1/24 GOTW: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Byron

(ABC 6 News) – The Kasson-Mantorville boys basketball team visited Byron Friday night for the SCHEELS Game of the Week, which is powered by Rochester Motor Cars.

The Bears had a fairly strong start, thanks to the offensive play of junior Jake Braaten and the versatility of sophomore Ahjany Lee. The two got the Bears in a groove early in the first half.

But the Komets bench answered the bell. Senior Jordan Kern shot the lights out in the first half hitting a handful of shots behind the arc to give his team some momentum. The Bears had a hard time taking care of the ball, thanks in part to the pesky play of Komets junior Jace Bigelow, who capitalized on a few steals with transition points.

"If we stop them we’re going to get out early, get transition points, and it takes away a lot of their confidence if we’re getting steals on defense," Bigelow said.

In the second half, though, the Bears buckled down on both ends, limiting turnovers and allowing the Komets to score just 19 points in the final 18 minutes.

A strong second half helps the Bears come away with a 65-51 win.