Greyhounds Boys Triumph Over Mustangs: A Thrilling Showdown!

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau. New Ulm Cathedral’s Jake Finstad drives to the hoop while guarded by Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart’s Russell Johnson during a recent game.

NEW ULM — The New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds faced off against the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Mustangs this Tuesday. The game highlighted the importance of teamwork, with defense playing a key role despite some struggles in shooting.

Initially, the Greyhounds struggled to find their rhythm, missing their first seven shots and trailing 4-0 early on. However, they turned things around, thanks to solid rebounding and better defense. They managed to secure a 28-17 lead by halftime.

Coach Alan Woitas acknowledged the team’s shooting issues. “We had a lot of mental lapses in the first half. BLHS took advantage of that,” he said. However, he was proud of the team’s defense, which forced turnovers and created scoring opportunities.

The Greyhounds’ rebounding was impressive, limiting BLHS’s chances to score from missed shots. Woitas highlighted this as a significant aspect of their game, even on a tough shooting night.

Jake Finstad had a standout performance, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and nine steals. Eli Anderson also contributed significantly with 15 points, while other players like Ryler Collins and Joe Gillis added valuable points and rebounds.

The Greyhounds recorded an impressive 21 steals during the game. Jack Edwards played a strong supporting role, focusing on defense and rebounding, saying, “I try to help out the team no matter my scoring.”

The Mustangs initially led with a few strong plays from Coltan Grunau and Cayden Wiggins. They even took a 7-2 lead, but the Greyhounds fought back to end the first half strong.

After a brief resurgence from BLHS in the second half, the Greyhounds exploded with an 18-0 run, extending their lead to 61-35. Woitas noted that they had to adjust their strategy, saying, “It wasn’t our day shooting, so we found other ways to score.”

Looking ahead, Cathedral will host Cedar Mountain this Friday, while the Mustangs will travel to Springfield on Thursday.