Boys Basketball: Hurricanes Buck Forward-Back Trend
The 2023-2024 season has been a return to competitiveness for Houston’s boys. All year, Jake Merchlewitz’s group has been alternating wins and losses in groups of ones and twos. Finally, Houston amassed three straight wins. A 64-50 win at TRC Wabasha-Kellogg (10-9) was a good victory. Morgan Rohweder scored 22 points (6-13 threes, 4-5 FTs, 5 rebs) including hitting his 200th career trifecta. Carter Geiwitz (18 pts, 3-6 threes, 6 rebs) was his best help. Zach Olson (12 pts) and Maddox Rodriguez (9 pts, 4 asts) also did work. Houston led 28-27 at halftime. They hit 11 of 29 threes (38%) for the game. At Alma, Houston posted a 57-51 win. Rohweder (27 pts, 4-9 threes, 9-9 FTs, 9 rebs) did work. Olson (15 pts, 3-5 threes, 4 asts) and Geiwitz (6 pts, 11 rebs) helped. The Hurricanes hit 10 of 19 threes (53%). Team double-H wrapped up its week topping Lanesboro 57-40. Geiwitz (15 pts, 6-6 FTs, 9 rebs) and Rohweder (13 pts, 4-4 FTs, 7 rebs) hit double figures. Alex Wedl (9 pts, 6 rebs) and Olson (8 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts) helped. Houston won despite going 2 of 14 from deep (14%). But they hit 19 of 21 free throws (90%). And Lanesboro shot 26% (14 of 55) from the field and 50% (7 of 14) from the line. Mason Howard (13 pts, 6-8 FTs), Will Harvey (11 pts, 3-7 threes), and Levi Rogers (7 pts, 9 rebs) led their effort. The Hurricanes (8-8, 13-9) had six wins the past three years combined. Their last three game win streak was in 2020.
Boys Basketball: Cougars and Burros Pile up the Points
Mabel-Canton and Lanesboro combined for 23 threes and 173 total points in a contest with 11 ties. Burro senior Mason Howard hit six first-half triples for 19 points. Matt Asleson’s group was 8 of 16 from deep in the stanza, yet led just 46-43 at halftime. In the second half, M-C went from down 60-55 to up 72-67 with a prolonged 17-7 run. Russ Larson’s Cougars ended the game scoring on 14 of 16 possessions. Tyler Larson and Isaac Underbakke hit big threes to build an 81-73 lead. Will Harvey hit a three to get Lanesboro to down 86-83 (0:26). But after seven splits at the charity stripe, Cougar Hayden Erickson hit two to cement it. The Cougars avenged an earlier loss via a 90-83 win. Cayden Tollefsrud (25 pts, 9-15 FGs, 6-9 FTs, 13 rebs, 4 asts), Riley Snell (16 pts, 4-7 threes, 6 rebs, 9 asts), Erickson (15 pts, 5-8 FGs, 4 asts), Larson (15 pts, 5-12 threes, 5 rebs), and Underbakke (14 pts, 5 asts) led M-C. Burros Howard (29 pts, 8-12 threes, 10-15 FGs, 5 rebs) and Harvey (26 pts, 4-12 threes) scored 55 points with 12 threes. Levi Rogers (11 pts, 5-6 FTs) and David Harvey (8 pts, 9 rebs) helped. Kaden Stettler (3 pts, 7 rebs, 15 asts) tied the Burro single-game assist record. Lanesboro finished 12 of 29 from deep (41%), M-C 11 of 29 (38%). The Cougars hit 17 of 28 (61%) free throws, Lanesboro 11 of 19 (58%). M-C shot 48% (31 of 65) total, Lanesboro 43% (30 of 70). It was Lanesboro’s highest scoring game, M-C’s second highest this year.
Three Rivers Conference Boys Basketball (2/8)
Chatfield 69, PEM 44 (C: Cole Novotny 12 pts; Callen Backer 9 pts (4-6 FGs). Gophers > 0-11, 2-20)
Southeast Conference Boys Basketball (2/5 – 2/9)
Glenville-Emmons 91, LeRoy-Ostrander 59 (LO’s losing streak grew to six. They beat G-E 67-53 in the first meeting)
Schaeffer Academy 63, Grand Meadow 34 (GM: Keaton Gehling 9 pts. Larks > 0-17, 0-23)
LeRoy-Ostrander 42, Lyle/Pacelli 74 (L-O: Camden Hungerholt 17 pts; Reid Hungerholt 15 pts. Cardinals > 6-11, 6-16)
Mabel-Canton 76, Schaeffer Academy 65 (M-C: T. Larson 23 pts (7-11 threes); C Tollefsrud 20 pts (5-10 threes), 7 rebs; Riley Snell 17 pts (4-5 threes, 6-7 FGs), 5 rebs, 6 asts; Isaac Underbakke 12 pts (5-6 FGs), 7 rebs, 5 asts)
Non-Conference Boys Basketball (2/6)
Rochester STEM Academy 44, Fillmore Central 76 (FC: L. Hellickson 20 pts (5-8 threes. 7-12 FGs); Greg Kennedy 14 pts (5-8 FGs, 4-5 FTs), 8 rebs. FC hit 19 of 26 free throws (73%) for their seventh win in eight tries)