Ben chimes in with 25 for Wolfpack
Ben Unrau worked double time for the West Niagara Wolfpack Monday.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 guard not only ran the offence as usual, but was also given a key defensive assignment by Wolfpack coach Steve Huisman.
Unrau more than held up his end, knocking down a game high 25 points while also guarding E.L. Crossley guard Matthew Kleinsmith, as the Wolfpack prevailed 55-39 in opening-round action at the 60th Annual Standard High School Basketball Tournament.
“Defence, shoot, creativity, he does all the important stuff and he does it well,” Huisman said of Unrau. “He’s a very huge part (of our team).”
Unrau, who plays travel for the Niagara Falls Red Raiders, is a selfless player.
“I just to try and make everyone better around me,” he said.
Huisman figured trying to keep Kleinsmith, who finished with 13 points, at bay was key.
“They have a lot of good shooters. Matthew Kleinsmith is a phenomenal player and everything runs through him so we have to stop him,” Huisman said. “I put Ben on him, that was his goal, to contain him as best as possible.”
Unrau knew it was going to be a tough go versus the 12th-ranked Cyclone.
“I know they beat us last year so we had to come in with a lot of strength. We had to come in and know what we were going,” he said.
Huisman feels the No. 4-ranked Wolfpack might be ready to make a run this week.
“We have about four of five players that have been playing travel together for many, many years and they all go to the same school, in the same grade and grew up playing together so there is some camaraderie, some gel and cohesiveness amongst a lot of our 12s so that helps,” he said.
West Niagara will have their hands full with the fourth-ranked Denis Morris Reds in the quarter-finals Tuesday.
“I think if we can get to the semis anything can happen. Injuries can happen, sometimes they benefit us, sometimes not. You just have to get to the semis and go from there,” Huisman said.
Unrau, too, has his sights set high.
“I’d like to hopefully make it to the finals and win a championship, that would be nice,” he said.
Cyclone coach Ryan Petro was thrilled with his club’s effort considering the team has had only one practice so far this season.
“I’m really happy,” Petro said. “We’ve got quite a few kids who have not touched a basketball court before so all things considered, they’re learning the sport as we go. There are some things to clean up for our next game, but overall very happy.”
Petro feels keeping it simple is the best philosophy at this stage of the game.
“Just a basic offence and basic defence to get going. We’re still trying to learn the basic fundamentals of the sport before we can look past that. I was happy with what they executed.”
STATS PACK
Wolfpack 55 Cyclone 39
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Ben Unrau.
Boston Pizza Player of the Game: Matthew Kleinsmith.
For the West Niagara Wolf Pack: Unrau 25; Julian Sobota 15; Sean Hamad 6; Brodie Heidekamp 4; Aiden Taggart 3; Andrej Kovacevic 2.
For the E.L. Crossley Cyclone: Kleinsmith 13; Luca Burattini 8; Jayden Thompson 8; Ethan Krick 4; Ryan Zucco 4; Coleson Birrell 1; Ethan van Niekerk 1.
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