The Spring Grove boys (30-2) were left behind in the second half by New Life Academy in the semi-finals of the Class A State Basketball Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis on March 24. The state-ranked No. 3 Eagles (26-5) from Woodbury won, 51-35, overcoming 25 turnovers with rebounding, an often withering fast-break attack and defense that kept the Lions away from the free throw line. Momentum shifted early with an 11-0 Lion run followed by an 8-point Eagle spurt. After five lead changes, it was a low-scoring 18-18 stalemate at halftime.
Photo by Lee Epps
But it was all Eagles in the second half. Averaging nine turnovers per game, Spring Grove had seven before halftime, and the worst was yet to come. New Life coach Robbie Whitney said the Eagles decided to speed up the pace after the break. After soft backcourt pressure during the first half, New Life changed to an aggressive, trapping full-court defense after intermission. After 11 second-half turnovers, the Lions finished with a season-worst 18 lost possessions, twice their season average.
The Lions attempted only one free throw all game (another season worst), and that miss came with only 53 seconds to play. Meanwhile, the Eagles sank 12 of 19 charity shots, a 12-point advantage in a 15-point win.
From the field, Spring Grove shot a weak 27%, (only the third time in 32 games below 30%) greatly due to cold 3-for-23 shooting (13%) beyond the 3-point arc. And there were few second chances with only four offensive rebounds as the Lions were outrebounded, 36 to 22.
“They were long,” said head coach Wade Grinde. “They put their long defenders out on Tysen (Grinde) and Elijah (Solum); that changed a lot of their shot opportunities. When we did catch for an open shot, we seemed we weren’t shot-ready enough to let it fly. We lost some of our confidence in our shooting ability.”
Leading 25-21 about four minutes after the break, the Eagles separated with a 16-to-4 run and led 41-25 halfway through the second half, the eventual 16-point final . The Lions soon trailed by 17 points and would get no closer than 12 thereafter.
Elijah Solum energized the Spring Grove defense by taking an amazing four charges. Jaxon Strinmoen had team-highs for the Lions with 15 points and 8 rebounds along with 3 steals and 2 blocked shots. Caleb Griffin added 7 points and Tysen Grinde 7 steals.
The dribble penetration that spearheaded Spring Grove’s quarterfinal win a day before, yielded only eight points against Eagle rim protectors, 6-foot 8 Erick Reader and 6-7 Colton Hendricks along with 6-3 Austin Woolf. Reader had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds while Woolf finished with 13 points and 7 boards.
That height inside may have intimidated Lion shooters near the net. “We missed open layups,” lamented Grinde, “open-court lay-ups that we normally make. I think it’s because we maybe heard footsteps. We were over-striding instead of just fundamentally going up and making lay-ups. When that happens, it’s really difficult against a good team like that.”
New Life is one of only six teams to score 50 points of more versus Spring Grove. Orchestrating the offense and especially the fast breaks was 6-0 senior point guard Max Briggs, who had 9 assists plus 5 steals, 5 rebounds and 4 points. New Life, pushing the ball up the court at every possible opportunity, outscored Spring Grove in transition, 24 to 14. Briggs and Reader would later be named to the All-Tournament Team.
Seeds continued to hold with No. 2 state seed New Life defeating No. 3 seed Spring Grove and in the other semi-final, No. 1 seed Russell-Tyler-Ruthton easing past No. 4 seed Cherry, 61-57. Spring Grove (30-2) will finish the season in the third-place game against Cherry (27-5).
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SG 35, New Life 51
SCORE by HALVES
SG 18+17=35
NL 18+33=51
TEAM TOTALS:
all FG: SG 27% (16-59), NL 41% (17-41)
2-pt FG: SG 36% (13-36), NL (12-24)
3-pt FG: SG 13% (3-23), NL 29% (5-17)
Free throws: SG 0% (0-1), NL 63% (12-19); Rebounds: SG 22, NL 36; Turnovers: SG 18, NL 25; 2nd Chance pts: SG 2, NL 7; Fast break pts: SG 14, NL 24; Pts. in paint: SG 24, NL 36; Greatest lead: SG 7, NL 17; Fouls: SG 17, NL 14
SG INDIVIDUALS: P-points, R rebounds, A-assists, S-steals, B-blocked shots. Listed in order of jersey number. * starter. *Caleb Griffin 7P, 2S; Ben Udstuen no stats; *Tysen Grinde 5P, 4R, 1A, 7S, 1B; Hunter Holland1R, 1S; Josh Newgaard 1R; *Ethan Crouch 2P, 2R, 1S; Logan Brumm no stats; Jacob Olerud 2P, 1R, 1S; Bryce Berns no stats; Dane Edgington no stats; *Jaxon Strinmoen 15P, 8R, 2A, 3S, 2B; *Elijah Solum 4P, 5R, 3A, 2S
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Spring Grove Boys Basketball 2023
SEC games in bold
30 wins, 2 losses (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 Meadow 64-24
W vs. Mabel-Canton 49-34
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
W vs. #3 Hayfield 57-46
W vs. #1 Goodhue 57-48
Class A State TOURNAMENT – #3 seed
W vs. Mankato Loyola 39-38
L vs. New Life Academy 35-51
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