretty pleased with that.”

The Eagles continued their road schedule as they traveled to Fremont Saturday night to face the Fremont Eagles. LeFever started the game with a lay- up off the tip. Fremont came out on fire as they hit two three-pointers to begin their scoring for the night. They never looked back going on a 10-0 run until Arrowsmith made a lay-up. Fremont would hit a three and Busco answered with two points on the free-throw line from Chris Jones. Fremont would drain more three’s and go on an 8-0 run until the Eagles got two points from LeFever making it 21-8 Fremont at the end of the first quarter. 

“First quarter we didn’t handle their run well,” said Coach McBride. “We talked about it before the game in the locker room that they have the potential to come out and hit a lot of three’s early and it would be important for us to attack their zone inside but we had some opportunities when we did get the ball in the middle of their zone and we did not convert.”

Fremont started the second quarter on a 7-0 run until Arrowsmith made two off a pass from Goepfrich and LeFever went 1-2 from the line. Fremont would score six more before the Eagles got a basket from LeFever and Arrowsmith ending the half 34-15 Fremont. 

“Even down 19 at half, we talked about cutting that down to half and only being down 9 or 10 going into the fourth quarter and we are back in it but Fremont came out and hit the three’s again,” said Coach McBride.

Fremont hit three threes and Busco answered back with three two’s to start the third quarter. The Eagles got four more points from Dylan Jones and Arrowsmith and then Fremont would put the game away with a 9-0 run. After the Eagles went 2-4 from the line Fremont hit another three and went 1-2 from the line themselves to end the third quarter 56-29 Fremont. 

“They had some kids that can shoot. We had them scouted pretty well we thought but they made about everything they threw up tonight,” stated Coach McBride. “It was just a night were they made 13 three’s. You have to give them credit and we didn’t handle that well at all and we didn’t shoot the ball well at all.”

Fremont started the fourth quarter with two three-pointers before LeFever made a basket for the Eagles. Fremont would get a two point basket. Corey Sarrazin would get a bucket for Churubusco and Blake Gross hit 2-2 from the line. Fremont would answer with a basket of their own and Beau Barkley scored two points before Fremont would make another three-pointer and go on a 6-0 run. The game would end on the free-throw line as Fremont came out on top 76-44.

The Eagles will be playing in the NECC tourney this week.