Falk, Elizalde lead Spartans to 3-0 start
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/12/2023 (747 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Neelin Spartans juniors know they left their friends in a tough spot last year when five Grade 10s played up on the varsity team.
The JVs struggled, winning just four games in a long season. But they learned and grew, and now they have a chance to surpass that win total before the holiday break. Neelin beat the Northlands Parkway Nighthawks 69-60, then the Dauphin Clippers 97-65 on its home court on Friday to win Pool E in the Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational’s Source for Sports (Tier 2) Division.
“It’s big for them that they got to play a lot last year and experience being ‘the guy,’” said Grade 11 forward Owen Falk, who’s in his second year of varsity.
Felip Elizalde of the Neelin Spartans drives against Dauphin's Nick Hudyma during the 20th annual Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational at Neelin on Friday.
(Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
“So they’re feeling really good about it and everyone else on the team is feeling really good about it as well because with all the Grade 12s being gone, a lot of us have had to step up and do our thing.”
Falk chuckled that he surprised himself with his ball handling in this one. He said while last season his job was to grab rebounds and play defence, he loved the increased offensive workload coming his way.
And he’s doing something with it.
Falk dropped 25 points against Dauphin, scoring from the three-point line, on put backs and creating his own shots off the dribble.
Still, he wouldn’t consider calling himself the best scorer on the team. It’d be tough to argue against Felip Elizalde after his 38 points against the Clippers.
“It’s not good,” Falk chuckled of guarding Elizalde in practice.
“He has great ball handling. He’s just so quick he can get by guys pretty much whenever he wants. He’s a great passer, he can finish great, he’s good in every aspect of the game.”
The senior guard drilled a long three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to put Neelin up 51-32 and kept scoring at a steady clip from everywhere on the floor.
The Spartans’ rewards for finishing first are a chance to sleep in and an 11:40 a.m., clash with last year’s BSSI Tier 2 champion Selkirk Royals.
Selkirk defeated Glenboro-Baldur, Swan Valley and Sanford to win Pool H.
The other semifinal at 9:50 a.m. features St. John’s Ravenscourt and Steinbach Regional.
Owen Falk scored 25 points as the Neelin Spartans beat the Dauphin Clippers 97-65 on Friday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
The final is set for 5:10 p.m., at Neelin.
“We definitely have to clean up our defensive rebounding. Boxing out and valuing the ball are the two biggest things, and playing as a team more, moving the ball more,” Falk said.
“All of our team has been really great so far. Everyone’s a great teammate, really nice and I think we’re going to do good things.”
HUDYMA, CLIPPERS SHOW PROMISE
Nick Hudyma put up 27 points for Dauphin and it truly looked like he left another 15-20 out there, even as the Spartans clamped down with double-teams when he entered the paint.
The six-foot guard played nearly the entire game against Neelin and feels his team can hang with some of the best AAA schools in Manitoba now.
“I’m feeling really good about this group. We have a very strong team, well-coached team and I believe we’re going to go far this season,” Hudyma said.
“I want us to go far in provincials this year and I believe it’s realistic for our team.”
Hudyma, whose older sister Cali plays for the Brandon University women’s basketball team, jumped up to varsity in Grade 10 and was immediately a key piece of Dauphin’s lineup.
He’s a talented scorer and possibly a better playmaker when he wants to be. He admitted the ball needed to move more against the Spartans, who defend well as a team and help when one guy gets beat off the dribble.
Still, Hudyma completed a bunch of three-point plays with tough finishes at the rim. That’s something he’s worked hard on during off-seasons.
Nick Hudyma of the Dauphin Clippers hits the ground for a loose ball. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
“I’ve worked a lot with my older cousins and my family with big people at the rim and just finding ways to score around them,” Hudyma said.
“Early mornings and late nights, working with my sister obviously and … working on the fundamentals in my game.
“My dad (head coach Steve Hudyma) helped out a lot with that stuff.”
Only one thing seems to fire Nick up more than an and-one: Drawing a charge. He did it a few times on Friday and let out a yell that filled the Neelin gym
“I like a charge more than an and-one for sure, just getting the defensive stop and getting the opportunity to go back on offence,” he said. “Nothing feels worse than giving a charge in a game so taking one just feels great.”
The Clippers settled for second in the pool, which means an 8 a.m., tilt today as they try to finish fifth.
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
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