By NATE BEIER | For the County Line
Before the onset of cancellations and postponements due to the impending threat of the coronavirus, there was a glimmer of March Madness.
The Royall boys basketball team kicked off its regional tournament with a buzzer-beating shot to lift itself over Gilmanton on March 3. Though Royall would move on, it would fall at the hands of Lincoln in Alma Center just three days later. Royall’s win in the quarterfinal round, however, makes us remember a time when we were all optimistic about what lay ahead, no matter the odds.
The Panthers struggled to find their footing against visiting Gilmanton in a Division 5 regional quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 3. Royall fell behind big in the second half, trailing by as many as 15 with around eight minutes to go. However, the Panthers fought back to give themselves a chance at redemption.
Royall tied the game at 61 with half a minute to go. The defense forced a Gilmanton turnover shortly afterward and looked for one last shot to win the game. Keith Schnurr caught a pass and flipped it to Nate Vieth, who was just to the right of the top of the key. His shot, which was counted as a 3-pointer, went in, and the team celebrated its come-from-behind victory.
ield goals hadn’t come easy for Royall’s Nate Veith during the game, however. The sophomore was just 2–12 from the floor before hitting the game-winner. Vieth ended with 7 points, but led the team with sevenrebounds.
Schnurr and fellow senior Brenden Ziems combined for 26 points, as each scored 13. Schnurr was 7–11 at the free throw line and had a team-high five assists. Ziems ended with a steal and block.
Bryce Gruen was 4–5 in 3-point attempts, ending in 12 points.
Gilmanton’s Jarin Rud posted a game-high 20 points, while teammate Tyler Brantner added 15.
Lincoln 52, Royall 43
Only 4 points separated the Panthers from their hosts, the Lincoln Hornets, at halftime on Friday, March 6. A small push by the home team in the second half helped further divide the two teams, which ended in a 9-point win for Lincoln, thus ending Royall’s season.
Lincoln, which won the Large Dairyland Conference title with Whitehall this year, outrebounded Royall 37–19 on the strength of a 16-board performance by Ethan Breheim. Brenden Ziems led Royall with five rebounds.
Offensively, the Hornets held the advantage as Austin Calkins scored a game-high 16 points. However, Justin Rowekamp added 14; and Breheim, 8. Royall’s Nathan Vieth connected on three 3-pointers and ended with 14 points. Schnurr chimed in for 9; and Ziems, 7. Gabe Keenan and Brady Uppena each scored 5.
Lincoln went on to lose to Blair-Taylor 59–38 in a regional final.
Royall ends the season 11–12 overall and was 7–7 in conference play.
