COLONY — Ryan Golden was instrumental in the Crest High boys basketball team throttling Altoona-Midway at home on Friday night, 72-36. The Crest High girls were on the winning end of a 72-12 blowout victory over Altoona-Midway.
The Lancers got behind Golden’s 23-point performance, including hitting 11 shots from two-point range, in his team’s 36-point victory over Altoona-Midway. The Lady Lancers were led by Kayla Hermreck and McKenna Hammond netting 19 and 12 points, respectively.
Boys Basketball
Crest jumped on top early when they outscored Altoona-Midway in the opening quarter, 28-13. The Lancers out-shot the Jets from both three-point range, 50% to 22%, as well as from inside the arc, 56% to 39%, to control the pace of the game.
Golden was accompanied by Jack White netting 11 points, hitting three shots from three-point range, for the pair of Crest scorers to finish in double figures. Rogan Weir also bucketed nine points after nailing a trio of two-point baskets.
“Ryan played well this game. He scored in the paint and attacked the glass, but a lot of what he did came from our defense and he was able to outrun players to the rim in transition,” said Crest head coach Dakotah Sporing. “As we start to play together and piece together different parts of the offense and defense, we have started to look better.”
The Lancers outrebounded the Jets on the boards, 32-22. Golden snatched a team-high seven rebounds, followed by Stetson Setter’s six rebounds and White’s five boards. Ethan Godderz and Weir also grabbed four rebounds apiece to give Crest more chances at the rim.
Crest led Altoona-Midway at halftime, 40-24. The Lancers then outscored the Jets in the third quarter, 21-3 and led heading to the fourth, 61-27.
“We finally played a complete game,” said Sporing. “In previous games we would give up big runs or have long spurts where we struggled to score and could not pull away. This game we did not have that happen.”
Miller and White helped lead Crest defensively as each stepped in front for three steals. The Lancers made 15 total steals to the Jets’ 10 steals. Setter and Golden also made two steals apiece in the win.
Altoona-Midway also turned the ball over more often, 26-19.
Girls Basketball
The Lady Lancers’ defense was the story against Altoona-Midway. The team held the Jets to only 12 points through four quarters. That included a shutout in the fourth which saw Altoona-Midway miss a pair of free throws.
Kayla Hermreck got involved early and often for her Crest squad when she banked in a trio of layups and sank a free throw. Mia Coleman, Karlee Boots and McKenna Hammond each went for two-point baskets in the opening quarter as well.
The Jets of Altoona-Midway scored five points in the first quarter on a S. Raymond three as well as an E. Pupanek layup.
Crest enjoyed its highest scoring quarter before halftime when Kaelin Nilges netted a pair of layups and a free throw and Haylee Beckmon, Hermreck and Hammond each scored four points in the second quarter.
Ava Hufford was the lone Altoona-Midway scorer to notch points in the second quarter on a layup and a free throw.
Crest led Altoona-Midway at halftime, 37-8.
