The Spring Grove boys, with the No. 2 section seed, eliminated No. 7 Randolph, 39-24, in a low-scoring March 7 quarterfinal at Rochester. The defenses were stout and stingy as each offense was limited to the fewest points of the season. The two cold-shooting squads combined for only 63 points, the fewest in a Spring Grove boys’ game in 73 years. Nevertheless, the state-ranked No. 7 Lions (27-1) were the better ball-handlers and achieved 27 wins for only the second time in program history. The Rockets closed at 16-11.
Photo by Lee Epps
After five early lead changes and Randolph bogged down with 17 first-half turnovers, the Lions scored 13 of the last 16 points heading into halftime. The Grove guys played the last half of that first half without returning all-conference and 1,000-point scorer Tysen Grinde, who was in foul trouble. But the Lions’ other returning All-SEC and 1,000-point scorer, Elijah Solum, drove into the lane to score six points during that critical 13-to-3 tell-tale scoring run, which also featured 5 points and back-to-back steals by Caleb Griffin.
Solum would finish with a team-high 12 points while Griffin added 9 points and Grinde 8 (6 for 6 free throws). Jacob Olerud (4 points) would match a career-high with 6 steals, and Griffin would come away with 4 thefts. Jaxon Strinmoen (4 points) led Lion glass-cleaners with 7 rebounds.
The Rockets, who used an all-senior, six-player rotation, had size inside where 6-foot-5 Trey Thielbar had team-highs with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double and 6-4 Tyson Cooreman 4 points and 9 rebounds.
Free throws were falling, but unfortunately for shooters, there were far fewer free throws attempted than 3-point shots. The Rockets went 4 for 4 from the foul line while the Lions were 10-for-12 with half of those attempts coming late when Randolph was forced to foul. Both teams shot reasonably well with 2-point shots (SG 42%, Randolph 44%), but both were a woeful 13% from 3-point land (SG 3 for 24, Randolph 2 for 16). And both teams attempted almost as many 3-point shots as 2-pointers.
Down 21-12 at halftime after 17 turnovers, the Rockets would take better care of the ball with 7 turnovers following the break, but shooting remained disastrous. Randolph, after not scoring during the last 4:26 of the first half, went scoreless for the first eight and a half minutes of the second half. After leading early 9-8, the Rockets scored on only one of their next 23 possessions. By that time, the Lions led by 15 points (27-12) and went on the win by 15.
Spring Grove also had better ball-handling during the second half and finished with only 9 total turnovers, achieving single digits for the 15th time in 28 games. But with the shooting woes and a season-low 6 assists, the Lions had fewer assists than turnovers for only the fourth time in 28 games.
Baskets were difficult to come by. The Lion defense came up with the usual double-digit steal total, but the 16 thefts resulted in only one fast-break basket, a steal and assist from Strinmoen for a Grinde breakaway, fast-break flush.
Spring Grove had won a game last year with only 39 points, but the 63 total points scored in this section contest were the fewest in a Lion boys’ game since the 63 scored when they defeated Rushford, 35-28, back in 1950.
Spring Grove now leads the series versus Randolph, 9 wins to 3. This was their second postseason meeting after the Lions secured their only state tourney berth by defeating the Rockets in the 2019 section championship game.
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SG 39, Randolph 24
SCORE by HALVES
SG 21+18=39
Ran 12+12=24
TEAM TOTALS:
all FG: SG 27% (13-48), Ran 28% (9-32)
2-pt FG: SG 42% (10-24), Ran 44% (7-16)
3-pt FG: SG 13% (3-24), Ran 13% (2-16)
Free throws: SG 83% (10-12), Ran 100% (4-4); Rebounds: SG 24, Ran 31; Turnovers: SG 9, Ran 24; 2nd Chance pts: SG 11, Ran 2; Fast break pts: SG 2, Ran 5; Pts. in paint: SG 19, Ran 12; Greatest lead: SG 17, Ran 2; Fouls: SG 11, Ran 16
SG INDIVIDUALS: P-points, R rebounds, A-assists, S-steals, B-blocked shots. Listed in order of jersey number. * starter. *Caleb Griffin 9P, 2R, 1A, 4S; Isaac Nerstad no stats; *Tysen Grinde 8P, 5R, 2A, 2S; Hunter Holland no stats; Josh Newgaard no stats; *Ethan Crouch 2P, 3R, 1S, 1B; Logan Brumm no stats; Jacob Olerud 4P, 2R, 6S; Dane Edgington 1R; *Jaxon Strinmoen 4P, 7R, 1A, 1S, 1B; *Elijah Solum 12P, 4R, 2A, 2S
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Spring Grove Boys Basketball 2023
SEC games in bold
27 wins, 1 loss (20-0 SEC)
W at Lanesboro 71-52
W at Glenville-Emmons 75-27
L vs. Dawson-Boyd 57-66
W vs. Higher Ground Academy 83-39
W at Southland 57-33
W vs. Mankato Loyola 61-54
W at Grand Meadow 64-27
W at Mabel-Canton 85-36
W at Schaeffer Academy 69-37
W vs. Houston 67-21
W vs. Lanesboro 60-46
W at Kingsland 72-37
W vs. La Crescent-Hokah 66-63
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 65-35
W vs. LeRoy-Ostrander 81-27
W at LeRoy-Ostrander 93-24
W vs. Glenville-Emmons 72-31
W at Lyle/Pacelli 46-40
W vs. Fillmore Central 69-65
W vs Southland 47-42 OT
W vs. Rushford-Peterson 56-45
W vs. Kingsland59-23
W vs. Grand Meadow64-24
W vs. Mabel-Canton49-34
W at Houston 77-36
W vs. Lyle/Pacelli 53-38
SECTION 1A TOURNAMENT – #2 seed
W vs. #15 Mabel-Canton 71-33
W vs. #7 Randolph 39-24
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Spring Grove B-team
17 wins, 5 losses
W at Lanesboro 45-20
W at Glenville-Emmons 53-31
W vs. Dawson-Boyd 34-30
W vs. Higher Ground Academy 52-13
L at Southland 35-47
W vs. Loyola 46-23
W at Mabel-Canton 45-9
Wat Schaeffer Academy 61-25
W vs. Houston 52-19
W vs. Lanesboro 35-24
L at Kingsland 41-44
L vs. La Crescent-Hokah 30-31
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 49-25
W at LeRoy-Ostrander 54-18
W vs. Glenville-Emmons 57-36
W at Lyle/Pacelli 26-24
W vs. Fillmore Central 46-38
L vs. Southland 27-36
L vs. Rushford-Peterson 42-46
W vs. Kingsland 53-28
W vs. Mabel-Canton 55-28
W at Houston 51-14
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Spring Grove 8th Grade
12 wins, 8 losses
W at Lanesboro 48-24
L at Caledonia 29-37
L at Southland 41-55
W at Grand Meadow 48-14
W at Mabel-Canton 53-30
W at Schaeffer Academy 41-31
W vs. Houston 49-18
L vs. Kingsland 12-43
L vs. La Crescent-Hokah 31-50
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 38-26
L vs. Fillmore Central 15-42
L vs. Southland 42-54
L vs. Caledonia 32-42
W vs. Rushford-Peterson 38-28
W vs. Lanesboro 44-22
L vs. Kingsland 29-41
W vs. Grand Meadow 49-13
W vs. Mabel-Canton 38-24
W at Lansing Kee 40-29
W at Houston 44-37
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Spring Grove 7th Grade
11 wins, 8 losses
L at Lanesboro 23-28
L a Caledonia 23-26
W at Southland 29-26
W at Mabel-Canton 36-32
W at Schaeffer Academy 31-15
W vs. Houston 38-21
W vs. Kingsland 25-20
L vs. La Crescent-Hokah 20-27
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 26-13
W at LeRoy-Ostrander 23-21
L vs. Fillmore Central 34-39
W vs. Southland 34-18
L vs. Caledonia 26-31
L vs. Rushford-Peterson 19-30
L vs. Lanesboro 28-40
W vs. Kingsland 32-25
L vs. Mabel-Canton 29-41
W at Lansing Kee 31-20
W at Houston 46-43
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