Gubbels leads the way with 23-point night on road
Senior Jace Gubbels led the way Tuesday night on the road against the Atlantic Trojans helping the Cyclones to a dominant 70-46 victory, earning their 12th win of the season. Head coach Mitch Osborn was out due to illness, so his son, Kevin, coached the Cyclones.
“It feels really good,” Gubbels said. “Our defense was stellar, holding them to under 50 points and we shot the ball really well. We just played as a team.”
The game opened with Junior Trojan Colton Rasmussen making the first bucket of the night. Senior Teagon Kasperbauer came right back with a 3-pointer to give the Cyclones their first points and an early lead. Rasmussen responded with a 3-pointer soon after. With teams in a back-and-forth affair, the first quarter closed with Atlantic leading 15-13.
Senior Jacob Birch tied the game at 15 to open the second quarter. Gubbels continued his dominance hitting back-to-back from long range and then dropped in a shot following a missed layup to give the Cyclones a 23-15 lead, and forcing a timeout from Trojans head coach Derek Hall.
Senior Trojan Caden Anderson was fouled after the timeout, and made both free throws, cutting the lead to six points. That didn’t affect the Cyclones, with Gubbels dropping in another bucket, leading his team to a 37-25 lead at the half.
“Keep rebounding, take care of the ball, don’t take your foot off the gas, stay aggressive in transition and if you have something, be aggressive,” Osborn said.
The Cyclones got the third quarter going with a 6-0 run, which included baskets from Birch and Gubbels. Both teams we’re staying close to each other, with the Cyclones holding on to a 17-point lead entering the final quarter.
Curren scored the first bucket of the fourth quarter and soon after, Kasperbauer made another 3-pointer giving the Cyclones a 5-0 run. That later turned into a 13-3 run with multiple players contributing, and forcing another timeout from Hall with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. The Cyclones cruised to victory, getting its second consecutive win.
“We have a lot of respect for them,” Osborn said. “Coach Hall does a great job and their entire staff, really respectful guy and a great community. Hawkeye 10 is about as good as it gets and we’re really fortunate with the communities we live in.”
The Cyclones will have a few more games before playoffs begin, with their next opponent Friday night at Creston. The 10-6 Panthers have won two games in a row. The Panthers are led by Junior Cael Turner with 223 points and 50 assists and Sophomore Jake Hoyt with 67 rebounds on the season.
“I like our chances anywhere we go,” Osborn said. “I know it’s going to be very tough, but we’re looking forward to it Friday at Creston and then Saturday at Kuemper. Two big games coming up."