Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm's Owen Castleman (25) shoots a 3-pointer during a Section 2AAA Boys Basketball Tournament game against Mankato West Wednesday at Mankato West High School.

MANKATO — New Ulm’s season came to an end with a 79-52 loss to Mankato West Wednesday in the opening round of the Section 2AAA Boys Basketball Tournament.

“We struggled all game to keep our guy in front of us,” New Ulm head coach Matt Dennis said. “We threw some things at them, and we just didn’t have that ‘It’ tonight, that it-factor. They knocked down some shots, they played a nice, balanced game. [Kyle] Steinke’s obviously a great player on the inside. And not just because he can score it, he also finds different guys. He did a great job tonight when we tried to throw traps at him, he handled it very well. They were patient, they were poised, they executed, and we did at times but for the most part, we didn’t have ‘It’ tonight.”

Levi Hopp led the Eagles with 19 points, while Joey Wise had 8 points. Noah Mertz added 7 points for New Ulm.

New Ulm initially took a 6-4 lead, with Zach Hubbard scoring a layup and Levi Hopp making two buckets from mid range. Hubbard left the game with a left leg injury, however, and West went on a 13-0 run to take a 17-6 lead and force a New Ulm timeout.

New Ulm kept it even for a few possessions, with Brady Dennis making a floater and Wise making a layup through a foul, but West went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-point lead. The Eagles got the game back to 33-21 with a 3-pointer from Mitchell Hopp, but West took a 10-2 run into halftime with a 43-23 lead.

West had another 10-0 run in the second half to go up 55-27, and the Scarlets were able to keep the lead large for the remainder of the game. New Ulm did finish the game with an 11-3 run, with Mertz scoring all seven of his points in the stretch, but West continued to lead for the 25-point win.

New Ulm finishes the season with a 9-18 record and graduates two seniors in Nick Risen and Dain Barie.

“I’m proud of these guys,” coach Dennis said. “We battled hard. We came a long way since November. We had a nice run a couple of weeks ago, we won six out of seven with some really big wins in there. It showed that there’s something in this group. We’re very, very proud of them, and we’re proud of the seniors being the leaders.

“We talked about Nick Risen and Dain Barie and how they were very team-oriented guys, always. They wanted team success over personal glory. They played with heart, they played with passion. As a lesson to young guys, I’m very glad they got to play with those two guys. They showed them humility and the greater good. I never questioned their hearts ever, those two seniors, and like I said in the locker room, what more could you ask from a human being.”