Altamont beats Brownstown for third straight St. Elmo title

Brownstown and Altamont gave the crowd in St. Elmo’s gymnasium a championship game worthy of the 50th annual St. Elmo Holiday Tournament on Saturday.

The two teams battled for four quarters, with Altamont pulling off the victory, thanks to a strong performance in the fourth quarter. The Indians held the Bombers to only one point in the final quarter to get the 63-42 victory.

“We played pretty well, we just got a little impatient,” Brownstown coach Terry Pruemer said.

Brownstown was looking for a bit of revenge after a dismal performance against Altamont on Dec. 4, when the Bombers lost 63-28.

The game was physical from the start, as Dylan Holloway picked up a flagrant foul in the first minute. By the end of the first quarter, Zack Rigdon was on the bench with three fouls. However, Michael Kramer and Jared Winters had each knocked down a three-pointer for the Bombers, and it looked as if Brownstown was going to be shooting well for the night as they trailed by two, 16-14.

Holloway was on the bench with his third foul a couple of minutes into the second quarter, but Brownstown’s offense was still keeping the game close, as Connor Riley scored four points in the period. Riley would finish the night with eight points. Winters sank another three to get Brownstown within one point at the half, 28-27.

In the third quarter, the Bombers’ defense was able to step up and hold Altamont to just 12 points for the second straight quarter. The offense scored 14 to take a one-point lead. Brownstown took a 35-34 lead on a two-pointer by Kramer with four minutes remaining in the third quarter. He would not score the rest of the game.

Mason knocked down a three with two minutes to go, giving the Bombers a two-point lead.

The lead would change hands three more times before Rigdon scored in the final minute to give Brownstown a 41-40 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“We had a couple of bad possessions. We played a little impatient,” Pruemer said. “But you know what, how many times tonight did we play a little impatient and good came out of it? That happens in basketball.”

The final eight minutes would drag by for the Bombers, as they could not get a single shot from the field to fall. Altamont went on an 18-0 run, going up 58-41. Dalton Colman-Scott sank a free-throw with a minute left, but that was all Brownstown could muster.

Altamont has won the St. Elmo tournament three consecutive years. Brownstown has placed second twice in the past four years.

Winters finished with nine points. Riley and Rigdon each had eight points.

Winters was named first-team all-tournament, and Riley was named second team all-tournament.

“It was nice to see Riley come on in the tournament and really play well,” Pruemer said.

Brownstown’s cheerleaders placed second in the cheerleading competition. South Central won the cheerleading title.

Brownstown 55

Beecher City 52

The Bombers were just a few points away from not even being in the title game. If Beecher City had shot a little better from the free-throw line, they wouldn’t be. Brownstown beat the Eagles in the semifinals on Friday night, 55-52.

Beecher City held a slim lead through the first half of Friday’s game, and despite their best effort, the Bombers couldn’t seem to keep pace with the Eagles’ balanced scoring attack. Brownstown was getting most of its offense from Jared Winters, Connor Riley and Bryson Mason, as the three combined for 47 points. The Eagles got most of their scoring from four or five players.

The Bombers, who are talented three-point shooters, didn’t get into a groove behind the arc until the third quarter. Mason hit three in the period and Riley sank one to get Brownstown’s offense going. Winters had six points in the third quarter.

Momentum from the third quarter carried over into the fourth, as the Bombers outscored the Eagles, 13-11, just enough to hold the lead and escape with a victory.

Beecher City missed eight free throws in the last eight minutes and 11 in the game.

Winters had a team-high 21 points, Riley had 14 and Mason had 12. All of Mason’s came from beyond the arc.

Michael Kramer, who has been one of the Bombers best scorers this season, was held to only two points, both from the stripe in the second quarter.

Brownstown 71

Ramsey 47

It was almost as if Brownstown could not miss a shot in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game against Ramsey. The Bombers scored 25 points, hitting six three-pointers in the opening period. Brownstown would carry a big lead throughout the game, winning 71-47.

Jared Winters and Michael Kramer each hit three three-pointers in the first quarter as the senior set a pace on how the game would flow. The Bombers were up 25-8 at the end of the first quarter.

“We came out there and hit some shots and got ahead early in the game and maintained the score,” Winters said. “That’s what we’re shooting for and that’s what we did.”

The second quarter was more of the same, as Bryson Mason got in on the action, sinking two threes. Winters made a sensational play with four minutes to go when he came up with a loose ball on defense and made a full-court pass to Kramer at the other end of the court, who laid it in for two, giving Brownstown a 37-12 lead.

“I just take the shots when they (the defense) give them to me,” Kramer said. “Jared (Winters) always looks for me, a teammate always looks for me.”

Blake Hadley and Andy Carter were most of the Rams’ offense, as the two had 13 of the Rams 20 points at the half. The Bombers had 42.

Brownstown seemed to ease off in the second half, as it showed some new defensive sets, primarily zone.

“In the second half we switched up,” Pruemer said. “We’ve been wanting to get a look at a little bit of zone defense. We didn’t do it too well, but it was a good time to work at it.”

The Rams were able to score 27 in the second half, but still lost by 24. Connor Riley had six points in the fourth quarter to end the night with 12. Winters scored 15, all in the first half. Holloway had 10 before fouling out with three minutes to go. Kramer was the high man with 21, as he sank four three-pointers.

“We believe that when someone is on, you have to keep feeding them the ball,” Winters said. “Holloway really stepped up for us tonight and thank God for that, because we really need him. Connor Riley is getting to where he needs to be and we’re all coming together right now.”

Brownstown got production from eight different players.

Hadley scored 13 points for Ramsey. Carter and Bryon Moreland each had 10.

“Ramsey is a little small but you have to give them credit – they play pretty hard,” Pruemer said.