With 19 points and 13 rebounds, Carter Barto saved his best game for last, said head coach Mike Meyer.
But Barto, one of just two seniors on the Clipper team, didn’t think so.
“I wish it was, but no.”
On paper at least, it was his premier game though—his top scoring effort was one more point, but that was against a winless team—and maybe if the Clippers would have upset host New Ulm Cathedral instead of falling in the first round of the section tournament 72-59, the 6-5 center would have felt differently.
Nevertheless, especially since he missed most of last season with an injury, he was grateful to be back in a Clipper uniform and will cherish the time spent with his team.
“The bonding and memories I made with my teammates and how we grew as friends, and with the coaches too. I grew a lot closer to all of them.”
Jorden Rossow, the other senior, doesn’t typically rank high in the scoring column, but he did a lot of the little things that helped the Clippers go from one win, 25 losses in 2023 to an 11-15 record this season, and that improvement will be a key takeaway.
“It was definitely more fun winning more than one game. But all the memories with the team. The bus rides with card games…”
“Jorden was a leader too even though he might not have scored the way he wanted to tonight,” Meyer said. “This team appreciates its seniors. They really rally around each other all the time. It’s not the finish we wanted, but I am pleased with the season overall.”
Cathedral put in a layup to turn on the scoreboard. With a couple of passes that flew out of bounds, a travel call and a pair of missed threes, the Clippers couldn’t get out of the gate until Kyle Connor put in the front end of two foul shots. Blake Lyons followed with a three, but the Clippers trailed 7-4.
After that the Clippers gave up a steal on an in-bounds pass, traveled again and sent the ball out of bounds twice. Among the forfeitures, Lyons put in a three, but taking advantage, the Greyhounds posted 10 more points for a 17-7 lead.
The 10 points was more or less the difference in the final tally, but the Clippers did manage to lower their deficit before the break. Bode Bartell bagged a three from the corner. Barto worked his way inside for a bucket, and Brennan Kortuem dropped in a basket from three-point country.
“Cathedral showed up ready to play, and I thought we showed up ready to play,” Meyer said. “Our offense wasn’t working right away, but that may be a testament to New Ulm’s defense.”
Barto made the first of two foul shots and then scored inside to pull the Clippers within five, but Cathedral sunk a three just in front of the buzzer to take a low scoring 29-21 lead into the locker room.
Continuing from where he left off, Barto drilled the ball inside for first three Clipper baskets of the second half, but the Greyhounds extended their lead with 16 more points before Kortuem and Bartell hit back-to-back threes.
With four more Barto baskets, two more threes and a pair of twos from Kortuem and another from Bartell, the Clippers didn’t slip any after that, but they couldn’t overcome their shortfall, and the Greyhounds made their free shots down the stretch to put the finishing touches on the win.
“The second half went very well,” Rossow said. “We got on the ground more. We just went for the ball.”
Meyer agreed.
“I thought our defense was fantastic tonight. I thought it was one of the best games we played all year. I thought Blake Lyons did a fantastic job on 24. It’s tough to find that many guys who will put their heart and soul on the line from the tipoff to the final buzzer.”
On a quartet of threes, a pair of two-point baskets and a free throw, Kortuem had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Blake Lyons made a trio of threes in the first half and put in a basket and a pair of free throws in the second for 13 total points. He also had eight rebounds, four assists and one steal. Bartell put in three threes for nine total points. He also had one rebound and five assists. Connor made a free throw and hauled in a trio of rebounds.
Carson Lyons fouled out late in the game. He pulled down two rebounds and had two steals. Rossow had one rebound, six assists and one steal.
The Clippers totaled 10 threes and made five of 11 foul shots. Cathedral put in eight threes and 16 of 27 free throw attempts.
Cathedral went on to fall to top seeded Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 59-53. Lester Prairie upset SESM 82-74 in the north subsection semifinal. The other side of the subsection’s semi final had an upset too when sixth-seeded GFW topped second-ranked Sleepy Eye. LP and GFW will play in the subsection championship at GAC on Monday.
In the south subsection, fourth-ranked Mankato Loyola fought hard but got beat by top-seeded Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 72-62. Second-seeded Springfield was too much for sixth-seeded Alden-Conger, which, playing pretty good ball, upset third-ranked USC to get into the section semi.
Above: Seniors Jorden Rossow and Carter Barto exeunt.
Carson Lyons bounces a pass to Carter Barto.
Three Greyhound defenders surround Brennan Kortuem.
Jorden Rossow dribbles down the baseline in the first half.
Carter Barto and Kale Kelley on defense.
Blake Lyons pushes his way inside.
Kyle Connor on the layup.
Carter Barto starts an ascent to the bucket.
Brennan Kortuem drives through the paint.
Bode Bartell loops a pass over a NUC defender.