KALIDA – Kalida is bringing in the New Year with a bang.
For the second straight game over the holidays, Kalida steamrolled home with a victory.
This time Kalida ran over New Bremen 58-30 in a boys basketball game Monday on the Richard Kortokrax Court.
Kalida, which was coming off a one-sided 67-38 win over Lincolnview on Saturday, is 4-5.
New Bremen is 4-3.
Luke Erhart, Kalida’s 6-foot-5 junior, led the way with 22 points and eight rebounds.
“We knew we had a good game Saturday, so we wanted to keep that going with intensity at the tip,” Erhart said. “We played well from the start.’’
Erhart hit 6 of 6 on 3-pointers and was 7 of 7 from the field. It was the first time Erhart hit six 3-pointers in a game after hitting five last year.
Erhart said he felt he was in a rhythm after his third 3-pointer.
“There was one time I mishandled the ball off a pass, then I took a second to gather myself and shot it and that’s when I knew I was feeling it,” he said.
Evan Roebke added 13 points and six rebounds for Kalida. Gave Hovest had 10 points.
Reese Busse led New Bremen with eight points.
Kalida simply was dominate in every facet.
The Wildcats won the boards, 32-20.
Kalida also forced 21 Cardinals’ turnovers.
If that wasn’t enough, Kalida hit 10 of 17 on 3-pointers.
It was way too much for New Bremen.
Kalida’s first half was a continuation of Saturday’s victory over Lincolnview.
The Wildcats rolled out their 1-2-2 press and continually gobbled turnovers and ran the floor.
Kalida ran out to a 15-0 lead and led 20-7 after the first quarter.
“The pressure and making open shots carried over from Saturday on a quick turnaround,” Kalida coach Ryan Stechschulte said. “It was the first time in back-to-back games we played well, and hopefully, we carry it over to Friday.
“We’re nine games in now and they see what we’re trying to do. The kids like to play that way (up tempo). We like to use the whole floor and create easy shot attempts off the pace.’’
First, it was Hovest with a 5-footer and a fast-break layup.
Then Erhart got loose for a 3-pointer.
Roebke next dropped back-to-back 3-pointers.
Before everyone was settled in, it was 13-0 Wildcats.
When Ayden Warnecke delivered a fast-break layup it was 15-0.
Kalida was controlling the boards and getting out in the break.
“We preach getting down the floor and scoring,” Erhart said.
Meanwhile, Kalida’s press and man forced New Bremen into eight first-quarter turnovers.
Erhart dropped two 3-pointers to start the second quarter and the Wildcats ran off a 12-4 burst.
That opened the Kalida lead to 32-11.
Kalida took a 32-13 lead into halftime.
By halftime, Kalida had a 16-7 edge on the boards and had forced New Bremen into 10 turnovers.
Kalida also made 6 of 8 3-pointers in the first half, with Erhart dropping three of those.
“He’s a great 3-point shooter,” Stechschulte said of Erhart. “He has the green light whenever he touches it. … Evan (Roebke) and Luke are playing well of one another.’’
Kalida outscored New Bremen in the third 18-5 to balloon its lead to 50-18.
Once again, it was Erhart leading the way with 11 third-quarter points, with three 3-pointers.
Stechschulte was proud of his team’s passion and effort.
“The kids were really gutty and played really, really hard tonight,” Stechschulte said.
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