Section 1A quarterfinal boys basketball games followed two entirely different trends on the two nights they occurred. Games on Monday were blow-outs, near from the start. Games on Tuesdays were hotly contested affairs that went right down to the wire.
Monday Mismatches
To start the work week, guys teams trekked to Rochester for their first neutral court play-off games. Kingsland (7-seed, 17-10) took on Randolph (2-seed, 24-2). Grand Meadow (6-seed, 19-8) took on Rushford-Peterson (3-seed, 17-10). High seeds dominated the action. The Knights and Rockets first took the floor and it was all team double-R. Kingsland scored just six points over its first 23 possessions (2-17 FGs). Randolph’s defense stifled the Knights perimeter attack. The Rockets jumped out 14-0 and led 32-6 (under 4:00 left in the half). At that point, Rocket leading scorer Carsyn Gunderson’s 20 points more than tripled the Kingsland team out-put. Kingsland finished the half 13-2, including leading scorer Wyatt Pruter getting his first points on the rare six free throw possession (fouled, technical, fouled again). They went to half down a more modest 15 (32-17). But Randolph’s offense rolled the entire night, out-matching John Fenske’s guys. The Rockets hit 30 of 53 shots (56.6%) including 8 of 21 threes (38.1%). Kingsland went 10 of 51 (19.6%) and 5 of 31 (16.1%). Randolph, who beat team double-K 78-62 in early December SEC action, cruised to 78-40 win. Gunderson (26 pts, 3-6 threes, 9-14 FGs, 5-6 FTs), a 6’4” senior G/F, led the way for the victors. He came in averaging 19.1 points per game. Scoring 14 points in the second, Joey Erickson was the only other Rocket in double figures (17 pts, 3-5 threes, 7-10 FGs, 8 rebs). Five other Randolph players had either 6 of 7 points. Seniors Reid Kruegel (11 pts, 3-9 threes) and Pruter (10 pts, 8-11 FTs, 1-13 FGs) led the Knights, who finish a solid campaign at 17-11. The 9-man senior class also includes starting guard Nick Wernimont, Jacob Welch, Bradyn Willford, Josh Warren, Austin Stephans, and Reese Wolf. The Knights will have seven guys who dressed varsity this year returning next season.
The “nightcap” then had R-P taking the floor versus GM. The Trojans weren’t so definitive out of the gate. But it was a gradual and steady first half blow-out. R-P’s longest scoring spurt was just 7-0, but they did it twice. They also went 6-0 twice. Keyed by the mostly interior play of freshman Justin Ruberg (13 pts), Chris Drinkall’s Trojans led 37-16 at intermission. The second half wasn’t much different. R-P’s defense limited GM to a mostly perimeter attack. Meanwhile, the Trojan offense basically scored two-out-of-every-three possessions. Included was an eight straight possession scoring streak past the midway point of the second half that made the final score lob-sided. The defending section champs prevailed handily 71-45. Four Trojans hit double figures; Ruberg (15 pts, 7-12 FGs, 7 rebs, 5 asts), Landon Skalet (13 pts, 5-5 FGs, 5 rebs, 6 asts), Luke O’Hare (11 pts, 5 rebs, 7 asts), and Kobe Lind (13 pts, 4-4 FTs). Frosh guard Malachi Bunke added 9 points (3-4 threes). GM was led by Colt Landers (13 pts), Austin Funk (11 pts, 7 rebs), and Ethan Lane (11 pts, 6 rebs). GM took the place of Kingsland shooting-wise, going 4 of 23 (17.4%) from deep and 13 of 49 (26.5%) field goals. R-P took Randolph’s place, going 8 of 17 from deep (47%) and 28 of 47 from the field (59.6%). GM was a perfect 15 of 15 at the free throw line and the teams combined for single-digit turnovers, R-P maybe a program low four, GM maybe a program low five. It will be R-P (3-seed, 18-10) versus Randolph (2-seed, 25-2) in one 1A semifinal. The Rockets beat the Trojans over the holidays 64-46, just one night after the Rockets lost to Spring Grove 66-45. The Trojans beat SG 69-65.
To the End Tuesday
The other side of the bracket took to the courts on Tuesday at Mayo Auditorium. Fans were treated in contests between Spring Grove (1-seed, 20-4) and Houston (8-seed, 13-14), Blooming Prairie (5-seed, 18-6) and Hayfield (4-seed, 23-4). The first game had the Lions and Hurricanes doing battle. On paper, it looked like a mismatch. The teams twice played in the regular season, SG winning 53-37 and 74-47. Moveover, the ‘Canes’ last win over the Lions was in 2003, over 30-some games ago! Since 2004-2005, Houston had just one single-digit loss game to SG (50-47 in 2010-2011). Since 1993, SG is 55-1 versus Houston (thanks Lee Epps). But that’s why they play the games, and Trent Vix’s Hurricanes were maybe one made shot away from a huge upset. The Lions started the game 12-4, getting an exclamation dunk from Caden Grinde. Houston had five turnovers and it looked like Lion/Hurricane boys basketball normalcy. But the ‘Canes countered Lion senior four-year starter Alex Folz with long Mikkel Schutte defensively. Folz still got some, but it curtailed the SG attack. While only one team each game on Monday brought its defense, the Lions and ‘Canes each battled. Houston rallied from the 12-4 hole, getting 12 points from recent 1,000-point scoring junior guard Alex Van Gundy. They out-scored SG 23-15 to end the stanza, and made the halftime score even, 27-27. Defense was again strong to start the second half. It took each team more than five possessions to score. Houston led 32-28, only for a 9-2 Lion run. But James Hongerholt subsequently hit his second three of the game to tie the contest at 37. With around 7:00 left, Lion Takoda Boyd scored to give SG a 41-39 lead. It was the game’s last meaningful field goal, the games second to last made field goal period. The teams then combined to go scoreless for 13 straight possessions, Houston fighting off another SG defensive change, the 1-3-1 zone (Tom Vix is on the SG staff). With 1:58 left, with the score still 41-39, Houston took possession. After some passing, a Trent Vix time-out, and with 0:23 ticks left, Caiden Danielson took a go-ahead three. It was a solid look, but it didn’t fall. Lion Kai Bjerke ended up with the ball and was fouled. With zero points in the game, he sank two super critical free throws to make it 43-39 Lions (19.6). After a ‘Cane missed two, Folz added a couple more freebies. Schutte hit a meaningless three at the buzzer, Houston’s only made field goal over its final eleven possessions. The Lions escaped 45-42. Folz led all scorers (16 pts, 6-17 FGs, 6 rebs). He was the only Lion in double figures. Grinde added 8 points, Ethan Matzke and Noah Elton each 7. A-Van Gundy (12 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls) and Hongerholt (12 pts, 5 rebs) got there for the ‘Canes. Danielson (9 pts, 5 rebs) and Schutte (7 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts) helped. Turnovers were key, as Houston had 16 to SG’s 8. SG went 17 of 49 from the field (28.6%), Houston 17 of 40 (42.5%). After a 12 of 23 first half (52.2%), the ‘Canes were 5 of 17 in the second (29.4%). SG’s aim loosened in the second stanza too, as they went 5 of 20 (25%) after a 12 of 29 (41.4%) first 18 minutes. Houston’s injury-noted, hit-and-miss season ends at 13-15. The ‘Canes were a couple games better than 2017-2018, when they went 11-17. They notched a pair of 1,000-point scores (Hongerholt, Alex Van Gundy) in the same season, a high school rarity. Hongerholt and Connor Van Gundy are the two graduating seniors who played full-time. The senior class also includes Jaytin Millen, Dakota Stampka, Kyle Twite, Jacob Becker, and Chace Stroh. Coach Trent Vix will return four of his top six for next year, seven total players off this year’s squad. In the other game, Hayfield out-lasted BP by a 50-48 in another to-the-end finish. Games between R-P/Randolph and SG/Hayfield, originally scheduled for Saturday the 9th, were postponed (weather) to Wednesday the 13th.
Photo by Paul Trende