Photo by Lee Epps
Spring Grove (18-2, 24-3) posted three wins during the final week of the regular season, but the #12 Lions needed second-half surges to complete SEC sweeps of Mabel-Canton (9-9, 13-12) and Houston (10-10, 15-11) before busing to St. Paul to defeat #15 Nevis (18-6). Grove won 65-50 at M-C but led by only six points at halftime, it was tied 34-34 in the second half, and SG led by only four (49-45) with six minutes left. The Lions finished on a 16-5 run. They never trailed in the game. The Lions persevered through their worst three-point shooting of the season (11%, 2 for 18) but shot a season-high 71% inside the arc and had only five turnovers. M-C’s Tyler Larson nailed five of 13 treys (17 pts) while Cayden Tollefsrud scored 19. For SG, Jaxon Strinmoen scored 20 points (8-9 FTs, 9 rebs), Elijah Solum 18 (8-12 FGs), Jacob Olerud 10 and Ben Udstuen 9. In the 64-38 home win versus Houston, SG led by only five points at halftime before a 17-0 second-half run. Averaging 11 turnovers a game, SG had 11 in the first half, scoring only 24 points versus Houston before halftime. The Lions then played the next 17 possessions without a turnover and put the game away with their big run. Udstuen led with 17 points, 8 rebounds. Strinmoen added 14 (pts), 6 (rebs), and 6 (asts). Morgan Rohweder (13 pts, 5 rebs) led Houston. Alex Wedl added 8 (pts) and 5 (rebs). In the 58-50 win against Nevis, the Lions scored the last eight points of the first half to take a nine-point lead into halftime of a game they eventually won by eight. Nevis then twice got back within two points, twice within one, but each time SG answered with points on the other end. The Lions hit 9 of 11 free throws in the final three and half minutes. Solum put in 25 points. Strinmoen added 13 (pts) and 7 (rebs). Olerud helped with 9 points, Udstuen 8. Ethan Crouch had 6 assists. Winners of six straight, the #12 Lions (18-2, 24-3) are 1A’s 2-seed, will host 15-seed Lanesboro (8-19). Houston (10-10, 15-11) is 1A’s 10-seed, plays at 7-seed FC (14-13).