JEFF B | Iowa Prep Illustrated / Iowa Grandstand Sports

SPIRIT LAKE — Basketball teams usually break losing streaks at home, but chalk it to to Iowa Prep Illustrated / Iowa Grandstand Sports Class 2A seventh ranked Cherokee boy’s for ending a personal six game losing streak to Spirit Lake.

The Braves were coming off their only loss of the season at Storm Lake on Tuesday, The Tornadoes, second ranked in Class 3A put a 20-point (87-67) beatdown on Cherokee. Cherokee showed its resiliency by bouncing back quickly.

On Friday, Cherokee defeated a winless Spirit Lake team 64-55 in the Indians home floor. The Braves shot 50 percent beyond the 3-point arch (7-of-14) and finished better than 50 percent overall, converting 27-of-53 shot attempts. Cherokee held a edge of six rebounds (34-28) in total outcome for the game.

Braves’ Coy Lewis finished the game with a 15 point and 11 rebound performance. He added three blocked shots also. It was the 6-foot-6 seniors third double-double this season (Emmetsburg, LeMars Gehlen).

Senior teammates Landon Stowater had a game-best 20 points and Jackson Paulsrud tossed in 15 points. Paulsrud added seven assists, six rebounds and three steals to his credits. Stotwater finished up his day’s work with five rebounds, four assists, four steals and a blocked shot. Cherokee improves its record to 5-1 on the season overall.

Spirit Lake (0-5) in its first four games this season has lost by an average margin of 25 points. The nine point loss to Cherokee is the first single digit loss this season for the Indians.

Three Spirit Lake players finished the Lakes Conference matchup scoring in double figures — Wesley Walz (18), Jackson Morrison (16) and Bennett Stecker 13. Stecker, along with Jax Bejarno each had seven rebounds.

Up Next

Cherokee needs to come out following the holiday break with more urgency and saavy. They need to string together a couple of convincing lopsided victories. That begins Monday January 5 against MVAOCOU, Central Lyon at home on Jan. 8, and home against Estherville-Lincoln Central on Jan. 9. The trio of teams have a combined .125 winning percentage. Both MVAOCOU and Central Lyon are winless coming out of the holiday break.

Cherokee Record: 5-1 | Spirit Lake Record: 0-5

Spirit Lake Leading Scorer (s): Wesley Walz 18, Jackson Morrison 16, Bennett Stecker 13.

Spirit Lake Leading Rebounder: Stecker 7, Jax Bejarno 7.

Largest Lead: NA
Rebound Margin: Cherokee +6 (34-28)

Cherokee Scoring:  Blake Lovell 2, Christian Vander Broek 5, Coy Lewis 15, Landon Stowater 20, Jaxon Paulsrud 15, Cameron Kohn 0, Brock Kannegieter 5, Lincoln Mortenson 0, Wyatt Ludvigson 2.

Cherokee Statistics
Field Goals Overall: 27-53 (50.9)
3-Pt. Field Goals: 7-14 (50.0)
Free Throws: 3-10 (30.0)
Assists (18): Paulsrud 7, Stowater 4, Lovell 4, Kohn 1, Ludvigson 1.
Steals (9): Stowater 4, Paulsrud 3, Lovell 1, Kohn 1.
Rebounds (34): Lewis 11, Paulsrud 6, Stowater 5, Lovell 4, Kanneigiter 3, Vander Broek 2, Ludvigson 2, Mortenson 1.
Blocked Shots (6): Lewis 3, Vander Broek 2, Stowater 1.