Finishing 2025 on an uptick, the B Clippers edged visiting Kenyon-Wanamingo 46-45 on Tuesday.
The Clippers were coming of an easy home win over Le Sueur-Henderson the Friday before. In their game to prior that, they suffered their first loss of the season when they fell hard to Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther in Granada on December 16.
Trailing Kenyon-Wanamingo 40-33 in the second half, Charlie Perkins scored twice from three-point country, and Sam Ternes, who entered the game as a second-half starter, took a Wyatt Krenik assist in for a layup that put the Clippers in front by one with 3 minutes remaining.
The Knights stole and scored to regain the lead, but Ternes sunk his third three for a 44-42 Clipper lead. With less than a minute remaining. The Knights put in a jumper to deadlock the game at 44 and then made a free throw with 50 seconds left to regain the lead.
But Ternes went to the foul line with 37 seconds left and made the second of two foul shots for a 45-45 stalemate. With 8 seconds left, the Knights went to the foul line for a one-and-one, but the first shot didn’t fall. A second later, Tony Hollerich absorbed a foul. Hollerich made the first of two free shots, and the Clippers held on for the win.
With six points by Jack Mons, three from Garrett Heldberg and a pair of Hollerich free baskets, the Clippers, off to a good start, led Kenyon-Wanamingo 11-9. But the Knights responded with their second three and followed it with a layup to lead 14-11.
Luke Heldberg ran in a layup while his brother Garrett buried a three from the corner, and later, Wyatt Krenik and Jack Anderson also canned threes and Mons put in a shot from the baseline, but the Clippers trailed by six, 30-24 at the break.
The Knights started the second half with a three, but Ternes plunged in a pair of threes to narrow the Clipper deficit to three, 33-30.
The Knights scored the next five points. After a Hollerich two and a Luke Heldberg free throw, the Knights scored again to lead 40-33 before the Clippers went in front on Perkins’ pair of threes and Ternes’ layup.
Eight players scored in the team effort. Ternes bagged a hat trick of threes and scored a dozen total points. Before leaving the game at the break, Mons put in four buckets for eight total points, and Garrett Heldberg made a three, a two and a free throw for six total points. Perkins put in a pair of threes in the second half for six points. Hollerich totaled five points. Krenik and Anderson each made a first half three. Also with three points was Luke Heldberg.
The Clippers put in eight threes and six of 11 attempts from the foul stripe. The Knights made four three-point baskets and half of their 18 free throws.
Cleveland 42, LSH 20
The Clippers held the Giants to 11 points in in the first half and led by 13 points at the intermission.
Hollerich stole the jump ball and Garrett Heldberg launched it from the corner for a three before assisting a Mons three and scoring inside for an 8-0 rapid Clipper start. The Giants made a basket inside and a free throw but struggled with the Clippers’ press.
After a Mons floater for a basket, the Giants put in a three, but with a Hollerich three, the Clippers led 16-6.
After another Giant three, Luke Heldberg spun for a basket. While the Giants’ shots inside weren’t finding their way through the net, Mons put in a jumper and Garrett Heldberg bagged a three just before the buzzer.
Anderson two-pointer was the first basket of the second half. Luke Heldberg sunk a jump shot from the paint and made a free throw, and Anderson buried a three to extend the Clipper lead. Later, up from C squad, Pierce Lyons, Jake Mueller and Jeremy Miller got in to the game, and the Clippers punctuated the victory with a Lyons three.
Before leaving the game at halftime, Garrett Heldberg had nine points, including two threes, and Mons had eight points, including one three. Hollerich totaled six points, including one three. Luke Heldberg also had six points. Anderson had five points, including one three. Lyons and Mueller each contributed three. Killian Kunkel chipped in a basket.
The Clippers put in six threes and six of 16 free throws. The Giants made a pair of threes and four of eight foul shots.
GHEC/T/ML 63, Cleveland 41
The Clippers trailed the Jaguars 25-21 at the break.
Krenik had nine points in the effort, including one of two Clipper threes. Hollerich made three two-point baskets and a free shot for seven points. Mons put in three two-point baskets for six total points before leaving the game at the break. Zander Linder made a three and a two in the second half for five total points. Garrett Heldberg had a pair of baskets from the floor before exiting the game at halftime. Zayden Linder and Luke Heldberg also totaled four points.
The Clippers made half of their 10 free throw attempts. The Jaguars were 14 of 25 from the free throw line and put in one basket from behind the arc.
The B Clippers return to action on Saturday, January 3 when they travel to Waterville for a 2:45 p.m. game.
Above: Luke Heldberg sets his sights on the basket during the win over LSH.
An LSH defender meets up with Tony Hollerich.
Jake Mueller was one of three C-squad boys who played in their first B-squad game when the Clippers took on LSH.
Garrett Heldberg cuts toward the hoop while a Kenyon-Wanamingo defender sidesteps in.
Jack Anderson coils for a jump shot during the game against Kenyon-Wanamingo.
Sam Ternes ran in a layup for the Clippers’ first second-half lead over Kenyon-Wanamingo.