The Glasgow boys won a decisive victory over Sturgeon, 63-45, Friday night to cap off a week of Homecoming activities.

The Yellowjackets are now 10-4 overall heading into their third regular-season tournament of the year.

Glasgow benefitted from a stellar 40-point performance from Jordan Fuemmeler. The senior surpassed 2,000 career points early in the season and has not slowed down.

Fuemmeler delivered the opening shot of the game, a 3-pointer 75 seconds in. But Sturgeon came to play, answering with a triple from junior Josh Kelly, who would go on to lead his team with 16 points on the night.

“He can really score,” said Glasgow coach Mick Cropp about the athletic Kelly. “Everything he made tonight was a tough shot.”

Cropp knew Kelly would be the Bulldogs’ scoring threat, so he gave the assignment to his best defensive player, junior Zach Sayler.

“That’s a credit to Zach. He’s really our defensive guy,” Cropp said. “He’s got a tough night in, night out, and he does a great job.”

And while the Jackets had an answer for Kelly, the Bulldogs could do nothing to slow down Fuemmeler, one of the premier Class 2 players in the state.

“The biggest thing with Jordan is he scores in so many different ways,” Cropp said. “He can shoot threes. He can penetrate. Shoot in the mid-range. He can get to the basket. He can get out in transition. He can get steals and go shoot.”

After trailing by 19 points heading into the fourth quarter, Sturgeon started to mount a comeback. Senior Paden Pollock got things going with a 3-point shot. Then, fellow senior Ethan Benskin added a bucket for a quick five-point run.

But once again, Glasgow had an answer. Senior Ryan Graves banked a three from the left corner. Then, it was all Fuemmeler. The senior scored Glasgow’s final 14 points to preserve the lopsided win.

“They hit a couple of shots, and it kind of tightened up a little bit. But, we just settled down and did what we needed to do,” Cropp said.

Sturgeon came as close as 12 points with an 11-0 run midway through the period, but the damage done in the first three quarters was too much to overcome. Glasgow held the Bulldogs to just 27 points in the first three quarters.

“If you can keep a team under 10 points in a quarter, you’re going to be pretty successful,” said Cropp.

Fuemmeler not only scored a game-high 40 points, but he also made all 12 of his free-throw chances.

Glasgow finished 16-for-18 from the line. Sophomore Jackson Meyer and Graves each finished with six points. Sayler posted five, including a 3-pointer in the first quarter.

Kelley paced Sturgeon with 16 points, followed by freshman Langdon Pindell with 11, and Benskin with eight.

Both teams hop back into tournament action this week. The Bulldogs are the sixth seed in their own tournament that boasts top area teams such as state-ranked Salisbury and New Franklin, and Westran.

Glasgow earned the top seed as the defending champion in the 43rd Annual Wildcat Classic in Slater and was to face winless Jamestown at 6 p.m. on Tuesday after the Advertiser went to press. A win would advance the Jackets to the championship semifinals on Thursday.

Should the bracket play out as seeded, Glasgow could face second-seeded Slater in the title game. It would be the third matchup this season. The Yellowjackets lost a thriller, 78-74, to the Wildcats in the opening round of the Glasgow Tournament in November. Last Thursday, the Jackets thumped the Wildcats 71-51 in their own gym.

The two teams will meet up again in Glasgow on February 13 but could see each other again in the Class 2 District 7 Tournament. In all, Glasgow and Slater could play one another five times this season.

Cropp said he is anxious to play new teams, especially as his team climbs up to Class 2 after earning a trip to the Class 1 state semifinals a year ago. But he said playing such teams as Brunswick, Pilot Grove, and the host team in the Slater Tournament will help prepare his players for the postseason.

“There’s some familiarity there, which is good for preparation, but it gets a little old playing the same teams,” Cropp said.

This marks Glasgow’s final opportunity to win a tournament this season. A first-round stumble cost the Jackets in their own tournament early in the season. Glasgow then drew possibly the toughest competition in the state at the Salisbury Tournament, finishing runner-up to the host team for the title on Jan. 6. Salisbury is the reigning Class 2 state champion and holds the top ranking in the state.

With the top seed, Glasgow is the clear favorite to win the Wildcat Classic for the second year in a row.