MFL MarMac builds lead with 3-point barrage, beats Alburnett, 71-59

DYERSVILLE - The future's going to be really good. Let Austin Schoulte describe the present of MFL MarMac boys' basketball.

'We're not done, yet,” the senior guard said, after his team's 71-59 win over Alburnett in a Class 2A district opener Monday night.

The Bulldogs hit seven 3-pointers in the first half, built a 23-point lead after three quarters and kind of had to hang on. Alburnett closed within nine in the final minute, but the rally was significantly too little and too late.

'I thought we played real well in the first half,” said MFL MarMac Coach Eric Dettbarn. 'I thought the kids played with a lot of intensity, and we hit shots, which is key for us. When we are hitting our perimeter shots, everything just seems to kind of flow off that. We play better defense and everything.”

MFL MarMac (13-9), a traditionally strong program, starts three sophomores and usually brings a sophomore and freshman off the bench for important minutes. The Bulldogs played without the reserve sophomore, Bryar Ruff, who was out sick.

Sophomore shooter Tristen Kautman finished with four 3-pointers and 28 points. Schoulte had two treys and 21 points.

'We consider ourselves a 3-point shooting team,” Schoulte said. 'But we settle a lot and get into the mode of just shooting. We need to attacck the basket more.”

'We shot the ball really well in the first half tonight and played really good defense. We helped out and talked a lot,” Kautman said. 'The second half, we came out flat, but we did what we had to do to come out with the ‘W.'”

Alburnett (14-7) got a team-high 18 points from guard Joey Philipp. He put on a shooting clinic in the fourth, making four 3-pointers, all from significantly past the line.

Max Fulk added 15 points for the Pirates. MFL MarMac plays third-ranked Monticello (19-2) in a district semifinal Thursday night here.