Yellowjackets 82, Wisconsin Lutheran 60
Box Score

From the looks of things, the Yellowjacket men's basketball team didn't overdo it on Thanksgiving Day.  And if they did, the after effects of a big holiday meal didn't carry over into the weekend.  In their first game of the UW-Platteville Thanksgiving Classic, the Yellowjackets shot at a clip over 60% and every player saw game time in an 82-60 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Platteville's Bo Ryan Court Saturday night. 

The Yellowjackets will play Finlandia in the second game of the tournament on Sunday (Nov. 27). 

After going back-and-forth for the first ten minutes of the game, the Yellowjackets put the pedal down and surged ahead at the midpoint of the half.  With the score tied 13-13, Adam Hjelter (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) hit a jumper to break the tie and send the Yellowjackets off on a 19-0 run.  The run ended and the score hit 32-13 when Walter Charlton (Nassau, Bahamas/Teleos Christian) threw down a dunk for his first two points of the game.  The Yellowjackets continued their strong play through the final four minutes of the half, and rode a pair of Charlton free throws into halftime, leading 38-21. 

The blowout continued in the second half.  The lead never dipped below ten points and peaked at 28 points, when the Yellowjackets took a 70-42 lead with 5:52 to play on a layup by Trent Davis (Apple Valley, Minn./St. Bernard's), who scored eight points in the second half.  Eric Holten (Barron, Wis./Barron) went 3-6 in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points after halftime.  He was the leading scorer for the Yellowjackets in the second half.  Half of the 42 second half points for the Yellowjackets came off of three-pointers. 

Davis led the way for the Yellowjackets with 15 points.  Ben Aalfs (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) finished with a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down a game-high ten rebounds.  In addtion to Davis and Aalfs, Holten (11), Hjelter (10) and Eric Effertz (Ladysmith, Wis./Ladysmith) (10) all scored in double figures for the Yellowjackets.  Eleven different Yellowjackets scored in the game. 

Dustin Ritchie (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) led the Yellowjackets with four assists and two steals.  Jordan Ackerman (Pine River, Minn./Pine River-Backus) had the only block of the game.

Alex Merbach led the Warriors with a game-high 20 points and also had a team-best six rebounds.

The Yellowjackets (3-2, 0-0 WIAC) will play Finlandia for the second time in eight days on Sunday.  Last Friday (Nov. 18) the Yellowjackets beat the Lions 88-75 in the first game of the Merrill Thompson Tip-Off Classic.  Tip-off from Bo Ryan Court will be at 1:00 p.m.