Sunbright Duo Save Best for Last in Victories Over Wartburg

By Terry Futrell

Sunbright Lady Tiger Casie Newport and Tiger Colton Nitzschke saved their best performance until the last home game of their high school careers in front of a packed house. Newport poured in a career-high 27 points to lead the Lady Tigers in a 64-59 victory over Wartburg. Nitzschke put the icing on the cake as he scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Tigers in a hard-fought 87-78 victory over the Bulldogs.

With two of the best defensive teams in District 3-1A facing each other, the girls game was expected to be a low-scoring defensive battle. Someone forgot to tell that to Newport, who poured in 19 points in the first half for the Lady Tigers. Newport’s teammates added 20 points as the Tigers took a 39-22 halftime lead over the Lady Bulldogs, who were held to seven baskets in the first half.

But bulldogs are known for their tenacity, and so it was with the Wartburg Lady Bulldogs. Behind a stepped-up defense and the sharpshooting of Elizabeth Keathley, with 13 points in the second half, coupled with the driving penetration of Olivia Davis, who added eight points in the second half, Wartburg came roaring back and took the lead 53-52 with 3:58 remaining in the game. Though connecting on only one basket in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers made 11 of 15 free throws in the final quarter to surge ahead to claim a 64-59 victory.

Newport led the Lady Tigers with 27 points, Alexis Northrup added 15 points, and Ashlin Trent scored 9nine points from the post position. Keathley led Wartburg with 19 points, Davis scored 14 points, and Edye Ann Williams added 12 points.

The boys game promised just as much excitement as the two best point guards in District 3-1A, Wartburg’s Tanner Johnson and Sunbright’s Colton Nitzschke, faced each other. Wartburg took a 22-16 first quarter lead in the fast-paced game, with Johnson pouring in eight points and Nitzschke scoring six points. Nitzschke led a Sunbright comeback in the second quarter by scoring 10 points, while Johnson was limited to two free throws. With the score tied 36-36, Sunbright’s Cole Branstetter fired up a shot at the buzzer from beyond the half-court line – swish! Sunbright took a 39-36 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers built their lead to 67-56 at the end of three, but the Bulldogs roared back as Caleb Quinney buried three treys in the final quarter and Johnson scored 17 points. The Tigers had balanced scoring in the fourth period, with Nitzschke, Jonah Freels, Logan Kries, and Garrett Rogers contributing critical scores, and held on for the 87-78 victory.

Nitzschke led Sunbright with 36 points, Branstetter added 18 points, and Freels scored 15 points. Johnson paced Wartburg with 27 points, Quinney tallied five treys for 15 points, and Elijah Heinz added 14 points.