Redemption.

That was the focus last week for Greg Koetting’s Vienna Eagle basketball team after a 53-38 loss to Chamois last Tuesday during first-round action at the 81st Tipton Boys Basketball Tournament.

After sending La Monte to the seventh-place game with a 73-35 win over the Vikings, the Eagles earned a spot in the consolation championship game Friday night opposite New Bloomfield’s Wildcats.

Leading 12-6 after one quarter and 27-16 at halftime, Koetting’s Vienna squad went on to post a 55-36 victory over the Wildcats to end their tournament week at Tipton with a 2-1 record.

Dropping in 14 points during both the third and fourth quarters against New Bloomfield, Vienna outscored the Wildcats in all four quarters Friday night.

Firing in nine second-half points, Nathan Kleffner led the Eagle offense with a game-high 16 points. Trey Snodgrass joined Kleffner in double figures with 12 points by scoring six in each half.

Averaging double figures in scoring throughout all three games in Tipton, Kleffner and Shockley were both selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Bayrd VanScoy just missed making it a trio of Eagles in double figures finishing with eight points. He was also presented with a sportsmanship award from tournament officials at Tipton.

Also helping Vienna to consolation hardware at Tipton against New Bloomfield were Landon Parmeley with four of his six points coming from the free-throw line.

Spencer Magner and Layne Hogshooter both added five points while Tyler Collins chipped in three points to round out the Eagle scoring against New Bloomfield.

Vienna vs. La Monte

Falling to Chamois in first-round action at Tipton, Vienna looked to even their overall record to 2-2 with a victory in the consolation semifinals over La Monte’s Vikings.

Blitzing La Monte 26-8 in the first quarter, Koetting’s Eagles finished the fourth quarter with a running clock during their 73-35 victory over the Vikings.

Limiting La Monte to eight second-quarter points, Vienna added 21 to take a 47-16 halftime lead.

Unconscious from 3-point land, Kleffner hit five of them in the first half helping him to 19 points over the first 16 minutes of basketball against the Vikings.

Outscoring La Monte 26-17 in the second half, Vienna finished the game with four Eagles in double figures.

Doing the majority of his damage in the first half, Kleffner led VHS and all scorers with a game-high 21 points.

Also reaching double figures for the Eagles with 10 points each were Daniel Casey, VanScoy and Parmeley.

Hogshooter and Snodgrass each chipped in seven points to go along with four points apiece from Magner and Collins.

Jaden Harshner led the Vikings with a team-high 14 points. Logan Mahin also finished in double figures for La Monte with 11 points.

VanScoy and Snodgrass led VHS with 10 points each in their 53-38 first-round loss to Chamois at Tipton last Tuesday.