By Kate Sinsel
No matter what the Mustangs seemed to do in the first quarter, Gibbon just would not go away. Although Silver Lake’s offense generated many scoring opportunities to put 16 points on the board, the Buffaloes managed to answer every possession with a score of their own, tallying 15 points to make it a one-point game after the first quarter.
However, after that first quarter, Silver Lake spread the game open a bit, going into halftime with an 8-point lead. The offensive charge was led by the Mustangs’ posts, senior Jordan Faimon and sophomore Landon Duester, who combined for 30 points, with Faimon earning 19 and Duester putting in 11. Out of the break, the Mustangs attacked the Buffaloes with their press and aggressive defense, which earned them 15 steals. Senior Tayten Menke had 6 of his own, which helped him find the rim and tally 14 points for the evening. One of the main components that allowed Silver Lake to find success was its ability to handle the ball. The Mustangs only had 9 turnovers for the night, while Gibbon had 25.
The Mustangs’ deep bench was too much for Gibbon, with 22 of their points coming from off the bench. Silver Lake managed to double their first-half total in the second half while Gibbon’s offense slowed down significantly. Despite Weismann’s 24-point game, earning 15 of those points from behind the arch, Silver Lake defeated the Buffaloes 64-37.
Later that week, the Mustangs faced TVC opponent Kenesaw. Following behind their senior leadership with Faimon and Menke earning 22 and 20 points, respectively, the Mustangs went into halftime with a 30-10 lead. After the half, Kenesaw found a way to slow the Mustangs’ progression, more than doubling their first-half score in the third quarter, where they added 13. However, Silver Lake added another 16 in the third quarter to maintain a significant lead. With his second double-double for the season, Faimon pulled down 15 of the team’s impressive 36 rebounds for the evening, which allowed them many second-point chances with 19 rebounds coming from the offensive end. Once again, Silver Lake’s defense caused issues, forcing 24 turnovers. Menke and fellow senior Keaton Karr took 6 and 5 steals, respectively. The Mustangs didn’t slow down offensively, tallying 17 more points to Kenesaw’s 11 to finish the game with a decisive 63-34 victory.