NAPPANEE — Will Stueve wasn’t merely perfect. He also blew up any chance of any opponent around him flirting with perfection.

Not only did the NorthWood High School junior go 10-of-10 from the field and 8-of-8 at the line on the way to shattering his previous career-high with 28 points, but he registered eight blocked shots during the Panthers’ 66-53 victory over Glenn on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The 6-foot-5 post man also notched three steals to round out one of the area’s most eye-catching boys basketball statistical performances in recent memory.

And, Stueve did it coming off the bench, his efforts helping NorthWood (12-6) pull away late on its way to snapping a maddening five-game losing streak.

“I enjoy coming off the bench,” Stueve insisted Wednesday of his typical role. “However I can help our team is fine with me.”

“Will Stueve is the ultimate teammate,” Panther coach Aaron Wolfe said. “I think you can see it by how he genuinely encourages his teammates. He’s a fantastic person, a hard worker and it would be hard for you to get anything not too humble to come out of him.”

That’s OK, the coach will oblige in this particular instance.

“Think about it — when you throw in the eight blocked shots and the three steals, he was basically responsible for 11 defensive stops by himself,” Wolfe said. “And he scores 28 points and doesn’t miss a shot.”

Stueve, averaging 6.6 points on the season, rang up his numbers against Glenn in less than 23 minutes.

“I don’t think it’s a game I’m going to forget for a while,” Stueve admitted, “but it was just nice to help our team get the W.”

Stueve, who carries a 3.92 grade point average, passed on much of the credit for Tuesday to his primary passer.

“It was just Kyle McCoy giving me great passes,” Stueve said of NorthWood’s junior point guard who wound up with 11 assists overall. “He had so many of the assists on my baskets, most of them.”

Stueve acknowledged that he was “pretty surprised” when he learned of his sparkling numbers after the game, but added, “I do remember towards the end of the game thinking I hadn’t missed any (shots), and getting nervous.”

For Stueve, it was his second straight career-high point night on efficient shooting. He also scored 17 points in the Panthers’ 60-57 overtime loss last week to Memorial, going 4 of 6 from the field and 9 of 10 at the line, and in that one he added team highs of five rebounds and four blocks while chalking up 35 minutes of action.

That night, he got a rare start due to team scoring leader Zach Zurcher being out ill. Stueve’s role also has increased of late through No. 2 scorer Jonathan Wilkinson being slowed by sickness. McCoy recently missed a game due to illness, too.

“The guys who have been sick have all lost 10 or more pounds because they just haven’t felt like eating with those sore throats,” Wolfe said this week as his club prepared for Friday’s visit to Bremen. “(Zurcher and Wilkinson) are probably about halfway to being themselves.”

With multiple players slowed or out, with a string of quality opponents and with the Panthers’ most recent losses being close — they fell by one in overtime to Concord and by three at West Noble — Wolfe said there was no reason for his club, which was 11-1 at one time, to panic during the losing streak.

“I don’t think we did, but I also think it’s always nice to win again,” Wolfe said. “What winning can do better than losing is reinforce some of the things you’ve been working on.”

For Stueve, some of his work comes during summer workouts directed by his grandfather, Ted Wesolek, who was head coach at Wakarusa for seven years during the 1960s.

“He goes to Florida for the winter,” Stueve said, “but in the summer he’s always working with me, getting me to work and giving me advice. He’s a big help.”

@Breakout heads 08:Boys Basketball Schedule

Friday, Feb. 15

• Central (5-13) at SB St. Joseph (9-8)

• Jimtown (6-11) at Concord (16-1)

• Goshen (11-6) at Westview (17-1)

• Northridge (8-10) at Lakeland (6-11)

• NorthWood (12-6) at Bremen (9-8)

• Churubusco (2-17) at Fairfield (9-10)

• Marian (9-8) at Penn (13-4)

• FW South (2-14) at Wawasee (5-13)

• Benton Bucks (18-9) at Clinton Christian (16-6)

• Dowagiac (15-1) at Edwardsburg (13-3)

Saturday, Feb. 16

• Elkhart Christian (12-5) at Argos (5-13)

• Bethany Christian (3-14) at LaVille (12-6)