Fleming's season ends with round one loss

A round one District loss ended the season for the Fleming wildcats last week as the sixth ranked underdogs fell to the third ranked Merino Rams. Fleming finished with an overall record of 7-12 on the year.

The two teams met at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling last Wednesday for tournament action. Fleming played a close opening eight minutes with the Rams and trailed by just three after the first quarter. Merino took a commanding lead in the second putting up 18 to the Wildcats' five to go up 16 before the close of the half, 31-15.

The Ram offense maintained control of the scoreboard for the second half as the squad added 11 and 18 in the third and fourth quarters while the defense held Fleming to single digits in both periods. Fleming fell 60-27 ending their season and allowing Merino to advance into semifinals. The Rams ultimately qualified for Regional play, entering as the number five seed in an eight-team bracket.

Fleming's leading scorers were held to single digits in Wednesday's contest. Junior Kolten Houser led with eight. Junior Blake Feather followed with six. Both players shot 67 percent from the free-throw line missing just one shot of three attempts.

Blake Feather led his team in steals nabbing four from the Ram offense. He matched his cousin, Braylen Feather, also a junior member of the squad, in assists; both Feathers earned two.

Junior Harry Harms took top honors in the rebound category with six. He brought down two offensive and four defensive boards. Houser and Braylen Feather followed with three boards apiece.

The Wildcats lose two seniors to graduation this spring as Joel Muller and Nate Betley hang up their Wildcat jerseys leaving the leadership reins to a capable group of juniors - Blake Feather, Harms, Kody Donnelson, Braylen Feather, Alex Ford, Houser and Nolan Japp.