By Adam Knoll
Sports Correspondent
On Nov. 22, the Whitewater High School boys basketball team suffered a defeat at the hands of McFarland that announced that although there was work to do, they were an improved team that would put up a fight. Last Thursday night, the Whippets made the same announcement, and pushed McFarland to the brink, though the result was ultimately the same.
Josh Nast led the team with 15 points in the 65-62 double overtime loss Jan. 23. Joe Michaels and Scott Gorsuch both added 14 and 12 points respectively as the team nearly pulled out a win after letting it slip through their fingers.
The game was evenly played up through halftime, but a 13-8 third quarter tilt gave the Whippets a four-point lead going into the final frame. The lead didn’t last as a McFarland run caused the game to be knotted at 48 at the end of regulation. Following that, each team put up seven points in the first overtime period, which extended the game again before Whitewater ran out of steam.
Chad Herbst led all scorers with 17 for McFarland while Benjamin Rounds added 16. Whenever McFarland would need a big bucket the team would turn to the two of them. Their efforts ended up being enough to outlast the feisty Whippets, who fell to a 5-5 record in conference, tied for last place.
Try as they might, Whitewater may not have enough offense to compete for a conference title this year. Though there are still seven games left on the regular season schedule, Whitewater is currently five games back.
As for the squad’s overall record, standing at 6-9, the team will have to finish no worse than 5-2 to finish the season at .500. If the Whippets could make it to that mark, it would have to be viewed as a successful season, even if the playoffs are not part of this year’s efforts.
The team will host Parkview Friday night followed by a trip to Jefferson next Thursday, Feb. 6.
