Strong Defense Leads Carlton Boys To Fourth Win

Wes Vork-NSO

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Feb 4

Wes Vork-NSO

CARLTON – Behind a balanced scoring attack the Carlton boys basketball team picked up their fourth victory of the season Friday Night. The Bulldogs defeated the visiting Wrenshall Wrens by a score of 55-28.

Pressure defense by the Bulldogs held Wrenshall to eight first half points while the Bulldogs gradually found their shooting stroke to close out the first half with a 24-8 lead. “We were a little sluggish at first, it took a bit to get a flow going but we played pretty well.” Carlton Head Coach Carl Grussendorf commented to Northland Sports Online after the game.

While the wins could always come more often, third year coach Grussendorf feels the Bulldogs are on the right track and making steady progress. “We’re making improvements and getting more experience; the younger guys are stepping up and starting to feel more comfortable.” Grussendorf explained.

One key to Carlton’s progress is progressively getting more players involved in the offense. Friday night the Bulldogs had three players in double figures, led by Eric Adams with 12 points. He was joined by Lane Empson and Nick Vacura with 10 points each. Also turning in a good performance with 9 points was Matt Lund. Dekota Frear and Kodie Peterson each added 7 points in the Bulldog win.

Wrenshall was led by Derek Duncan with 7 points. Brett Johnson added 6, Mark Mallon had 5, Pat Gustafson 4, Jack Dolter 3, Dustin Shelton 2, and Matt O’Conner rounded out the Wrenshall scoring with 1 point.

With the win Carlton is now 4-15 on the season, they will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Barnum to take on the Bombers. Wrenshall falls to 0-15 on the season and will look to get that first win when they travel To Cherry on Monday.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com