WILTON

If anyone nailed this prediction, massive kudos to that individual.

The Mid-Prairie girls’ basketball team traveled to Wilton Friday night for a rematch with a Beavers’ bunch it routed by 61 points in a mid-December home game.

Not only did Wilton give the Golden Hawks a game, it pulled the outright upset in jarring fashion, 67-62, in a River Valley Conference contest at Wilton High School.

“Credit Wilton, they shot the ball extremely well, Mid-Prairie Coach Daniel Hershberger said. “They were able to find some openings and it was one of those nights where we didn’t shoot it great. Things can happen and it’s frustrating that it happened, but that is basketball sometimes.”

The stunner ended a five-game win streak (Mid-Prairie (14-4, 8-2 RVC) and was just the third time all season the Golden Hawks allowed 60 or more points in a single game.

“We’ve been playing really well lately, only allowing teams about 30 points, senior center Callie Huber said. “This is definitely a wake-up call and a good reminder for us that if we don’t play strong defense, this happens.”

Huber led Mid-Prairie with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent Wilton (4-14, 2-8) from outscoring the Golden Hawks, 40-27, after halftime.

“The biggest thing for us is we got away from playing the defense we’ve been playing the last of couple weeks,” Hershberger said. “We’ve been really good defensively. We didn’t quite have that quick step that we’ve had the last couple of times out, so we got to get back to being the aggressive defense that we have been this year.”

Brooklyn Schneider posted 12 points for Mid-Prairie, while fellow sophomore Morgyn Bender added 10 off the bench.

Senior Ashley Swift led all scorers with 18 points for Wilton, which had lost five of six games entering Friday.

Mid-Prairie’s “wake-up call” prompted a quick rebound Monday night when Huber tallied 13 points and 17 rebounds as the Golden Hawks got by Washington at home, 55-53.

After hosting Tipton Tuesday, Mid-Prairie will close the regular season Friday at Class 2A No. 2 Iowa City Regina (17-1, 10-0 RVC), a tilt which lost a bit of luster after the Wilton loss.

“It’s going to take a lot of hustle and it’s going to take very strong defense,” Huber said. “Teams like Regina, they’re very good, very talented so we’re going to have to outwork them if we want to win.”

UPSET BUG BITES M-P BOYS, TOO

One shocker became two. Must have been something in the Wilton air.

Immediately after the Mid-Prairie girls lost to a three-win Wilton team, the Golden Hawk boys charged onto the Wilton High School gymnasium floor to tussle with another three-win Beavers’ squad.

Second verse, same as the first.

“Got to give credit to Wilton, they hit shots,” Mid-Prairie Coach Daren Lambert said after the Golden Hawks were upended by Wilton, 85-82, in the second game of a River Valley Conference girl-boy doubleheader Friday night.

“(Wilton) Coach (Erik) Grunder did a great job with those guys tonight and had them playing with tremendous energy and relentless effort. At times we matched and then at times we didn’t. Ultimately what did us in there was we gave them a lot of extra possessions with them going out and getting those offensive rebounds. Any time you give up offensive rebounds, you are going to put yourself in a tough situation and when a team like them is hitting shots like they were tonight, you can’t give them those extra chances.”

Like the girls, the Mid-Prairie boys (14-4, 8-2 RVC) entered the night with wins in each of their last five contests. The Golden Hawks beat Wilton by 19 points at home in mid-December, but these Beavers had a distinct advantage compared to the first meeting … the return of Wilton’s 6-foot-5 standout sophomore Bryer Putman.

“The Putman kid being back is a big deal,” Lambert said. “We knew it was going to be a vastly different game. They started some younger guys at the beginning of the season, so they have played a lot of basketball. They’ve grown, as well. The first game, we obviously defended and rebounded much better than we did tonight. That’s probably the biggest change.”

In just his sixth game this season, Putman posted a team-high 26 points and 13 rebounds for Wilton (4-13, 2-8 RVC), which has won back-to-back games and three of five.

“We were trying to double Bryer and we couldn’t get it,” Mid-Prairie junior Bryce Henry said.

As the Golden Hawks attempted to shift more personnel to defend Putman, the Wilton supporting cast did its job. Senior Kale Caffery made eight of his 10 shot attempts and scored 18 points, while sophomore Quincy Sawvell drilled six 3-pointers to add 22 points off the bench.

“Their guys stepped up and did their job and demanded attention, as well,” Lambert said.

Henry was spectacular on the offensive end of the floor for the Golden Hawks. The 6-foot-1 guard made 13 baskets — including seven 3-pointers — and led all scorers with 35 points.

Henry was just four points from his career high (39), which he established Jan. 4 in Mid-Prairie’s win over Solon.

The scoring outburst vaulted Henry to sixth in all of Class 2A at 22.8 points per game, one spot behind Putman (23.0).

“What did us in tonight was we gave them extra chances and didn’t shut the door when we had the opportunity,” Lambert said.

Senior Brady Weber chipped in 23 points and seven assists.

“They were just more aggressive than us and we couldn’t rebound,” Henry said.

Three nights later, Mid-Prairie was unable to shake off the upset when it lost consecutive games for the first time this season after falling to Washington, 68-50, Monday at home.

The Golden Hawks will try again when they host Tipton Tuesday and travel to Iowa City Regina (16-2, 10-0 RVC) Friday.

“Just doing the fundamentals and working hard and getting a better energy than we brought tonight,” Henry said.