The basketball season ended on an uplifting note for the state-ranked No. 7 Spring Grove boys, who dominated state-ranked No. 5 Cherry, 68-43, in the third-place game at the 2023 Class A State Tournament. The Lions took control with an 11-point scoring run late in the first half and solidified their lead with 10 and 12-point spurts in the second half.
Photo by Lee Epps
At the tournament, the Lions had received the No. 3 seed and the Tigers the No. 4 seed. Spring Grove closed at 31-2, the most wins in program history. Cherry, the Section 7A champion from northeast Minnesota, finished 27-6.
Appropriately, the top three Spring Grove scorers for the season each scored 15 points in the finale. Tysen Grinde also had a team high 8 rebounds along with 4 assists and 4 steals. Jaxon Strinmoen also pulled down 7 rebounds to go with 2 assists and 2 steals. Elijah Solum also had a team-high 6 assists plus 3 steals.
Jacob Olerud was a fourth Lion in double figures with 11 points and 3 steals while Caleb Griffin scored 8 points while passing out 4 assists with no turnovers. Ethan Crouch (4 points) had 3 assists with no turnovers and 3 blocked shots.
Solum and Strinmoen were named to the 10-member All-Tourney Team as were Cherry freshman Noah Asuma (17 points, 8 rebounds) and University of Minnesota commit Isaac Asuma (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists), who combined for 31 of the Tigers’ 43 points.
For the sixth straight Spring Grove game, the opponent scored first. But after three early lead changes, the Lions took the lead for good with an 11-0 run (6 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 their previous two tourney 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 points from fast breaks and 20 points with passes into the lane, the Grove guys amassed a decisive 47-to-24-point advantage in the paint.
Cherry, playing from behind by double-digit margins, launched more than twice as many 3-point shots in the second half than they had before halftime. At the end, 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. The Lion offense sparkled in the spotlight with 68 points after only 39 and 35 in the two previous state tourney games.
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).
Cherry, with 21 turnovers, was one of 23 opponents (in 33 games) to lose possession 20 times or more against the Lion defense. The Tigers’ lone statistical advantage came with 29 rebounds to the Lions’ 23.
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SG 68, CHS 43
SCORE by HALVES
SG 28+40=68
CHS 16+27=43
TEAM TOTALS:
all FG: SG 54% (26-48), CHS 27% (15-55)
2-pt FG: SG 63% (22-35), CHS 30% (9-30)
3-pt FG: SG 31% (4-13), CHS 24% (6-25)
Free throws: SG 57% (12-21), CHS 58% (7-12)
Rebounds: SG 23, CHS 29; Turnovers: SG 12, CHS 21; 2nd Chance pts: SG 5, CHS 11; Fast break pts: SG 17, CHS 2; Pts. in paint: SG 47, CHS 24; Greatest lead: SG 25, CHS 2; Fouls: SG 11, CHS 18
SG INDIVIDUALS: P-points, R rebounds, A-assists, S-steals, B-blocked shots. Listed in order of jersey number. * starter. *Caleb Griffin 8P, 1R, 4A, 1S; Nathan Crouch no stats; Isaac Nerstad no stats; *Tysen Grinde 15P, 8R, 4A, 4S, 1; Hunter Holland 1R; Josh Newgaard no stats; *Ethan Crouch 4P, 1R, 3A, 1S, 3B; Logan Brumm no stats; Jacob Olerud 11P, 3R, 1A, 3S; Dane Edgington no stats; *Jaxon Strinmoen 15P, 7R, 2A, 2S, 1B; *Elijah Solum 15P, 2R, 6A, 3S; Caleb Eiken no stats
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Spring Grove Boys Basketball 2023
SEC games in bold
31 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. #2 New Life Academy 35-51
W vs. #4 Cherry 68-43
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