Trojans Make It Clear to BP; It’s Not Football

In the first Tuesday 1A quarterfinal at Mayo Civic Arena, top-seed R-P (20-7) took on 9-seed Blooming Prairie (13-11).  The last time the schools met, the Blossoms downed the Trojans in a football semifinal.  BP’s student section remembered, chanting to the like.  But March isn’t football season.  March is basketball season.  R-P very seldom loses their opening game in Rochester in basketball season.  The Trojans did their methodical, pass-happy, get-a-good-shot offense.  Blossom fans thought their kids played good defense on those 30 to 40 second possessions.  But no, that’s just R-P’s patient offense.  And the Trojans played their pesky defense.  Tom Vix’s group got off to a 17-4 start.  Dawson Dahl was a first half catalyst at both ends.  Notably, he attacked base-line and scored past BP 6’8” forward Jake Ressler a couple times and racked up a pair of charges on defense.  The senior forward had an eight-point half, good by his role-player standards.  R-P led 25-14 at intermission, then started the second stanza 17-6.  Up 42-20, it was academic.  The Trojans never trailed in winning comfortably, 56-33.  R-P got four in double figures; Landon Skalet (17 pts, 6-9 FGs, 3-5 threes), Dahl (11 pts, 3-4 FGs, 5-6 FTs, 5 rebs), Luke O’Hare (10 pts, 7 rebs, 2 blks), and Ben Ansell (10 pts, 4-4 FGs).  Jake Paulson had a well-rounded game (8 pts, 6 rebs, 5 assists).  That five-some combined to shoot 21 for 32 (65.6%).  BP’s leading scorer was Karson Vigeland with 13 points.  He was the only Blossom in double figures.  BP was held to 8 of 35 shooting (22.9%) including 2 of 15 from deep with 20 turnovers.   It was the fourth straight game R-P held their foes to under 40 points.  It was the tenth time this season a Trojan foe failed to make 40 points.  R-P is 10-0 in those games.