On Friday night, the Raiders played host to the HBC Patriots in a Red Rock Conference clash. The Patriots were able to a use a strong second-half to push past the Raiders and hand Fulda a 78-68 loss.
Tyler Madison led the way with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Sam Cheadle added 14 points and 3 rebounds. Payton Marquardt chipped in 11 points and 4 assists.
The Raiders were able to start the game off quickly, as Cheadle and Madison were able to get to the basket for multiple layups. Marquardt was able to catch and shoot from the perimeter, as well, to give the Raiders an early lead. HBC was able to spread the ball around and find 4 different players to score 6+ points in the first half. Jax Wysong was able to get around his defender for a score, while Preston Wilhelmi was able to get free on back to back possessions for wide open 3-pointers. Madison was able to find Cory Renneke on the wing for a 3-pointer, while Cheadle found Logan Erdmann on the baseline for a jumper. Madison was also able to hit his own 3-pointer towards the end of the half. The Raiders led 39-36 at halftime.
But HBC came out in the second half ready to go. They were able to turn the Raider guards over and push the ball down the other end. The Raiders started the second half with a Madison 3-pointer but then went 4 straight minutes scoreless, while HBC couldn’t miss a shot. So the Raiders 6-point lead quickly turned into a 15-point deficit. But the Raiders still had some fight left in them. Brandon Clausen hit a layup for an And-One opportunity. Cheadle and Renneke knocked down 3-pointers to cut the Fulda deficit to 6. But Wysong and Wilhelmi had other ideas. They continued to get around and free from the defenders and were able to hit shots and layups. Wysong finished the game with 23 points, while Wilhelmi had 19. Trailing by 12 with just 2 minutes left, Madison fought hard to the basket for back-to-back layups, but HBC was able to go to the free throw line and connect on multiple possessions. With the Raiders only trailing by 8, HBC was able to get a key offensive rebound off a missed free throw and they were able to seal the deal, handing the Raiders a 10-point loss, 78-68.
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