ROGERS WENT UP AGAINST MAPLE GROVE IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL GAME

December 8 was the opening of the 2017-2018 boys’ high school basketball season for me. I decided to head up to Maple Grove for the Rogers vs. Maple Grove boys’ basketball game.

Rogers started the game in a zone defense. That made Maple Grove pass the ball around the three-point line. They took a lot of time off the clock early all while attacking the basket. Maple Grove also took deep three-point shots.

Maple Grove also started the ball in a zone defense. Maple Grove did a good job of talking on both ends of the floor.

It was a very physical start as both teams dove on the floor going after loose balls and going after rebounds.

It took awhile for each team to get into an offensive shooting rhythm.

Maple Grove’s Alex Battist came off the bench and provide an offensive charge as he looked to score baskets on mid-range jump shots and layups.

The Rogers offense had a slow start, they had tough time making shots early. Maple Grove attacked the basket and was able to get past the defense.

Neither team took a lot of shots in the zone defense. They took a lot of time off the clock swinging the ball around the three-point line.

Maple Grove called a timeout with 9:12 left in the first half. The score was Rogers 13, Maple Grove 6.

Rogers Justin Dorr came up with mid-range jump shots and layups. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball in spots where he could shoot it.

The Male Grove offense went cold for a period in the first half.

Rogers called a timeout with 4:57 left in the first half. The score was Rogers 18, Maple Grove 8.

Battist was all over the floor on the offensive end he found his mid-range jump shot and made layups. On the defensive end he was able to slow down the guy that he was guarding.

Maple Grove came up with steals on the defensive end and they were able to convert the turnovers to layups on the offensive end.

At halftime the score was Rogers 24, Maple Grove 16.

As the second half got underway both teams kept attacking the basket. Rogers looked to get the ball into the hands of Jordan Belka. Belka made mid-range jump shots and layups in transition and in traffic in the lane.

Rogers Brandon Vazquez got hot in the second half. He came off screens and made mid-range jump shots and layups.

Maple Grove looked to take deep 3-point shots in the second half. The defensive pressure that Rogers applied made it difficult for Maple Grove to get open looks at the basket.

Maple Grove’s Jered Rainey got hot along with his teammates as they came up with 3-point shots.

Rogers called a timeout with 12:27 left in regulation. The score was Rogers 30, Maple Grove 29.

The score went back and forth midway through the second half. Neither team went on a significant run.

Belka stepped up and knocked down deep 3-point shots in the second half.

Maple Grove called a timeout with 9:36 left in regulation. The score was Rogers 37, Maple Grove 32.

Rogers kept on passing the ball around the 3-point line getting everyone involved in the offense.

Rogers called a timeout with 8:20 left in regulation. The score was Rogers 39, Maple Grove 32.

Belka continued to come up with shots in the second half. The Maple Grove defense had a difficult time slowing him down.

Maple Grove guard Ian Lim took the ball hard to the basket. If Lim didn’t think he had a good shot, he would pass it off to one of his teammates.

Rogers kept attacking the basket and getting the ball into the hands of Belka.

Maple Grove called a timeout with 4:34 left in regulation. The score was Rogers 46, Maple Grove 37.

The Rogers offense went stagnant for a period. They couldn’t make a shot that they put up.

Maple Grove called a timeout with 2:48 left in regulation. The score was Rogers 46, Maple Grove 42.

Rogers looked to take time off the clock by passing the ball around the 3-point line. That made Maple Grove apply pressure out side of the 3-point line.

Maple Grove called a timeout with 34.1 seconds left in regulation. The score was Rogers 47, Maple Grove 46.

Rainey made a free throw to tie the game at 47.

The score was tied at 47 at the end of regulation.

In the overtime period Maple Grove looked to take time off the clock by passing the ball around the 3-point line. Battist came up with a slam dunk that gave Maple Grove a 2-point lead.

Maple Grove kept on feeding Battist. Battist came through coming up with two-handed slam dunks and layups.

Rogers couldn’t get their shots to fall in the overtime period. Maple Gove took advantage of that as they came up with rebounds and layups on the offensive end.

Rogers called a timeout with 13.2 left in the overtime period. The score was Maple Grove 56, Rogers 50.

Maple Grove looked to take as much time as they could off the clock late in the contest.

After a slow start by both teams the offenses came together. Rogers went through spells throughout the game where they were not able to score from either the inside or the outside.

Maple Grove kept the ball moving and kept on feeing Battist and Rainey.

Both teams played hard throughout the game.

Maple Grove came away with the 57-50 victory over Rogers.

The leading scorers for Rogers were Belka with 22 points and Vazquez with 13 points.

The leading scorers for Maple Grove were Battist with 19 points and Rainey with 18 points.