Ottensmeier, Fleming, Gelly power Highland boys past Jerseyville for regional win
Good things happen for a basketball team when it gets three players scoring in double figures on a given night.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the Highland Bulldogs received that production from guards Jake Ottensmeier and Brendan Gelly and forward Grant Fleming.
Ottensmeier paced HHS with a game-high 18 points while Fleming added 16 points and Gelly poured in 13 points as fifth-seeded Highland raced to a 13-point halftime lead and routed Mississippi Valley Conference foe Jerseyville 60-46 in the IHSA Class 3A regional semifinals at Cahokia High School.
Knocking out Jerseyville was a nice payback for the Bulldogs, who fell 50-36 to the Panthers on Jan. 28 at home.
“The key to the win tonight definitely started with defense because the last time we played them at home we played the worst game of the year and we knew we could get them,” Ottensmeier said.
In the third meeting between the Bulldogs and the Panthers this season, Highland’s precision-run halfcourt offense, strong guard play from Ottensmeier, Gelly, and Cade Altadonna and gritty man-to-man defense proved decisive.
Highland came out smoking in the first quarter as Ottensmeier drilled a pair of 3-pointers and Gelly knocked down a trey, pushing HHS out to a quick 9-3 lead.
Overall, Ottensmeier scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.
Another trey from Gelly extended the lead to 24-9 with 4:45 left in the first half. A Tanner Brunaugh bucket brought the Panthers to within 26-16 but an 8-5 run keyed by a Fleming 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 34-21 edge at the break. Fleming’s 16-point night was a career-high for the Bulldog freshman.
Highland coach Deryl Cunningham was pleased with the strong early execution and leadership from his guards.
“I thought we came out and made shots and our leaders led us,” Cunningham said. “Cade Altadonna, Jake Ottensmeier, and Brendan (Gelly), I thought those guys were super for us to do what we needed to do and coming out and setting the tone for us.”
A three-ball from Ayden Kanallakan got the Panthers within striking distance at 49-38 with 3:57 left but a pair of Altadonna free throws and a Trey Koishor back-door layup pushed the Bulldogs back ahead by 15. Highland then pulled away in the final three minutes to end the Panthers season at 13-17 overall.
Kanallakan led Jerseyville with 15 points and Jaxon Brunaugh added 10 points.
Highland catches fire
Since losing to Breese Central 48-38 on Jan. 29, the Bulldogs have caught fire with a five-game win streak. Cunningham, who missed about six weeks due to his kidney transplant in early December, said the biggest change for the club was it took a few weeks for the players to get back in sync with him on the floor.
“I think the biggest thing that changed for us in the past few weeks is me coming back after dealing with the kidney transplant and the kids adjusting to me coaching again,” Cunningham said. “When I came back, I think we knew it (the adjustment) wasn’t going to happen in a day or two — it was going to take a couple of weeks. I also had a lot of things to work out and through after the kidney transplant, so that factored into it when I came back to coach.”
Bulldogs fall in regional title game
Highland battled but ultimately fell to top-seeded East St. Louis 78-57 in the regional championship game Friday, Feb. 25.
The Bulldogs forged a 9-9 tie after the first quarter and still only trailed by 10 after three quarters. However, the Flyers outscored Highland 26-15 the final eight minutes to pull away.
HHS finished the season at 14-17. East St. Louis improved to 25-5.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 9:13 AM.