With two seconds remaining and the Fillmore Central boys leading by one point, Spring Grove junior Elijah Solum hit a 3-point jump shot for a two-point Lion lead. After a time-out and with one second to play, Caleb Griffin intercepted the Falcons’ half-court inbounds pass, was fouled and hit two free throws with two-tenths of a second on the clock to create the final 69-65 score.
Photo by Paul Trende
Most of the key players for both teams in this year’s game at Spring Grove were also major contributors in last year’s clash at Preston with an eerily-similar, last-seconds situation. Last year, Fillmore Central took a one-point lead with 27 seconds to play. A last-second shot by Solum did not go in, and the home team fans exhaled a sigh of relief. This year, the Falcons took a one-point lead with 26 seconds to play, and Solum’s shot sent the home team fans into delirious celebration.
Solum finished with a game-high 22 points. Teammate Tysen Grinde supplied 17 points and team-highs with both 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Jacob Olerud added 13 points while hitting 5 of 8 shots, including 3 of 5 beyond the arc. He had 2 assists with no turnovers. Griffin (8 points) had 3 steals and 3 assists with only a single turnover.
Four Falcons scored in double figures, led by Luke Hellickson with a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double. Dillon O’Connor added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jayce Kiehne put in 13 points to go with 7 boards and 4 assists. Gunner Benson netted another 13 points while Bryce Corson passed out 6 assists.
Fillmore Central led early by as many as five points (12-7), but after six early lead changes, the Lions ran off eight straight points on the way to a 36-30 halftime lead. They appeared to be taking control with an 8-to-2 run to start the second half with a 12-point cushion (44-32).
But Fillmore Central remained relevant while scoring on 11 of 16 possessions. The Falcons pulled within one point (57-56) with 3:20 to play, but they were back down by five (64-59) with 1:01 remaining. However, after three Falcon free throws followed by a rare Lion turnover, Hellickson drilled a corner 3-ball with 26 seconds to play to put Fillmore Central ahead (65-64) for the first time since 25-24.
Spring Grove did not call a time-out before working for a final shot. Taking an assist pass from Olerud, Solum nailed the 3-point jump shot. The Falcons called a time-out, but only one and two-tenths of a second remained. Then Griffin leapt high in a crowd to pick off the desperation pass to the half-line.
It was fitting that both field goals in the final half-minute were 3-pointers – one by each team.
The Lions’ last two baskets and the Falcons’ final three were all treys. Both teams sizzled from 3-point land, the Falcons 41% (9 for 22) and the Lions with a season-high 58% (11 for 19), matching a season 11 made treys. Grove did not have as much success with 2-point attempts (43%) or with free throws (50%, 6 for 12). Hitting 8 of 10 charity shots, the Falcons finished with two more free throws and the Lions with two more treys.
The Lions exhibited their usual steady ball-handling with only nine turnovers. Fillmore Central compensated for a 10-turnover disparity with a 12-rebound advantage (FC 32, SG 20) and was only the second team in 19 games to outscore Spring Grove with fast breaks, 11 to 2, and the first to outscore the Lions in the paint, 32-30.
Five-loss Fillmore Central came in not as heralded as state-ranked No. 11, one-loss Spring Grove, but four of the five Falcon losses had come against larger Class AA clubs: Caledonia, La Crescent-Hokah, Plainview-Elgin-Millville and Chatfield. Both teams entered this non-conference Monday meeting after high-intensity Friday night conference victories – the Falcons over neighborhood rival Rushford-Peterson and the Lions over state-ranked Lyle/Pacelli. Spring Grove improved to 18-1; Fillmore Central left at 13-6.
Before last year’s loss at Preston, Spring Grove had won the previous 11 against Fillmore Central and now lead the highly-competitive series, 19 wins to 17.
Spring Grove won the B-team game, 46-38, and the C-team game, 47-32. Fillmore Central took both the eighth grade match-up, 42-15, and the seventh grade game, 39-34.
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SG 69, FC 65
SCORE by HALVES
SG 36+33=69
FC 30+35=65
TEAM TOTALS:
all FG: SG 48% (26-54), FC 47% (24-51)
2-pt FG: SG 43% (15-35), FC 52% (15-29)
3-pt FG: SG 58% (11-19), FC 41% (9-22)
Free throws: SG 50% (6-12, FC 80% (8-10)
Rebounds: SG 20, FC 32; Turnovers: SG 9, FC 19; 2nd Chance pts: SG 3, FC 9; Fast break pts: SG 2, FC 11; Pts. in paint: SG 30, FC 32;; Greatest lead: SG 12, FC 5; Fouls: SG 13, FC 16
SG INDIVIDUALS: P-points, R rebounds, A-assists, S-steals, B-blocked shots. Listed in order of jersey number. * starter. *Caleb Griffin 8P, 1R, 3A, 3S; *Tysen Grinde 17P, 8R, 5A, 2S, 1B; Hunter Holland 1R; Jacob Olerud 13P, 3R, 2A, 2S; *Jaxon Strinmoen 6P, 2R, 3A, 3S, 2B; *Elijah Solum 22P, 4R, 3A, 1S, 1B
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Spring Grove Boys Basketball 2023
* SEC game, home games in bold
18 wins, 1 loss (14-0 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
Thur. 02-09 Southland*
Sat. 02-11 Rushford-Peterson 5:45 pm
Mon. 02-13 Kingsland*
Thur. 02-16 at LeRoy-Ostrander*
Fri. 02-17 Grand Meadow*
Mon. 02-20 Mabel-Canton*
Fri. 02-24 at Houston*
Sat. 02-25 Lyle/Pacelli (approx. 5:15 p.m.)
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Spring Grove B-team
14 wins, 3 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
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Spring Grove 8th Grade
6 wins, 5 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
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Spring Grove 7th Grade
8 wins, 3 losses
W at Lanesboro 48-24
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