Wellington basketball teams complete most successful combined December ever (updated, Dec. 22)
Wellington’s defense was in full force Tuesday. They have now held opponents to an average of 15 points in three games.
Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington basketball teams completed a very successful December by winning the “Christmas Invitational” against Winfield Tuesday at Crusader gymnasium.
The boys won 62-56, while the girls won 57-15. The two varsity teams are a combined 13-1. That has never happened in Wellington High School history.
The Wellington girls, 7-0, finished the 2022 calendar year with its fifth straight running-clock game, never letting Wellington score more than four points in the first three quarters.
Wellington led 21-3 at the end of the first and held a 38-7 advantage at the half. Wellington outscored Winfield 14-3 after three quarters before clinching victory.
Ashlyn Gerten vs. Winfield.
Wellington’s Britt Zeka scored 18 points and Kylan Gregory had 15. No Winfield players scored more than 3 points. This marked the fifth consecutive game the Crusaders held an opponent under 30. Wellington has allowed 45 points in the past three games: 12, 18 and 15.
Wellington won’t be back in action until Friday, Jan. 6, when it travels to Clearwater for a huge Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV league game.
Wellington 57 Winfield 15
Winfield — 3 4 3 5 — 15
Wellington – 21 17 14 5 — 57
Winfield: Curtis 3, Moree 3, Losey 3, Meyers 2, Brogan 2, Driver 2. Total: 4 (0) 7-14 15. Wellington: Zeka 18, Gregory 15, Norwood 9, Barton 5, Gerten 5, Reichenberger 2, Nance 2, Rusk 1. Total: 14 (6) 11-14 57.
———
Jack Wright scores 21 points vs. Winfield. Here he is from a previous game against El Dorado.
The Wellington boys defeated Winfield in a game that was tougher than expected. The Vikings came into the game winless and fell to 0-5.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it’s a win,” said Joe Newman, Wellington’s head boys basketball coach. “It seemed like every time we made a run and started to pull away Winfield would knock down a three. We managed to execute and make just enough plays throughout the game to hold them off.”
Vikings Adam Woods got hot behind the 3-point line attributing to Winfield’s closer-than-expected margin. He rattled off six 3-pointers, including three in the third quarter. The Winfield team had 12 treys overall.
Still, Wellington staved off the Winfield three-point barrage leading 17-11 at the end of the first quarter and taking a 31-25 lead into the half. The Vikings pulled within four at the end of three quarters — outscoring the Crusaders 18-16 in the third.
Wellington then staved off the win-hungry Vikes going 7-of-12 at the free-throw line. Malachi Rogers was 5-of-6 at the line in the fourth quarter.
Jack Wright led Wellington with 21 points. Banks Hinshaw followed with 17 and Rogers had 11.
The Crusaders now go on Christmas break with a 6-1 record – which matches the best start since 2008. Wellington also is 2-0 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV with huge games vs. Andale and Collegiate looming.
Wellington will first have to get by Clearwater on Friday, Jan. 6.
Wellington 62 Winfield 56
Winfield — 11 14 18 13 — 56
Wellington – 17 14 16 15 — 62
Winfield: Woods 18, Madrigal 10, Thomas 4, Shelton 3, Loeb 3, Graham 3, Stanley 2. Total: 9 (12) 2-4 56. Wellington: Wrightt 21, Hinshaw 17, Rogers 11, Henry 7, Burnett 4, Weir 2. Total: 18 (4) 14-24 62.
Full stats are found here: winfield
