Adrian junior guard Brett Block rejects a shot by a Minneota player during Monday’s boys’ basketball game in Adrian. Block netted 14 points to help the Dragons post a 61-44 non-conference win over the Vikings.By John RittenhouseThe Adrian boys’ basketball team ended its holiday break by entertaining Minneota for a non-conference game Monday.The Dragons were a little rusty early in the game, but they outscored the Vikings in every quarter while securing a 61-44 victory.After falling behind 6-2 in the first quarter, Adrian ended the stanza with an 8-0 run capped by Brett Block’s field goal with 55 seconds remaining to take a 10-6 lead into the second quarter.Kyle Knips, who led the Dragons with 20 points and seven rebounds in the game, scored the first four points of the second quarter to give AHS an eight-point (14-6) cushion.Minneota battled back to trim the difference to three points at 16-13. Adrian, however, countered with an 8-0 run that ended with Block draining a field goal with 35 seconds left in the first half that made it a 24-13 game. A late free throw by the Vikings made it a 24-14 difference at the intermission.Adrian controlled play in the early stages of the third quarter and led 40-23 when Lee Stover converted a field goal at the 1:32 mark of the stanza.The Vikings trailed by 15 (42-27) at period’s end, and climbed within 11 points (46-35) of the Dragons at the 4:50 mark of the fourth quarter. Adrian countered with a 6-0 run that ended with a field goal by Knips at the 3:35 mark of the period that gave the Dragons a 52-35 lead and iced the game.Brandon Wolf and Block added 16 and 14 points to the winning cause. Wolf led AHS with four steals.The 3-2 Dragons host Hills-Beaver Creek tonight before playing road games against Southwest Star Concept and Fulda Saturday and Tuesday respectively.Box scoreWolf 4 2 2-4 16, Block 5 1 1-3 14, Weidert 0 0 0-0 0, Engelkes 0 0 0-0 0, K.Knips 10 0 0-1 20, Brake 2 0 0-0 4, Stover 2 0 0-0 4, C.Knips 1 0 1-2 3.Team statisticsAdrian: 27 of 54 field goals (50 percent), four of 10 free throws (40 percent), 27 rebounds, 10 turnovers.Minneota: 17 of 47 field goals (36 percent), eight of 15 free throws (53 percent), 22 rebounds, 15 turnovers.
