It was time again for the annual holiday tournament in Lester Praire where Kimball first matched up against Delano Dec. 27. The Cubs were unable to keep the game close although they fought hard until the final horn losing by a score of 69-42. The Cubs were led in scoring by Neil Helgeson with 15 points; Pat Libbesmeier had 12 points, Danny Jensen and Travis Erickson each had 5 points; Bobby Arens scored 3 points; while Jared Mackereth had 2 points to round out the scoring. Losing to Delano meant the Cubs would play against Lester Prairie Dec. 28 in the third place game. Kimball jumped out in front early with a full court press and worked hard for easy baskets at the rim. However, the young Cubs let their opponent take the lead back and Lester Prairie built a 24-17 alftime lead. In the second half, Kimball continued to play solid defense, rebounded very well, and clawed back into the game, giving themselves a shot at a win on the final possession. Down by 1 point with 8.5 seconds remaining, the young Cubs marched down the court against full court pressure, attempting a field goal with two seconds left that bounced off the front of the rim. Crashing the boards and playing the role of hero was Jared Mackereth, who grabbed the offensive rebound, shot it back up at the rim, and watched it sink through the net as the buzzer sounded, giving the young Cubs an exciting 37-36 win. Kimball was again led in scoring by Neil Helgeson with 15 points; Pat Libbesmeier and Bobby Arens each had 10 points; while Mackereth’s 2 points completed the scoring. The win was the JV Cubs first of the season as they look to keep improving at every opportunity. Next, Kimball plays ECHO Charter at home Jan. 3. Jeremy Kuechle
