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Walter Berns was the catalyst, but he received plenty of help from his teammates while helping La Crosse Aquinas remain undefeated in the early portion of the 2022-23 season.

Berns scored 24 points, blocked four shots and was a presence on the glass as Aquinas pulled away from a two-point lead early in the second half to notch a convincing 65-50 triumph over host Poynette Saturday evening. 

It was the third win in as many tries this week for Aquinas, which played all three contests without 6-foot-4 junior forward Shane Willenbring, who is on a mission trip. 

Earlier in the week, Aquinas defeated Holmen and Mauston, and now the Blugolds, who boast a 4-0 record, have some time off before meeting La Crosse Logan next Friday.

Poynette, on the other hand, slipped to 0-3 on the season, but coach Cody Odegaard's team was competitive until the final few minutes as senior Aiden Klosky (6-5) made a successful season debut with a team-high 22 points.

Aquinas played an aggressive 2-3 zone defense for much of the contest and the quick hands of guards Andrew Sutton (6-0) and Jonathan Skemp (6-0) made it difficult for Poynette to get much going in the lane.

In fact, Sutton and Skemp, along with freshman Logan Becker and junior Tanner Peterson, tipped the ball away from Poynette players at opportune times in the second half, and those deflections lead to breakout layups that gave Aquinas the cushion it needed to post the triumph.

"Our defense was pretty stout tonight and we did well on the boards in the second half," Aquinas coach Brad Reinhart said. "We were able to get some tips and deflections in our zone, thanks to the quick hands of Andrew and Jonathan. That allowed us to get out in transition and get some baskets."  

Late in the second half with the score still close, Berns took things over, scoring on multiple possessions with his quick first step, his outstanding elevation and his aggressiveness going to the basket.

After averaging 4.6 points for a senior-dominated squad a year ago, Berns is off to a quick start during his junior season. He is leading the Blugolds in scoring at 23.0 ppg after netting 24 against Poynette, including 12 down the stretch.

"We shared the ball better against their zone in the second half and we found open players," Reinhart said. "Walter has such a good touch and such good athleticism around the basket. He was very good for us.

"What we haven't seen yet in games, but what we see every day in practice, is Walter's ability to make three-point shots. Once that comes, he will be really tough to defend."

Sutton also had a very good game for Aquinas as the senior point guard finished with 12 points and showed poise and patience when the game got a bit rugged. 

"Andrew does a good job of making us go," Reinhart said. "He makes good decisions with the ball."

Peterson, a physical 6-foot-2 wing, added 11 points and had a nice scoring spree early in the second half for Aquinas, which returns to Mississippi Valley Conference play with its road game at Logan Friday.

Klosky missed the first two games of the season and Poynette dearly missed his scoring, rebounding and leadership in losses to Adams-Friendship and Portage.

With the soft shooting, 6-foot-5 lefty back in the lineup Saturday, Poynette looked much better at times and played a solid Aquinas club even through the first 22 minutes of the contest.

But there was some rust in Klosky's game and his teammates might need another game or two to get comfortable playing alongside their talented teammate.

"Obviously, having Aiden back is nice," Odegaard said. "It affects our chemistry a bit as our guys try to used to playing with him again. Aiden's ability to score inside and outside is a big plus for us. He can score inside with his size and strength or step outside and shoot it out to the volleyball line."

Klosky led Poynette with 22 points, drilling three baskets from outside the arc. But Aquinas' swarming defense and fatigue may have hurt Klosky and the Pumas over the final eight minutes of the game. 

"We had it down to two points, and then four points, and then two points again," Odegaard said. "We just couldn't get over the hump of getting the next stop to get a chance to tie it or take the lead.

"We have to work on our fundaments ... ball handling, passing. We have to work on not turning it over as much."

In addition to Klosky's 22 points,. senior guard Kamery Colstad (5-11) had a strong game for Poynette, finishing with three triples and 10 points. 

Poynette returns to action Tuesday at Deerfield.

"It will be another tough game," Odegaard said. "We put together a challenging schedule, playing in the Capitol North and then non-league games against quality teams like Aquinas. We think it will prepare us well for the Division 4 playoffs." 

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