The Raider boy’s basketball team started the second half of the season with a big home win over Martensdale-St. Mary’s last Friday at home. The Raiders knew that the Blue Devils would be problematic as they came into town on a three-game win streak and were winners of four of their last five games after starting the season 0-5.
The potential for a tight game was taken away in the middle two quarters as Mount Ayr would win going away, 56-35 to improve to 7-2. The Raiders are also now a half-game out of first place at 5-1.
Bedford leads the POI at 5-0. The two teams are set to play on Tuesday, January 16 in Mount Ayr. Before that, however, Mount Ayr will have three games.
Mount Ayr was to play at Corning against SW Valley on Tuesday, January 9, but weather changed those plans as a snowstorm marched across the southern two-thirds of the state Monday, into Tuesday. Mount Ayr is set to travel to Central Decatur on Thursday and play Murray next Monday before their showdown with the Bulldogs.
Jackson Ruggles (2) led the Raiders’ in scoring victory over Martensdale Saint Mary’s. PHOTO BY DARLA SOBOTKA.
Mount Ayr was led in scoring by three players reaching double figures. Jackson Ruggles led with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Tyler Martin scored 15 points, including making three three-pointers, to go with six rebounds and five steals. Ryce Reynolds added 11 points. Mount Ayr made eight three-pointers as a team and shot 60-percent from the free-throw line.
Martensdale-St. Mary’s did not have a double-digit scorer in the game. Jack Osborn led with points and six rebounds. Cooper Oberbroeckling and Jaxson Bowlin each scored six points. Oberbroeckling had a team-high ten rebounds.
MTSM struggled on offense as the Raider defense held them to just 28-percent shooting in the game. The Blue Devils were cold from the three-point line too, making only 2-of-20 attempts in the game.
The Blue Devils stunned the Raiders in the first quarter, taking a 9-6 lead after the first quarter. Mount Ayr settled in though in the middle two quarters to outscore MTSM 40-16 to take command of the ball game.
Hayes Stogdill dribbles around a Martensdale Saint Marys defender in the Raiders big win last Friday night.
Mount Ayr used a 19-9 run in the second quarter to take a halftime lead of 25-18. The Raiders added a run of 21-7 in the third quarter to take a 46-25 lead to the fourth quarter.
Each team scored ten points in the fourth quarter.
Mount Ayr 56, Martensdale-St. Mary’s 35
1 2 3 4 Final
MTSM 9 9 7 10 35
MA 6 19 21 10 56
MTSM (35): Jaxson Bowlin 2-6 2-2 6, Cooper Oberbroeckling 3-3 0-0 6, Cale Morrow 2-14 0-0 5, Jack Osborn 3-9 1-2 8, William Denny 0-5 0-0 0, Gabe Stott 0-1 0-0 0, Randall Walker 0-0 0-0 0, Jason Fugate 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Rezac 1-2 3-3 5, Harrison Renaud 0-0 0-0 0, Taylon Squire 0-0 0-0 0, Nolan Oberender 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Gavin 0-1 0-0 0, Travis White 2-5 1-2 5. Totals: 13-46 7-9 35.
Tate Dugan (22) and Jackson Ruggles (2) go up for scores during the Raiders’ east victory over Martensdale Saint Mary’s. PHOTO BY DARLA SOBOTKA.
MOUNT AYR (56): Jackson Ruggles 8-16 2-4 19, Ryce Reynolds 3-9 2-4 11, Trevin Victor 1-2 0-0 2, Tyler Martin 6-10 0-0 15, Tate Dugan 0-4 2-2 2, Tyler Still 0-0 0-0 0, Adler Reed 0-1 0-0 0, Jaize Frost 3-7 0-0 7, Adan Trujillo 0-0 0-0 0, Hayes Stogdill 0-1 0-0 0, Louden Main 0-3 0-0 0, Rowan Sackett 0-0 0-0 0, Aidan Murphy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-53 6-10 56.
3-Pt. FG: 8-25 (Reynolds 3-7, Martin 3-5, Ruggles 1-6, Frost 1-3, Main 0-2, Reed 0-1, Victor 0-1). Rebounds: 27 (Martin 6, Ruggles 5, Dugan 4, Frost 4, Main 3, Victor 1, Reynolds 1). Assists: 9 (Ruggles 4, Reynolds 1, Victor 1, Martin 1, Dugan 1, Still 1). Steals: 16 (Martin 5, Frost 3, Ruggles 2, Dugan 2, Main 2, Reynolds 1, Murphy 1). Blocked Shots: 6 (Reynolds 3, Ruggles 1, Victor 1, Martin 1). Total Fouls: 14. Fouled Out: none.
