Boys Basketball

Basketball: Spring Grove Teams Streaking

Spring Grove’s b-ball teams kept up their excellent seasons with a combined 5-0 week. Taylor Elton’s girls first took on Kingsland. SG trailed 24-20 early in the second half, but rebounded by hitting 8 of 16 trifectas in the stanza. They had a stretch of five possessions with four threes made and a three-point play to build a 38-29 lead. The Lions were 11 of 34 (32%) from deep for the game, Kingsland 4 of 25 (16%). SG posted a 59-43 win. Kinley Soiney (27 pts, 4-9 threes, 7-9 FTs, 11 rebs) led the way. Kylie Hammel 15 pts (3-9 threes) and Emerson Ingvalson 11 pts (3-8 threes, 5 asts, 5 stls) helped. Katelyn Hauser 22 pts (7-14 FGs, 3-8 threes, 5-7 FTs) led the Knights. Chantle Reiland added 5 (pts), 8 (rebs), and 4 (asts). Hauser made 7 of 14 FGs. The rest of the Knights were 7 of 36. At Turkey Valley, SG trailed 27-22 at halftime. After 12 lead changes, SG separated with the first 12 points of the second half. They prevailed 48-40. Soiney (20 pts, 11 rebs, 7 stls) was again big. Hammel (10 pts) and Ingvalson (9 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts, 5 stls) helped. Hosting Schaeffer, SG scored 29 fast-break points in a 55-33 win. Siri Konkel (14 pts, 5 rebs, 7 asts), Ingvalson (12 pts, 5 rebs), Hammel (6 pts, 10 rebs), and Kendal VanMinsel (8 pts) did work. Meanwhile, the #11 in Class A boys trailed Kingsland 24-17 at halftime then more than doubled (35 points) there first-half production after the break. There were nine lead changes before the Lions outscored the Knights 26-2 to start the second half. Wade Grinde’s guys prevailed 52-39. Jaxon Strinmoen (20 pts, 9 rebs) led the Lions. Elijah Solum (14 pts), Ben Udstuen (9 pts, 10 rebs), and Jacob Olerud (6 pts, 7 rebs, 6 stls) helped. Jayden Brink (19 pts, 3-11 threes, 4-5 FTs) led the Knights. Courtland Drury-DeBoer added 9 (pts) and 6 (rebs). SG won the first meeting 60-40. Schaeffer Academy then fell 67-44. SG played with only two turnovers all game but trailed 19-18 before a 13-2 run heading into halftime. Strinmoen (29 pts, 9 rebs, 7 stls) had a huge game. Udstuen (12 pts, 5 rebs), Solum (12 pts, 5 rebs), and Ethan Crouch (6 pts, 5 asts) helped. Both Lion teams lead their leagues. The girls (11-0, 16-2) lead the SEC over Houston (8-1, 11-7). They have won eight straight. The boys (11-1, 13-1) handily lead the SEC-East over Houston (6-6, 9-7). They have won seven straight.

Boys Basketball: #17 Trojans Run Streak to Four

Rushford-Peterson’s boys posted two wins to run their win streak to four. They have achieved 15 wins, the first “Journal-covered” boys team to do so. The #17 in A Trojans first dispatched with Chatfield 77-48. R-P hit 11 of 27 threes (41%), 25 of 52 FGs (48%), and 15 of 20 free throws (75%). They notched their 12th double-digit made-three game. Freshman Cayden Lea (25 pts, 3-4 threes, 7-10 FGs, 8-9 FTs) and senior Dawson Bunke (23 pts, 5-13 threes, 4 rebs, 5 asts) had big games. Will LaFleur (8 pts) and Sampson Wilkemeyer (6 pts, 7 rebs, 4 stls) helped. Bunke authored his seventh game with five-plus made threes. Carson Harstad (18 pts, 4-8 threes) led the Gophers, helped by Masyn Kreter (12 pts). Chris Drinkall’s group then snuck past Cotter 68-66 in overtime. Bunke hit two free throws with 1:02 left to tie the game 54-54. Each team then had a shot at the win but could not convert. Bunke then hit a big three in OT to make it 66-60 (0:33). Lea followed with two free throws to make it 68-63 in the final 15 seconds. Cotter hit a three at the buzzer. The Trojans never trailed in overtime. Bunke (21 pts, 3-8 threes, 10 rebs) and Lea (20 pts, 6-9 FGs, 6-7 FTs, 4 asts) did big work again. Caden Johnson (12 pts, 8-8 FTs, 7 rebs) helped. R-P (6-3, 15-4) has won seven of eight. The Ramblers (7-3, 13-3) had a five-game win streak snapped.

Boys Basketball: Cougars Drop West Leader #13 Southland on Buzzer-Beater

It is the most dramatic ending to a basketball game. The buzzer-beater. Mabel-Canton notched one of their biggest wins in a while that way in upsetting SEC-West leading #13 in A Southland. A first half hot spell (7 of 8 FGs) led M-C to build a 38-27 lead. The edge was 43-33 at intermission. M-C was 17 of 30 from the field (57%) in the stanza. But the Rebels, who hold a victory over Spring Grove, got back into it. A Noah Georgen three (5:20) gave the Rebels their first second half lead at 55-54. But Cougar senior Cayden Tollefsrud immediately replied with a shot-clock dwindling, bank-in three over 6’5” Nick Edland. When Cole Miller hit a three (2:05) to again put the Rebels back in front 60-58, Tollefsrud quickly answered to make it 61-60 (1:55). Isaac Underbakke hit a three on M-C’s next possession for a 64-60 lead (1:19). But after a Gavin Nelsen three (0:37), Cougar Riley Snell missed the front-end of a one-and-one. Jonah Wiste hit a lane jumper with 0:07.5 left to tie the game 65-65. With 5.6 left, Underbakke got the ball up the court and tossed up a running three. It missed, but caromed oddly to the base-line where Tyler Larson grabbed it, and drilled a 14-footer as time expired for the win, 67-65! Tollefsrud (20 pts, 7-14 FGs, 4-7 threes, 8 rebs, 6 asts) continued his impressive string of 20 or more points in every game.

Underbakke (15 pts, 3-8 threes, 8 rebs), Larson (15 pts, 5 rebs, 4 asts), Hayden Erickson (6 pts, 9 rebs), and Snell (7 pts, 6 rebs) made it a team effort. Edland (21 pts, 9-14 FGs, 10 rebs) and Nelsen (17 pts, 4 asts, 4 stls) led the Rebels (9-2, 12-3), which left the game still leading the West over Kingsland (10-3, 11-3). M-C improved to 5-7, 7-10.

Boys Basketball: Short-Handed Warriors Fall in East 1st Place Game

In a game for first place in the TRC-East, #7 in AA Caledonia (8-0, 13-3) took on La Crescent/Hokah (9-0, 13-5). The Warriors were down starters Lewis Doyle and Reid Klug. The Lancers ultimately took advantage. Brad King’s group led 27-19 in the first stanza only for the Lancers to have two 6-0 runs to close to within one (32-31) at intermission. Caledonia then built a 43-35 lead in the second half. But the Warriors scored just three points over ten possessions. Lancer Keaton Holter scored his only points on trifecta to give the Lancers a 53-52 lead (6:14), their first since 14-11. Gunnar Esser then scored seven straight, the last a put-back basket (after a Warrior turnover) that put LC/H up 60-59 (1:42). Over the last 4-plus minutes, Caledonia scored one point (0-5 FGs, three TOs). Down 60-59 in the final minute, they missed a go-ahead three. After Parker McQuin sank two free throws, the Warriors got their free throw to make it 62-60 (0:10.4). Esser then hit two free throws (0:09.7) to ice it. The Lancers (10-0, 14-5) took over first in the TRC-East over the Warriors (8-1, 13-4) via a 64-60 final. Mason King had a game-high 21 points (3-4 threes, 7 rebs, 4 asts) to lead Caledonia. Will Hahn (13 pts, 7 rebs), Garrett Konz (12 pts, 5 rebs), and Ethan Stendel (7 pts, 14 rebs, 4 blks) helped. McQuin (15 pts, 5 asts, 4 stls), Esser (14 pts, 5 rebs), Brady Grupa (12 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts), and Berkley Mlsna (12 pts, 4 stls) led LCH. Down point guard Doyle, Caledonia had 14 turnovers, LCH seven. The Lancers hit 8 of 23 threes (35%) including 5 of 11 in the second half. The Warriors were 5 of 15 from deep (33%), 1 of 7 after intermission. It was LCH’s first win over Cal since the 2010 play-offs.

Three Rivers Conference Boys Basketball (1/23 – 1/25)

#7 in AA Caledonia 77, St. Charles 38 (C: Ethan Stendel 14 pts; Garrett Konz 14 pts; Ben Stemper 11 pts (three threes); Will Hahn 10 pts; Mason King 10 pts; Aaron Stemper 9 pts. Warriors built a 48-15 halftime lead and got five in double figures. It is the 11th time at least four Warriors have made double-figures in a game (10-1))

Chatfield 63, Lewiston-Altura 87 (C: C. Harstad 23 pts (4-4 FTs, 3-8 threes); Tobin McMahon 12 pts; Cole Novotny 7 pts, 9 rebs, 5 asts. LA hit 19 of 26 FTs (73%), Chatfield 5 of 8 (63%). Gophers > 0-9, 2-17)

Southeast Conference Boys Basketball (1/22 – 1/26)

Kingsland 65, Houston 63 in OT (K: J. Brink 28 pts (7-12 threes, 10-17 FGs), 5 stls; M. Erdman 18 pts (3-7 threes), 10 rebs; Courtland Drury-DeBoer 11 pts, 5 rebs; Ayden Howard 3 pts, 9 rebs (six offensive). H: M. Rohweder 23 pts (5-10 threes, 4-4 FTs), 9 rebs; Carter Geiwitz 16 pts (3-4 threes), 9 rebs, 6 asts, 3 blks; Zach Olson 18 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts, 5 stls. Game was tied 53-53 at the end of regulation. Each team hit 10 threes, Kingsland 10 of 29 (34%), Houston 10 of 21 (48%). The Knights were plus-four at the free throw line, 9 of 19 (47%) to 5 of 11 (45%). Knights (10-3, 11-3) staved off the record upset by the Hurricanes (6-6, 9-7). Kingsland picked up its 10th win. It was Houston’s second straight overtime game (beat L-O 64-52))

Schaeffer Academy 60, Mabel-Canton 55 (M-C: C. Tollefsrud 23 pts (5-18 threes), 8 rebs; Isaac Underbakke 15 pts (7-13 FGs), 6 rebs, 8 asts; Hayden Erickson 5 pts, 11 rebs; Riley Snell 7 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asts, 6 stls. SA led by 19 in the first half and the Cougars then got as close as two)

Grand Meadow 31, #13 in A Southland 93 (GM: Carter Glynn 14 pts (3-10 threes))

Mabel-Canton 61, Lyle/Pacelli 75 (M-C: C. Tollefsrud 22 pts, 9 rebs; I. Underbakke 18 pts (3-9 threes), 9 rebs, 5 asts; H. Erickson 10 pts, 6 rebs. L/P hit 10 of 30 threes (33%), M-C 5 of 32 (16%))
Lanesboro 74, LeRoy-Ostrander 55 (L: M Howard 26 pts (8-16 threes); Kaden Stettler 8 pts, 7 rebs, 11 asts; Will Harvey 15 pts (3-9 threes), 5 asts; Caden Johnson 9 pts, 8 rebs; David Harvey 7 pts, 9 rebs. L-O: C. Hungerholt 23 pts (3-9 threes), 5 rebs, 5 stls; Carter Sweeney 15 pts (5-14 threes), 7 rebs; R. Hungerholt 8 pts. Burros ended a four-game losing streak)

Houston 67, Glenville-Emmons 59 (H: M. Rohweder 27 pts (6-7 threes, 10-13 FGs), 5 rebs; C. Geiwitz 15 pts, 6 rebs; Maddox Rodriguez 15 pts (7-12 FGs). Houston trailed 29-28 at halftime, hit 8 of 15 threes (53%) for the game, led by Rohweder)

LeRoy-Ostrander 69, Kingsland 88 (K: M. Erdman 26 pts (10-19 FGs, 4-5 FTs), 20 rebs; C. Drury-DeBoer 17 pts (7-13 FGs), 5 asts; J. Brink 13 pts (3-7 threes), 5 rebs, 4 asts; Kaaleem Reiland 12 pts, 4 asts; Gavin Hubka 10 pts, 6 rebs. LO: C. Hungerholt 38 pts (13-18 FTs, 3-9 threes); R. Hungerholt 21 pts (7-10 FTs). Knights (10-3, 11-3) picked up their 10th win. L-O > 6-7, 6-12)

Lyle/Pacelli 53, Houston 78 (H: M. Rohweder 36 pts (9-13 threes, 12-19 FGs), 8 rebs, 4 asts; M. Rodriguez 18 pts (8-10 FGs), 7 rebs; C. Gewitz 11 pts (4-6 FGs), 7 rebs, 6 asts. Shooting 56%, the Hurricanes (6-6, 9-7) avenged a prior 66-51 loss)

Glenville-Emmons 62, Lanesboro 74 (L: M. Howard 20 pts (4-5 FTs), 5 asts, 5 stls; K. Stettler 14 pts, 7 rebs; D. Harvey 17 pts, 11 rebs; C. Johnson 6 pts, 12 rebs. Wolverines had 23 turnovers, Lanesboro 13. Burros > 5-7, 5-11)