Mater Dei stays undefeated with win over South Spencer

• Final: Mater Dei 50, South Spencer 36

Mater Dei doesn’t have one player it can rely on to lead its offense anymore.

Devan Straub scored 20 points per game last year as a senior, but only one other player averaged at least 10. So the Wildcats are emphasizing ball movement because many of them haven’t been key contributors before, especially in crucial situations.

After sputtering through the first three quarters of Friday’s game against South Spencer, Mater Dei’s seniors stepped up. The trio of Connor Ricketts, Ethan Dale and Jared Abney each finished in double figures on their way to a 50-36 home victory.

“We’re hoping to get some more flow to it and start to figure it out,” coach Kurt Wildeman said. “This time of year might not always be pretty, we just have to find ways to win.”

Neither team established much rhythm in the first half but Mater Dei (2-0) executed its game plan of keeping the ball moving and defending the perimeter.

Late in the first quarter, the Wildcats passed at least 20 times in about 90 seconds before attempting a shot. They’d pass inside, then back out and around the perimeter. The possession didn’t result in points, but it kept everyone involved.

“We want to start inside-out and kick it out to the shooters if we get open shots,” Ricketts said. “When we get the ball moving it’s hard to stop.”

They were tied 9-9 after the first quarter before Mater Dei took a 25-18 lead into the half. Offense reduced again in the third, which involved a combined 15 points.

Although the Wildcats weren’t scoring as much as they would have liked, they didn’t trail after the first quarter and their defense kept the pressure off the offense.

Mater Dei opened the fourth on an 8-0 run thanks to stops on defense that led to fast-break opportunities on the other end. Logan Carter, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, either blocked or disrupted multiple South Spencer shots during the final eight minutes.

“We came out a little slow but we’ve got some good guys step up like Logan (Carter) and Sam (Fulton),” Dale said. “They got the ball inside and we got to score a lot with them and started hitting shots as a team.”

Dale finished with a game-high 13 points, seven coming in the fourth. Ricketts (11) and Abney (10) also finished in double figures.

“They’re all finding the ball in their hands at the end of these games in crucial spots,” Wildeman said. “It was nice those guys were able to make some plays.”

Dylan Kelly and Matthew Embry scored 12 and 11, respectively, to account for exactly half of the Rebels’ points.

The Wildcats started last year 0-2 against the same teams, which each have new coaches this year. They understand it’s still early, but they’re finding ways to win and are gaining confidence.

Mater Dei plays again at 5:30 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Perry Central (2-0).

“It’s a process,” Wildeman said. “We’ve kind of struggled on the offensive end to this point but to the kids’ credit, they’ve managed to get two wins so we’ll certainly take it.”