Whitko’s Devon Adkins slices to the bucket for two against Bremen in an 80-69 victory at the Westview Boys Basketball Sectional Wednesday night. (Photos by Mike Deak)

EMMA – Whitko showed the rest of the Westview Sectional it came to play, ringing up an 80-69 win over Bremen Wednesday night in game one of a tripleheader at the Class 2-A sectional.

Moved to Wednesday due to the snowstorm that hit the area Tuesday night, Whitko needed a few minutes to get going, but then sent an avalanche of points on Bremen. Trailing 8-2 to start the game, Whitko responded with an 11-2 run, and later up just three entering the fourth quarter, snowballed a 9-0 run to assert itself.

River West wasn’t alone in reacting to being fouled on a three-point make in the fourth quarter.

The key run was the open to the fourth quarter, where Devon Adkins drilled a three to open the scoring, and River West then scored six straight points after converting an and-one on a three. West’s free throw made it 61-49 and forced Bremen into a chase mode it couldn’t make up.

“For a four-win team, they didn’t quit at all and came to win tonight,” said Whitko head coach Roger Fleetwood of Bremen. “Any win in the sectional is a sweet win.”

A three from Bryce Cassel would get Bremen within six with 45 seconds to play, but a heady play from Nate Walpole, who whistled a pass out of a double team to a wide open Tanner Gaff, allowed Gaff to put Whitko up eight and seal the deal.

Walpole was up to his usual tricks again Wednesday, scoring 29 points but added 12 assists and five boards. Bremen made no bones to double and sometimes triple team the junior guard, but Walpole still managed seven field goals and was 14-16 from the free throw line. Burying three-of-three free throws on a foul call in the second quarter, Walpole had officially settled in, which was the Bat Signal for the sectional to take notice.

Nate Walpole cut up Bremen for 29 points Wednesday night.

“I felt like I needed to start doing something more than I did in the first quarter, and started to feel more comfortable in the second,” said an exhausted Walpole in the lockerroom afterwards. “It wasn’t really working in the first half, and I started finding my teammates more. Some of those gaps they left gave me some looks, and I started hitting some shots. I felt like everything came together for us tonight.”

The Robin to Whitko’s Batman, River West, was steady against a Bremen team that slowly drifted his way. West didn’t seem to mind the attention, scoring 20 points, the biggest blow the four-point play in the fourth quarter. West also added eight rebounds in his performance.

Gaff played a huge role with Bremen’s physical inside presence and tallied 13 points and seven boards. Adkins finished his night with 12 points and four boards. Spencer Sroufe scored just two points for the Wildcats, getting into foul trouble in the second half, but had four boards and a pair of blocks, forcing Bremen to readjust several shot attempts.

Matt Box led Bremen (4-19) with 18 points and Cassel scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. Ryan Topper scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half for the Lions.

“We had everything to lose and they had nothing to lose and that’s why they came out relaxed and made all of their shots and we started the way we did,” said Fleetwood. “I didn’t want that kind of start, but I expected that kind of start.

We’re just glad to be getting out of this game alive.”

Whitko (14-9) moves to the sectional semi-finals to take on a much improved Westview (11-11) squad, winners of four of its last six games. The Whitko-Westview matchup will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. The sectional championship game is slated for Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Game two of the night had Prairie Heights knock out LaVille 62-53. Heights was led by Austin Penick’s 28 points and 18 more from Cody Bachelor. Adam Steinke dropped in 26 for the Lancers. The Heights (12-12) will face Central Noble (13-11) in the second semi-final Friday night after the Cougars hit a buzzer-beater to knock out who many felt was the favorite in the tournament, Fremont, 57-55. Central was led by 21 points from Kaleb Smith and 16 from Reeve Zolman. The Eagles bow out at 16-7 overall, led by Logan Pentecost’s 14 points and 12 points each from Wade Regadanz and Cooper Wall.

Whitko’s Spencer Sroufe rejects Bremen’s Matt Box.