DE PERE (WLUK) — Friday night Bay Port traveled to De Pere for an early season Fox River Classic Conference matchup that had some wondering after the Redbirds lost their all-time leading scorer Zach Kinziger and a couple other key players to graduation would they be vulnerable?
Both teams entered the game undefeated on the young season, and with a standing-room only crowd maybe there was a chance. Why else would so many people show up, right?
What the fans showed up for and what they saw were two different things. De Pere put on a clinic, outplayed Bay Port everywhere and raced to an 80-52 victory for its 59th straight conference win.
“We lost a lot of guys last year,” senior Noah Maniscalco said. “Going into the season, we were kind of unknown, especially because we have a lot of younger guys, but I think we really proved our toughness and showed that we can compete with anyone in the state.”
“Extremely pleased with our effort tonight,” coach Brian Winchester said. “I thought we were quick to lose balls. We rebounded, besides being at a significant size disadvantage.
De Pere beats Bay Port 80-52
De Pere (4-0), ranked No. 4 in the FOX 11 Top 11, didn’t take long to get going. No. 5 Bay Port (6-1) led 6-5 and then the Redbirds scored 14 straight points to open a 19-6 lead. De Pere then led 45-29 at halftime and coaches say it all the time, the first four minutes of the second half are huge.
They were this time, too.
De Pere made its first five shots of the second half, three layups and two 3-pointers, and outscored Bay Port 12-2 to grow the lead to to 57-31. This game was over.
De Pere dominated as it continually scored in the lane, as the Redbirds were a sizzling 21 for 30 from inside the 3-point arc for 70 percent.
“I think it was our defense that set everything up,” Maniscalco said. “I think our pressure on the ball got us transition and transition threes and especially layups.”
“We got defensive rebounds, got open transition,” Winchester said. “We have five guys on the floor basically at all times that can all shoot it, so we’re hard to guard.”
De Pere was led by Jack Bookter’s 20 points, while Maniscalco added 18 and Isaac Herlache 16, respectively. Last season, they combined to average 7.9 points per game.
De Pere beat Bay Port 80-52 in a Fox River Classic Conference game Friday. (Doug Ritchay/WLUK)
It’s now their turn and they want to prove doubters they can continue the Redbirds’ success.
“I waited my turn and there’s been great guys ahead of me,” Maniscalco said. “So it’s fun to see their footsteps and kind of follow them and then lead my team as well.”
“I think our kids have a chip on their shoulder,” Winchester said. “Maybe it’s because they had to wait their turn a little bit, but at the same time, I think you look at its alumni night tonight and they know the tradition of the program.
“They want to keep it going to keep getting better. This group has a lot of potential for growth, especially our younger guys, so I’m excited to see what we can do.”
3-POINTERS
- J.T. Meyer led Bay Port with 11 points.
- Bay Port is the last team to beat De Pere in FRCC play on Feb. 8, 2022 (79-77).
- Bookter and Silas Cohen each had six assists for De Pere.
Follow Doug Ritchay on X @dougritchay
0 Comments