MEEKER I The Meeker Cowboys boys’ basketball team opened the 2011 season with a loss and a win over the past weekend. Meeker traveled to Hayden on Friday but ended on the short side of the score with a 60-50 loss. However, the Cowboys evened their league record at 1-1 on Saturday with a 71-55 win against Vail Christian in Edwards.
Opening up league play in Hayden against the Tigers, Meeker had hopes of evening the score with the team that beat them in the Shootout before Christmas. The ‘Pokes and the Tigers essentially traded scores throughout the period with the score knotted at 16 after the first buzzer. Cole Steiner (6), Ryan Wix (4) and Jake Nieslanik (4) paced the Cowboys in the period. Hayden took advantage of Meeker’s low scoring output in the second period to open up a slim halftime lead of 22-27 over the visiting Cowboys. The third period actually saw Meeker gain slightly on the lead, again behind the scoring of Nieslanik and Steiner. The Tiger’s Medvesk carried his team, scoring 12 of 16 points for the quarter. Meeker was able to tie the game with 1:20 to go, but a couple of costly turnovers and Hayden free throws gave the advantage to the home Tigers for a final score of 60-50. Leading scorers for Meeker were Nieslanik with 15, Steiner with 13, and Wix tallied 12.
A high scoring, fast paced game was on tap in Edwards Saturday as the Cowboys traveled to play the Saints in the second of their league games. Both teams opened up a torrid scoring pace as the Cowboys took a quick 21-17 lead at the end of the first. Unlike the night before in Hayden where the Cowboys only managed six points in the second period, the lid came off the basket for Meeker. Nieslanik, Trey Morris and Wix led the Cowboys on a very productive 27 point quarter to open up the lead at halftime 48-34. Although the scoring output slowed in the second half, Meeker was still able to outpace their opponents in both quarters to win going away 71-55. Meeker was led in scoring by senior Ryan Wix with 20; he was followed by Morris and Steiner with 17 points apiece. Nieslanik scored 15. Dylan Mobley was able to count for two points to round out the scoring for the Cowboys.
Friday @ Hayden
Meeker (2pt, 3pt, FTA, FTM, Total)
Morris 1,1,0,0,5 – Mobley 1,1,0,0,5 – Nieslanik 4,2,7,1,15 – Steiner 5,0,5,0,13 –Wix 6,0,0,0,12
Hayden
Johnston 4,0,2,0,8 – Dowling 0,2,0,0,6 – Medvesk 7,2,6,5,25 – Valdez 3,0,1,0,6 – Doolin 4,1,0,0,11 – Moon 2,0,3,0,4.
Meeker 16 6 17 11 Final 50
Hayden 16 11 16 17 Final 60
Saturday @ Edwards
Meeker (2pt, 3pt, FTA, FTM, Total)
Morris 3,3,2,2,17 – Mobley 1,0,0,0,2 – Nieslanik 6,1,2,0,15 – Steiner 3,2,6,5,17 –Wix 9,0,6,2,20
Vail Christian
Hernandez 5,1,2,2,15 – Emmer 3,0,6,2,8 – Bowles 1,2,0,0,8 – Wilson 4,1,1,1,12 – Boselli 5,0,2,0,10
Meeker 21 27 15 8 Final 71
Vail Christian 17 17 11 10 Final 55
