Spring Grove Boys Close With Class A Third-Place Trophy, 31 Wins

The Spring Grove boys closed their 2022-2023 campaign with the third place trophy from the Class A State Basketball Tournament and a school-record 31 wins (31-2). The seeds held throughout the event with No. 3 seed Spring Grove slipping past unseeded Mankato Loyola, 39-38, in the quarterfinals and then falling to No. 2 seed New Life Academy, 51-35, in the semi-finals before the 68-43 third-place victory versus No. 4 seed Cherry. Elijah Solum, who took a total of seven charges, including four in the semi-final, and Jaxon Strinmoen were both named to the 10-member All-Tournament Team for Class A. This was the second-ever trip to state for the Spring Grove guys, who like the 2019 Lions, brought home the third place trophy and medals. Most dramatic was the opening one-point tourney decision at Williams Arena when Loyola cut an 11-point deficit down to two (39-37) with a chance to pull even with a pair of free throws with only nine seconds remaining. The first free throw rimmed away before the second one found the net. Spring Grove still led by one. The Crusaders (22-9) had to foul twice before sending a Lion to the foul line with only 3.8 seconds to play. The Spring Grove free throw did miss, but Loyola had time only for a desperation, three-quarter-court heave as time expired. After nursing narrow leads almost all game, Spring Grove used an 11-to-2 run for a sudden and deceptively comfortable 34-23 lead with 7:20 to play. A Solum driving score made

it 36-26, but Spring Grove would add only one more basket during the final frantic six-and-half minutes. That fast-break three-pointer by Caleb Griffin (Solum assist) was the lone Lion shot attempted amid five late turnovers as Loyola began to defend full-court with 3:44 to go. Spring Grove coach Wade Grinde said, “It might have looked bad there for a while, but they were able to hang in there.” Loyola coach Sam Carlson had plenty of praise for the vaunted Lion defense. “I told the guys, their zone is so good, you’re going to have turnovers … We haven’t faced a zone close to that all year.” Like all Lion opponents, the Crusaders had to work long and hard to get a shot. They attempted 18 shots beyond the 3-point arc and 20 closer in. Loyola shot 39% from the field to the Lions’ 45%. The difference in the scorebook was one free throw. Spring Grove hit 5 of 7 foul shots, Loyola 4 of 7. Both teams scored 34 points from the field. Solum scored the Lions’ first seven points and with 16 points (7 for 13 shooting), was the lone player in the game to reach double digits. The consistent part of the attack was Solum’s ability to penetrate with the dribble. Griffin helped with nine points, Strinmoen added five points and game-highs with seven rebounds and three steals. With two early fouls, Tysen Grinde sat out nearly 10 minutes of the first half and finished with four points and six rebounds. It was a rematch with the Lions having defeated Loyola, 61-54, in early January. After a 17-14 low-scoring Lion halftime lead in the tourney rematch versus Loyola, defenses-dominated again with an 18-18 draw at intermission against New Life in the semi-final at the Target Center. 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. 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. But the defense forced 25 New Life turnovers. 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. Including 6’8” and 6’7” height inside, the long arms of New Life caused problems for Lion shooters inside and outside. 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 three-point arc. And there were few second chances with only four offensive rebounds as the Lions were outrebounded, 36 to 22. Defensively, Spring Grove was unable to slow down the Eagles’ fast-break speed, which led to 24 transition points. Leading 25-21 about four minutes after the break, New Life separated with a 16-to-4 run and led 41-25 halfway through the second half, the eventual 16-point final margin. The Lions soon trailed by 17 points and would get no closer than 12 thereafter. Solum energized the Spring Grove defense by taking an amazing four charges. Strinmoen had team-highs with 15 points and eigth rebounds along with three steals and two blocked shots. Griffin added seven points and Grinde seven steals. For five-time Section 1A Coach of the Year Wade Grinde and his Boys in Black, the offense revived the next morning for an uplifting finish in the 68-43 third-place finale versus Cherry (27-6). After three early lead changes, the Lions took the lead for keeps with an 11-0 run (six from Grinde) just before heading into halftime with a 28-16 lead. It was still a 12-point spread (36-24) when Spring Grove scored on five straight possessions (10 unanswered points). The Tigers chipped away to reduce a 23-point deficit down to 13 before Spring Grove scored the game’s final 12 points. The Lions, unlike those previous two contests, handled the ball successfully against full-court defensive pressure. The Tiger press did force five Spring Grove turnovers, but the Lions also broke the press for 12 fast-break points. With 17 total fast-break points and 20 points with passes into the lane, the Grove guys amassed a decisive 47-to-24-point advantage in the paint. Grove finished with 12 turnovers to 21 for Cherry. The Tigers had hit only 6 of 25 treys (24%) and shot only 27% overall. The Lions shot an acceptable 31% from downtown (4 for 13) and a strong 54% overall. Each team had almost the same statistical success at the foul line (SG 57%, CHS 58%), but Spring Grove made as many free throws (12 for 21) as the Tigers attempted (7 for 12). Appropriately, the top three Spring Grove scorers for the season each scored 15 points in the finale. Grinde also had a team high eight rebounds along with four assists and four steals. Strinmoen also pulled down seven rebounds to go with two assists and two steals. Solum also had a team-high six assists plus three steals. Jacob Olerud was a fourth Lion in double figures with 11 points and three steals while Griffin scored eight points while passing out four assists with no turnovers. Ethan Crouch (four points) had three assists with no turnovers and three blocked shots. Five seniors are due for diplomas (Grinde, Holland, Griffin, Dane Edgington, Logan Brumm), but four of the primary seven-player rotation (Solum, Strinmoen, Crouch, Olerud) retain eligibility for 2024.