THE PRIOR LAKE LAKERS TOOK ON THE CHANHASSEN STORM IN A REGION BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

In the first meeting of the year Prior Lake Lakers took on the Chanhassen Storm in a boys' region basketball game. Prior Lake came into the game with a record of 15-12 while Chanhassen came into the game with a record of 22-5.

The game got off to a quick start as each team traded baskets. Both teams traded baskets early in the contest. The teams were exploring weaknesses and strengths during the first 10 minutes of the game.

Chanhassen did a good job of getting the ball down the floor. They were able to score fast break lay-ups. Prior Lake tried many different defenses against them early. Chanhassen did a good job of taking care of the ball and they were very methodical in their offense.

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Neither team went on a run. It was closely fought defensive struggle and both teams handled the pressure well.

The coaches shouted instructions to their respected teams. I thought that each team did a good job of responding to the instructions that they were given. Neither team gave up easy shots in the first half.

Chanhassen's Joey Witthus came off the bench and was able to step up and hit a few long three-point shots. Chanhassen was not able to slow him down. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball.

At halftime the score was Chanhassen 32 and Prior Lake 31.

Each team brought a lot of students. The students cheered for their respective teams. They went back and forth in chanting and got involved in the game.

Both teams started exchanging three-point shots at the start of the second half. That got the crowd back into the game. Kevin Jensen found his shot in the second half. He was able to drain long three-point shots to keep which spark a second half surge.

Steve Gitzen got the Chanhassen offense going as he stepped up and was able to drain a few deep three pointers. The game came down to the wire. I liked the fact that neither of these teams gave up. Both of these teams played with a lot of passion.

Both teams dove on the floor for loose balls and all 10 guys went after rebounds.

Evan Kotchevar for Prior Lake tied the game at 63 with a deep three-point shot with 8.8 seconds.

The score was tied at 63 at the end of regulation.

Overtime started out with both teams maintaining their intensity on offense and defense. Chanhassen managed to score 8 more points while Prior Lake only managed to score 4 more points. Chanhassen played keep away in the final 30 seconds which forced Prior Lake to send them to the free throw line.

Chanhassen came away with the 71-67 over time victory over Prior Lake.

The leading scorers for Prior Lake were Evan Kotchevar 20, and Jon Sobaski with 19 points. The leading scorers for Chanhassen were Kevin Jensen with 18 points, Cole Otto and Joey Witthus with 12 points each.

BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY EAGLES TOOK ON THE EDEN PRAIRIE EAGLES IN A REGION BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

In a battle of the birds the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles matched up against the Eden Prairie Eagles in a region semifinal boys' basketball game at Chaska.

Eden Prairie jumped out to an early 6-2 lead with 16:00 left in the first half. Kennedy called its first timeout with 15:26 left in the first half. The score was 9-2 advantage Eden Prairie.

Eden Prairie was able to hit shots from everywhere on the floor. Both teams looked fresh and played with a lot of swagger. They dove on the floor after loose balls and went after rebounds. Eden Prairie looked to get the ball in the hands of guard Abrian Carpenter. Carpenter was able to drive to the basket hard and make layups. His teammates did a good job of finding him when he was open on the floor.

Kennedy maintained their poise and kept running their offense. They did a good job of moving the ball around to find their shots outside the arch, while Eden Prairie did a good job of getting into the lanes and deflecting passes.

Both teams moved the ball well on the offensive end in the first half. Eden Prairie played mostly man-to-man on the defensive end. Kennedy switched between man-to-man and zone defense.

At halftime the score was Eden Prairie 34 and Kennedy 26.

Eden Prairie started the second half in the zone. They took an 11 point lead at 40-29 lead with 15:39 left in the second half. This prompted Kennedy to call a timeout.

Despite being down by eleven points, Kennedy tried to work their way back into the game. However the lead was insurmountable.

Andre Wallace was all over the floor for Eden Prairie. He found his shot early. Most of his shots were from inside the paint. Tonight Andre did not see a shot he did not like. His motto seemed to be ‘have ball will shoot.’

Kennedy simply could not find the range in the second half. Eden Prairie was too quick for them. Kennedy tried to make a run late in the half however, Eden Prairie was not having it. They clamped down on the defensive end and closed out the game.

I thought that both teams played well and left everything that they had on the court. Eden Prairie came away with a 17 point victory with the score the 74-57 victory over Kennedy.

The leading scorers for Kennedy were Jumah'ri Turner with 14 points, and Darrian Pitman and Rico Gunn with 10 points. Kennedy shot 22-52 from the field that included going 5-14 from behind the three-point line. They were 8-12 from the free throw line. The Kennedy bench scored a total of 10 points.

The leading scorers for Eden Prairie were Sander Mohn with 22 points, Andre Wallace with 18 points and Grant Shaeffer with 16 points. They shot 25-52 from the field and that included going 6-9 from behind the three-point line. They were 18-26 from the free throw line. The Eden Prairie bench didn't score any points.

THE ROBBINSDALE COOPER HAWKS TOOK ON THE PARK CENTER PIRATES IN A BOYS' REGION BASKETBALL GAME

It was region basketball where the Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks took on the Park Center Pirates. Park Center came into the game with a record of 18-8. Coopers record was 11-5. This was the first time that either of these teams have faced each other.

Both teams appeared loose as they warmed up, relaxed ready to do battle.

The Hawks won the tip and Park Center started out on defense using a zone match-up. Cooper matched the Pirates with a zone defense of their own. Cooper looked to push the ball down the court. Cooper's Rashad Vaughn brought the ball down the court. Throughout the game the Park Center Pirates sent various defenders to try and slow the Cooper guard down.

Both teams traded baskets early. But neither team was exceptionally hot. It took each team awhile for both teams to feel each other out and find the best matchups.

Cooper took their time on the offensive end. Park Center wanted to get the ball into the hands of guard Quinton Lee Hooker to force the pace. Hookers speed and ball handling ability allowed him to beat his man off the dribble in the open court. Cooper had a hard time defending Hooker for a period of time. Hookers overall game was very good, on both ends of the court.

However, The Cooper Hawks had a road runner of their own by the name of Rashad Deandre Vaughn. Vaughn was quick off the dribbled and looked to get easy lay-ups down the middle of the court as he tried to blow by his defender.

After running up and down the court for the first 9 minutes and 6 seconds Park Center called a timeout with 10:54 left in the first half. The score was Cooper 15 and Park Center 7. As can be seen from the score both teams came out sluggish.

Both of these teams played with a lot of emotion and intensity the whole game. Neither teams head coaches sat during the first half. They were both up coaching their kids and shouting instructions. The players responded well.

Multiple Cooper players were able to pick off some passes on the defensive end and turn them into points on the offensive end. Park Center did get some deflections but they were not able to come up with the ball.

Leroy Taylor for Cooper did a good job of running the offense. He would switch up between the point and off guard spot.

Park Canter stayed in a zone defense for most of the first half. They were able to show some

man-to-man in transition but mostly stayed in the zone.

Vaughn was able to get the ball inside the paint and he went up strong with the ball. He was not afraid to get fouled going strong to the basket and came up with some nice plays in the first half.

After playing another 5 minutes and 54 seconds in the first half Cooper scored another 14 points while Park Center only managed to score 11 points. Cooper called a timeout with 5:00 left in the first half. The score was Cooper 29 and Park Center 18.

Both teams did a good job of going after loose balls and rebounds. There were many jump balls and tie ups in the first half. Players were physical as they dove on the court after loose balls.

The Park Center defense flustered them a little bit down the stretch. Park Center's Treton Daniels shot the ball well in the first half. He was looking for his shot early and often.

A large amount of students from each school showed up to show support for their schools. They cheered and chanted for their teams and there was some good chants that went back and forth between each schools. This is what really makes March Madness exciting for MN High School Basketball. No doubt each game helps build found memories for the students as well as the players.

The score at halftime was Cooper 39 and Park Center 30.

After the first 4 minutes and 41 seconds into the second half, Cooper added 9 more points to their score while Park Center manage only 6. Head Coach Dave Johnson didn't like what he saw on the floor so he called a timeout with 15:19 left in relegation. The score was Cooper 48 and Park Center 36.

Park Center picked up their defensive pressure full court after the timeout in an effort to close the gap and not let the game get totally out of reach. However, Cooper was able to handle the pressure with relative ease.

Both of these teams let it all out on the floor. Cooper was a little bit quicker than Park Center to the loose balls and on defense and offense. Despite being out quicked, Park Center didn't give up at all. They fought hard throughout the whole game.

Both teams looked to score fast break points. They were both able to that as they traded baskets with just over 13 minutes left in regulation.

Park Center's Joshua Matthews was all over the floor. He was able to drive hard to the basket and make lay-ups. If the lane was clogged by defenders he would step up and shoot a mid-range jump shot. Park Center was closing the gap as a result of their hustle.

Cooper called a timeout with 10:27 left in regulation. The score Cooper 55 and Park Center 51.

Hooker was not himself in the game. I got late word that he had been sick the week leading up to the game and was only in school the required hours to be eligible to play in the game. I thought that he played well despite being sick.

Park Center called a timeout with 5:51 left in regulation. The score was Cooper 62 and Park Center 55.

Park Center did all they could to try to catch up to Cooper. They kept their composer throughout the game. The guards from each team didn't seem to get flustered by the environment.

Park Center fought back after the timeout. They were able to get within two points with 4:45 left in regulation. Hooker caught a cramp on a lay-up but he still stayed in the game.

Park Center did a good job of getting the ball out of the net on the defensive end in an effort to get some quick points.

The game came down to the wire. Leroy Taylor came up with some key baskets for Cooper late in the game. He was able to get to the baskets and create his own shot. Park Center fouled Taylor down the stretch but he was able to hit his free throws.

In a game that went back and forth throughout Cooper came away with the 79-69 victory Park Center.

The leading scorers for Park Center were Quinton Lee Hooker with 18 points, Treyton Daniles with 21 points, and Joshua Mattthews with 16 points.

The leading scorers for Cooper were Rashad Vaughn with 24 points, and Curtis Shelby with 14 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoop Czar check out his thoughts on the Cooper vs. Park Center boys' region game. I was also joined by Aaron Edward of  MYSM. Check out his thoughts of the game.

THE ST. LOUIS PARK ORIOLES WENT UP AGAINST THE WAYZATA TROJANS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL REGION GAME

St. Louis Park Orioles traveled to Wayzata to take on the Trojans in a boys' region basketball game. The winner of the game will play in the semifinals of the tournament. This was the first time the teams faced each other this season. Going into the contest St. Louis Park had a record of 14-12 and was the number 5 seed in the region. Wayzata had a record of 18-7 going into the contest and they were the number 4 seed in the region.

Both of these teams looked relaxed and focused when they were in they were going through warm ups. That was also the case when they took to the floor. The coaches for each team were also intense.

St. Louis Park moved the ball around the three-point line as they looked for their shots. Wayzata started out in a zone defense. St. Louis Park was able to confuse Wayzata on the defensive end.

Wayzata's Kyle Kalivoda who started the game took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to score off some contested lay-ups. St. Louis Park had multiple players guarding him. Kalivoda was able to what he wanted to do on the offensive end.

There was blood on the floor with after playing only 7:07. As a result the call was made to clean up the floor the score was St. Louis Park 12 and Wayzata 6.

St. Louis Park got the ball into the hands of Makhi Taylor Moore. Moore was quick on his feet and was able to get to the basket from the paint. Moore got the ball from point guard Kashif Hayes near the top of the key. Moore usually drove to the basket as he looked to get a lay-up from the free throw line. Hayes also went coast-to-coast on a couple of plays. He played with a lot of emotion and energy and his teammates played off that.

Wayzata did a lot of switching on the defensive end. They didn't want Hayes or Moore to get easy baskets. St. Louis Park took quick shots and maintained a frenetic pace throughout the game.

St. Louis Park was able to step up big and drained consecutive shots. Wayzata wanted to slow down the momentum so they called a timeout with 6:07 left in regulation. The score was St. Louis Park 26 and Wayzata 18.

Out of the timeout Wayzata went to a zone defense. St. Louis Park looked to trap the ball out of the timeout. Hayes did a good job. St. Louis Park called a 30 second timeout with 4:27 left in the first half. The score was St. Louis Park 27 and Wayzata 20.

Wayzata went on a run after they called a timeout at the 4:27 timeout. St. Louis Park called a timeout with 3:35 left in the half; the score St. Louis Park 27 and Wayzata 26. Wayzata's Kyle Kalivoda scored a basket at the three minute mark to give Wayzata the lead. That was the Wayzata's first lead of the game.

Colin Nugent played well in the first half. He started the game and shot the ball well in the first half. He knew where he was on the floor and he got his teammates involved in the offense by passing them the ball when they were open by the basket.

Zach Robertson came up big in the first half. He found his shot early and often.

At halftime the score was Wayzata 34 and St. Louis Park 27.

Both teams brought back their starter to begin the second half. Wayzata came out in zone defense which provide to be helpful in slowing St. Louis Parks offensive threat

Both coaches stood for most of the second half. I thought that they did a good job of shouting out instructions to their players. They really let the kids dictate the outcome of the game.

St. Louis Park ran plays to get lay-ups. They set screens in their motion offense and they looked for guys to come off the screens in the paint as they were looking for their shots. Most of their points came from in the paint.

In the Wayzata offense they ran a lot of motion. Everyone on the floor was moving and they were calling out screens. Their motion offense gave them options to drive first or pass it back out to an open shooter. St. Louis Park tried to play zone in the second half but Wayzata was able to attack the gaps in the zone and get to the basket.

Wayzata pulled away with 8:00 left in the second half. St. Louis Park maintained their composure and looked to score from the arc. Robertson drained a three-point shot and St. Louis Park called a timeout with 7:36 left in regulation. The score was Wayzata 53 and St. Louis Park 39.

With 6:00 left in regulation Wayzata looked to burn time off the clock. They passed the ball around the three-point line as they burned time off the clock.

Wayzata went to a trapping defense and which forced St. Louis Park to turn the ball over. Nugent came up with some good lay-ups off of the steals. St. Louis Park called a full timeout with 4:15 left in regulation. The score was Wayzata 61 and St. Louis Park 45.

St. Louis Park went to a full court press after the timeout. They wanted to trap the ball and looked to get easy steals. St. Louis Park was able to pick up a few easy points off the steals. But it was not enough to get them back into the game.

Both teams brought a good student fan base and both supported their teams with good team spirit. Both student sections stood the whole entire game.

In a hard fought game Wayzata came away with the 71-56 victory over St. Louis Park. The leading scorers for Wayzata were Zach Robertson with 24 points, Colin Nugent with 21 points and Kyle Kalvoda with 9 points. The leading scorers for St. Louis Park were Kashif Hayes with 17 points and Dj Pollard with 18 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoop Czar. Check out his thoughts of the St. Louis Park vs. Wayzata boys' region basketball game.

TOTINO-GRACE TRAVELED TO COLUMBIA HEIGHTS FOR A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Totino-Grace went up against Columbia Heights in a boys' basketball game. Going into the game Tonino-Grace had a record of 14-11. Columbia Heights record was 12-11.

It was parent night at the game. Before the game got underway all of the parents were honored for their contributions over the past season. Heights also unveiled the banner it won for making it to the state boys' basketball tournament in the 2010-2011 season. It was the last regular home game for Columbia Heights.

Totino-Grace won the tip and they looked to get set up in their offense. This boded well for them during the game. Columbia Heights also started out shooting well. They got everyone into the offense. Heights was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor. Gabe Kastenmeier made a deep three-point shot early in the half.

Both teams traded baskets. Neither team really went on a run in the first half as both teams played good defense. Columbia Heights picked up their defensive pressure at half court with the intent to slowing down their opponent and trying to prevent them from getting into their offensive sets.

Kalante RobertWesley Logan came off the bench for Columbia Heights and proved to be a defensive force.

At halftime the score was Totino-Grace 33 and Columbia Heights 28.

Columbia Heights push the ball down the court and scored easy baskets in transition to start the second half. They were also able to get steals and turn them into points.

Heights played methodically, running their offense and looking for good scoring opportunities. The score went back and forth throughout the second half. Deon Sanstad got his shot going midway through the half. He stepped up and knocked down a few deep three-point shots.

I enjoyed watching these two teams play because neither one of them gave up easy shots and they both played hard throughout the entire game. Neither team dominated the other one.

Columbia Heights called a timeout with 5:46 left in regulation the score was Totino-Grace 54 and Columbia Heights 52.

Sam Meyer took some good shots for Totino-Grace. He put up a nice fade away jump shot that he knocked down late in the contest.

In a game that went back and forth all night Totino-Grace came away with the 62-59 victory over Columbia Heights.

The leading scorers for Columbia Heights were Jordan Mills with 20 points, Deon Sanstad with 14 points, Matt Kourouma with 10 points and Taylor Renberg with 9 points.

The leading scorers for Totino-Grace were Nick Carr with 32 points, and Sam Meyer with 17 points.

These two teams will meet again in the quarterfinals of the region tournament.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts of the Totino-Grace vs. Columbia Heights basketball game.

ROCHESTER TOOK ON ANKOA RAMSEY IN A WOMENS' BASKETBALL GAME

In women's basketball action Rochester Community College went up against Anoka Ramsey in a region tournament game at Anoka Ramsey. Anoka Ramsey has been ranked atop of the NJCAA polls all season long jumped out to a quick 12-3 lead with 17:08 left in the first half.

Anoka did a good job of getting the ball out of the basket on the defensive end and racing down the court. They were able to score easy baskets in transition. Despite getting easy steals and transition points Rochester didn't get flustered. They kept on playing solid tough defense.

Rochester called a timeout with 14:03 left in the first half. The score was Anoka 17 and Rochester 6.

Rochester did a good job of attacking the basket. The guards were able to get to the basket easy. For the first part of the game, they just had a tough time hitting shots that they took.

Rochester went on a run midway through the first half. Anoka didn't panic as they defended all of the passes that Rochester tried to make. Rochester pushed the ball down the court as they looked to score baskets in transition.

Anoka did a good job of using the whole shot clock. They would pass the ball around the three-point line until there was 10 seconds left on the clock. For most of the game they were able to get good looks at the rim.

Rochester called a timeout with 4:08 left to go in the first half. The score was Anoka 32 and Rochester 15. Both teams raced up and down the court late in the first half. Both teams were able to score baskets in transition. At halftime the score was Anoka Ramsey 36 and Rochester 18.

Rochester couldn’t find the basket the second half. The shots they were getting in the first simply were not falling in the second half of the game. Anoka took advantage of that as they were able to score baskets in transition. Both of these teams battled throughout the game.

Rochester went on a run with 6:00 left in regulation. Anoka didn't get frustrated. They were able to stand their ground and tighten up there defense. Both teams played very hard on both ends of the floor. Rochester tried to make a late comeback but they fell short. In a very hard fought game Anoka came away with the 60-50 victory over Rochester.

The leading scorers for Rochester were Jacey Anderson and Lane Gehl with 9 points each. Rochester shot 18-48 from the field, that included going 6-18 from behind the three-point line. They were 8-12 from the free throw line.

The leading scorers for Anoka Ramsey were Capreice Ogrins with 20 points and Tamarra Shorter with 19 points. Anoka Ramsey shot 21-50 from the field. That included going 6-17 from behind the three-point line. They were 12-18 from the free throw line. 

THE FERGUS FALLS SPARTANS TOOK ON THE CENTRAL LAKES RAIDERS IN THE MCAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Fergus Falls Spartans took on Central Lakes Raiders in the championship game of the Minnesota Community College Athletic Conference State Tournament. The game got off to a quick start as each team raced up and down the court. Central Lakes got out of the gate fast as they opened on an 8-2 run. The Spartans called a timeout with 17:36 left in the first half. The score was Raiders 10 and Spartans 2.

Central Lakes continued to pound the ball to the basket. They were on fire. Fergus Falls simply could not find the range during the first half. The Spartans went on run midway through the first half in an attempt to close the gap. Central Lakes didn't get frustrated and they continued to pound the ball inside.

The Raiders used both man-to-man and zone defense in the first half which seem to slow down the Spartans and eliminated easy baskets. The Spartans found their legs and competed well in the first half. It was a slug fest of a basketball game.

After the early start for Central Lakes Fergus Falls got into the game. Both teams dove on the floor after loose balls and went hard after rebounds. Fergus Falls tied the game at 29 with just over 7:00 left in the first half.

As the clocked winded down to the end of the first half, both teams went on a scoring flurry. Neither of these teams were gun-shy when it came to shooting the ball. In a first half that was very physical and aggressive on both ends of the floor, both teams traded baskets in the final 2:00. The score was Central Lakes 42 and Fergus Falls 41.

Both teams came out on fire to start the second half. The Spartans went on a run to open the second half. Fergus Falls regained their composure to stay in the game.

The Raiders kept on attacking the basket as they looked for the easy shots. Maurice Hernandez was all over the floor for Central Lakes. He got his shot going early and shot the ball well from everywhere on the floor.

In a hard fought game that saw Central Lakes come to life the Spartans came away with the 84-66 victory over Fergus Falls.

The leading scorers for Fergus Falls were Keanu Glover with 17 points, John Paul Bright with 11 points and Anthony Lee with 10 points. Fergus Falls shot 21-46 from the field. That included going 7-17 from behind the three-point line. They shot 17-26 from the free throw line.

The leading scorers for Central Lakes were Ronnie Kornbaum with 24 points, Kwamaine Johnson with 20 points and Jesse Fleming with 12 points. Central lakes shot 35-65 from the field. That included going 5-15 from behind the three-point line. They shot 9-12 from the free throw line.

ROCHESTER TOOK ON ANOKA RAMSEY COMMUNITY COLLGE IN THE THIRD PLACE GAME

The Rochester Yellow Jackets took on the Golden Rams from Anoka Ramsey in the third place game of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference state tournament.

The game got out to a quick start as each team hit shots that they took. Rochester looked to score easy baskets in transition. The game was played at an up tempo pace. Neither team took much time off of the shot clock. They both looked to shoot with 20 seconds left on the shot clock.

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Both teams did a good job on the defensive end. Neither team wanted to give up easy baskets. The Yellow Jackets went on a run late in the first half. The Rams kept on fighting as they didn't want to give up any easy baskets.

The Rams employed multiple defenses utilizing a combination of zones and man-to-man.

Neither team went on a run in the first half. It took a while for each team to figure each other out. They were able to settle in a grove midway through the first half. At halftime the score was Anoka 27 and Rochester 26.

Both teams looked to push the ball in transition to start the second half. Anoka looked to get the ball into the hands of Lucus Barraud. He was not afraid to shoot the ball when he thought he had an open shot.

The Anoka Ramsey head coach received a technical foul with 13:11 left in regulation. The score was Anoka Ramsey 48 and Rochester 36.

The Yellow Jackets came out flat in the second half while the Rams had not difficulty in locating the rim. Rochester called a timeout with 10:04 left in regulation. The score was Anoka Ramsey 60 and Rochester 40.

The Yellow Jackets continued to look for their shots. Deuntae Broadnax was all over the floor.

The Golden Rams went to a zone defense late in the game. They didn't want Rochester to take any open midrange shots and they tried to force them to shoot behind the 3 point line. The strategy worked.

Rochester called a timeout with 5:01 left in regulation. The score was Anoka 70 and Rochester 55.

In a game that was a one point game at half time, Anoka Golden Rams came away with the 83-56 victory over Rochester Yellow Jackets. Anoka came out firing on all cylinders to start the second half and simply wore down the Yellow Jackets.

The leading scorers for Rochester were Deuntae Broadnax with 13 points and Vidal Vance with 10 points. Rochester shot 20-71 from the field that included going 3-27 from behind the three-point line. They shot 13-24 from the free throw line.

The leading scorers for Anoka Ramsey were Lucas Barraud with 19 points, Michael Stephens with 16 points, Lemuel Doe with 12 points and David Hicks with 10 points. Anoka shot 31-67 from the field. That included going 9-21 from behind the three-point line. They shot 12-20 from the free throw line. 

NORTHLAND TOOK ON MESABI RANGE IN THE MCAC CONSOLATION FINAL

Anoka Ramsey Community College hosted the 2012 Minnesota Community Athletic Conference State Tournament. In the consolation final Northland took on Mesabi Range Community College.

Mesabi Range started out in a zone defense. Both teams looked to get into their shooting rhythm early.

It took a while for each team to get used to what the other one was playing. Mesabi found the range early. Northland called a timeout with 16:58 left in the first half. The score was Mesabi Range 5 and Northland 0.

Both teams employed multiple defensive coverage changing between man-to-man and multiple zone settings on the defensive end.

Mesibi Range looked to get the ball inside to their bigs. While his teammates fed Torrie White in low block he was able to convert them into lay-ups from the low block. Torrie just brought his lunch and camped out in the low box area.

After Northland came to life midway through the first half, they went on a run. Mesabi Range didn't panic. Both teams stepped up their defensive pressure and neither team gave up easy baskets.

Mesabi Range stayed in the zone defense for a majority of the first half. They were affective in forcing Northland to shoot long range jump shots. Northland clawed their way back into the game. They were within one point with just under 4:00 left in the first half but Mesabi Range continued to attack the basket and were able to hit shots.

At halftime the score was Northland 26 and Mesabi Range 20.

Northland started the second half in a zone defense, it easy to understand since they were effective in the zone in the first half. Mesabi Range stayed in there zone defensive front as well. The score went back and forth throughout the second half. Neither team went on a run early in the half. They each did a good job of staying within themselves. Both teams traded baskets for a period of time.

Northland did a good job of looking for their shots in the second half. They swung the ball around the three-point line as they took time off the clock. Darris Washington did a good job of running the offense. Washington looked to get the ball into his center who took it hard to the basket.

Riverland called a timeout with 8:17 left in regulation. The score was Northland 48 and Mesabi Range 39. Mesabi Range looked to push the ball down the court. They also looked to score lay-ups in transition. Northland was able to keep up with Mesabi Range in transition.

Mesabi Range did a good job of penetrating the zone. They were able to get the ball into their big man. Riverland did a good job of adjusting in the zone defense when Mesabi Range swung the ball around the three-point line.

Northland was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. As the court opened up for them their players for able to get good looks at the basket.

Mesabi Range called a timeout with 3:23 left in regulation. The score was Northland 55 and Mesabi Range 51.

Coming out of the timeout Northland continued to burn the clock. Mesabi got out of the zone and went to a man-to-man defense in attempts to get some quick steals and easy baskets off of any turnovers.

The game came down to the wire. Both of these teams played hard throughout the game. Neither team gave up easy shots.

Northland came away with the 61-54 victory over Mesabi Range.

The leading scorers for Mesabi Range were Markees Walker with 12 points, and William Reyes, Jordan Deutsch and Nick Riley all with 8 points. They shot 20-56 from the field that included going 8-25 from behind the three-point line. They were 6-6 from the free throw line.

The leading scorers for Northland were Derrick Yeager with 16 points, Justin Knudson with 13 points and Dominic Long with 10 points. Northland shot 24-58 from the field that included going 6-18 from behind the three-point line. They shot 7-16 from the free throw line.

 

MOORHEAD SPUDS TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS DE LaSALLE ISLANDERS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Moorhead boys' basketball team traveled to Minneapolis for a basketball game against Minneapolis DeLaSalle Islanders. Going into the game DeLaSalle had a record of 19-5 and Moorhead had a record of 15-8.

DeLaSalle made their first few shots to take a quick 6-0 lead. This prompted Moorhead to call a timeout so the team to gather their composure. The game was only 3:41 old when Moorhead call their timeout.

The Spuds looked to get the ball into the hands of Aaron Lien. Lien had been their go to guy throughout the season and so the Spuds stayed true to form while the Islanders looked to get the ball into the hands of Luke Scott. Luke had been one of the top scores for the Islanders all year.

Troy May Jr. took the ball hard to the basket for DeLaSalle. He stepped up and hit a few shots. On the defensive end he proved to be a valuable defender. The Islanders went on a run late in the first half which prompted Moorhead to call a timeout with 5:56 left in the first half. The score was DeLaSalle 25 and Moorhead 17.

For the remainder of the first half Lien was all over the court which allowed him to keep his team in the game. The Islanders scored 14 more points while the Spuds only managed to score 6 more before the half. The halftime the score was Minneapolis DeLaSalle 39 and Moorhead 23.

DeLaSalle's Reid Travis was ready to play in this game. His presence was felt on both ends of the court. His teammates did a good job of finding him for scoring opportunities. He was able to score from both inside and from behind the three-point line.

The spuds were simply outmanned throughout the game. They called a timeout with 14:24 left in regulation. The score was DeLaSalle 50 and Moorhead 28.

The Islanders went to a full court press and that gave Moorhead significant problems in running their offense. The Spuds were not able to handle the DeLaSalle pressure. Moorhead called a timeout with 11:16 left in regulation. The score was DeLaSalle 58 and Moorhead 31.

Despite some nifty plays on the part of the Spuds, they simply did not have the talent to play with the Islanders. De LaSalle’s athleticism led to many fast-break opportunities.

The Islander proved to be too much to handle on both ends of the court for the Spuds to handle. As a result they came away with the 79-39 victory over Moorehead.

The leading scorers for DeLaSalle were Reid Travis with 30 points, Luke Scott with 14 points and Jarvis Johnson with 9 points. The leading scorers for Moorhead were Aaron Lein with 14 points and Austin Nelson contributed 13 points.

WASHBURN TOOK ON JOHNSON IN THE TWIN CITIES CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Minneapolis Washburn took on St. Paul Johnson in the boys' basketball varsity Twin Cities Championship game. Johnson won the St. Paul City conference and Washburn won the Minneapolis City conference title.

The game got off to a quick start as each team hit quick jump shots. Both teams looked to score baskets in transition. Johnson was able to score easy lay-ups. Washburn didn't give up as they were in the game throughout the first half.

Washburn was not able to hit shots at the beginning of the game, nothing seem to fall for them.

Johnson looked to get easy jump shots in their offense. They are a quick team and they looked to get past the Washburn defenders Johnson looked to get the ball into to the hands of Marshall their top scorer who was all over the floor. On the offensive end he was able to get by his defenders and was able to get some easy lay-ups.

The score went back and forth in the first half. Neither team got easy shots as the defensive pressure was hard to handle for each team. Johnson was able to keep the pressure up on Washburn.

At halftime the score was Johnson 49 and Washburn 48.

Washburn started out in a half court zone defense to start the second half. Johnson went to a half court man-to-man defense. Johnson called a timeout with 15:05 left in regulation. The score was Washburn 56 and Johnson 50.

Both teams continued to look to push the ball and get shots in transition. They were both successful at doing that. The game was well played and the athleticism of both teams was truly on display. The guards for both teams controlled the tempo and pushed the ball when the opportunity presented itself.

Quashingm Smith-Pugh was all over the court on the offensive end. Johnson went on a 17-2 run to and they came back from being 12 points down. The score was Johnson 69 and Washburn 66 with 10:00 left in regulation. Washburn continued to take the ball hard to the basket.

Washburn didn't like what they saw on the court. Washburn called a timeout with 8:30 left in regulation. The score was Johnson 74 and Washburn 68. Marshall tripped and slipped in front of the Johnson bench. Johnson called a timeout with 6:58 left to go in regulation. The score was Johnson 76 and Washburn 70.

Neither team quit down the stretch. I thought that both teams put it all on the line. These were truly the two best teams in the twin cities area. The game came down to the wire. Neither team gave up easy shots in late in the game.

Washburns' Jerry Pratt hits a shot at the buzzer to give Washburn a 90-89 victory over Johnson

The leading scorer for Johnson was Marcus Marteze Marshall with 30 points.

The leading scorer for Washburn was Jerry Pratt with 25 points. 

THE WASHBURN MILLERS TAKES ON THE CENTRAL MINUTEMEN TO THE WIRE IN THE JUNIOR VARSITY TWIN CITIES BOYS' BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

The Minneapolis Washburn Millers won the Minneapolis city conference Junior Varsity league title and St. Paul Central won the St. Paul city conference Junior Varsity regular season title.

Washburn started out on fire as they looked to push the ball down the court and score easy baskets in transition. The Millers went to the zone defense early to help prevent the Minutemen from scoring any easy baskets.

Central looked to get easy lay-ups in transition while pressuring Washburn into turning the ball over. Centrals Tommie Cooper was the catalyst of the team. He played very effectively on the offensive end.

The Minutemen went on a run midway through the first half, while the Millers stood their ground and managed to keep the game close.

The teams were evenly matched throughout the contest. No team was up more than 10 points on its opponent. Central did an excellent job of slowing down the Washburn guards.

At halftime the score was St. Paul Central 26 and Washburn 24.

Washburns' Ty Rehm-Holden was a force on the offensive end. His tenacity was needed throughout the game. Neither team went on a run in the second half. Both teams were stingy when it came to easy baskets due to their defensive strategies employed during the second half.

With such a fierce and competitive contest the game become a little chippy. The refs had to give multiple warnings to players and coaches. A brawl was averted due to the quick thinking of the referees.

Shots were easy to come by in the second half. Even the lay-ups were contested. Despite the stingy defense both teams managed to match baskets throughout the game. Both teams gave everything they had. Davontrell McAcdory for Central made a runner with 2.9 second left in regulation to give Central a 1 point lead.

In a game that came to the wire Central came away with the 62-61 victory over Washburn.

The leading scorer for Central was Davontrell McAdory with 18 points. The leading scorer for Washburn was Evan Shepherd with 19 points.

SIMLEY HIGH SCHOOL WENT UP AGAINST RICHFIELD IN A BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAME

The Simley High School boys' basketball team traveled to Richfield High School for a boys' basketball game. Going into the game Simley had a record of 7-17 and Richfield's record was 13-10.

Richfield won the toss. On the first offensive series they looked to get a quick open shot. They were not able to get the basket.

Simley started in a zone defense. Each team looked to set the tempo in their favor.

Richfield looked to get the ball into Shawn Ray Bear's hands. Bear was all over the floor on both ends of the could.

Richfield's guard Lorenzo Evans ran the offense. He directed players on the court and told them where he wanted them to go.

Deshawn Jones for Richfield came up with some key steals on the defensive end. He was able to score baskets off steals.

It took a while for each team to get into the offensive flow. Neither team hit shots early.

Simley passed the ball around the three-point line to set up their offense.

Bear was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. He was able to drop some nice three-point shots.

Simley took a timeout with 11:59 left in the first half. The score was Richfield 16 and Simley 10.

Simley switched between man-to-man and zone defense. They wanted to confuse Richfield.

Jared Noonan for Richfield came up with some nice shots. He was also not afraid to shoot the ball. Dan Beyel was able to beat his man off the dribble and had a few nice lay-ups in the first half.

Simley called a timeout with 9:12 left in the first half. The score was Richfield 26 and Simley 10.

Simley went on a run midway through the first half. They were able to score some easy baskets in transition.

Richfield called a timeout with 7:30 left in the first half. The score was Richfield 26 Simley 18.

Simley spread the ball around and every one shot the ball.

Wibi MacDonald got into the game with 6:52 left in the first half. MacDonald was able to slow down his man. MacDonald mostly guarded Rashaun Baxter.

MacDonald left with 4:26 left in the first half. He returned with 3:54 left in the first half. MacDonald played hard on both ends of the floor. He did a good job of getting back on defense. He was subbed out with 2:00 left in the first half. Then he got back in with 57 seconds left in the first half and was out with 34.4 seconds.

At halftime the score was Richfield 46 and Simley 30.

Both teams looked to get back into the scoring column early in the second half.

Simley took a timeout with 16:49 left in the second half. The score was Richfield 48 and Simley 34.

Simley's Connor Wells found his shooting touch. He was on fire. Richfield was not able to slow him down.

Both teams shot the ball quickly in transition. Neither team took a lot of time off the clock.

MacDonald returned to the game with 12:49 left in regulation.

Simley called a time out with 12:26 left in regulation. The score was Richfield 62 and Simley 38.

MacDonald picked up his second foul with 11:03 left in regulation. He kept on playing hard. He looked like he twisted his ankle. He was taken out with 10:10 left in regulation.

Richfield called a timeout with 8:00 left in regulation. The score was Richfield 70 and Simley 52.

Simley didn't back down. They kept on fighting throughout the game. Richfield was just a little quicker and they were able to hit shots.

MacDonald got back into the game late in the second half. He continued to make his defenders pay for the pressure he applied to them on the defensive end. He subbed back out with 2:16 left in regulation.

Richfield came away with the 92-61 hard fought victory over Simley.

The leading scorer for Simley was Connor Wells with 14 points. The leading scorers for Richfield were Jared Noonan with 21 points and Shawn Ray Bear with 14 points.

MINNEAPOLIS DELASALLE WENT UP AGAINST PATRICK HENRY IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Minneapolis DeLaSalle Islanders traveled over to Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School for a boys' basketball game. Going into the game DeLaSalle had a record of 18-5. Henry's record was 11-10. Going into this game it had been a good rivalry between these two schools.

Both teams had a lot of energy and they looked to push the ball in transition. It took a while for each of these teams to get into a shooting rhythm.

DeLaSalle set up in a full court press and that made it difficult for Henry to get the ball across half court.

Henry called a timeout with 16:44 left in the first half. The score DeLaSalle 4 and Henry 0.

Henry's Darius Hill directed his team on the offensive end. He instructed his teammates where he wanted them to go on the court.

Henry had a hard time scoring baskets. They were not able to make shot that they put up. The Henry players didn't get frustrated. They just kept on shooting.

DeLaSalle looked to get the ball into the hands of Tyler Moore. Moore was all over the court on the offensive end.

DeLaSalle called a timeout with 9:49 left in the first half. The score was DeLaSalle 16 and Henry 11.

Henry switched defenses between man-to-man and zone. They wanted to confuse DeLaSalle on the offensive end.

Henry's Tim Duprey Gill was a force on the low block. He and Reid Travis went after rebounds on both ends of the floor. Gill was also able to get some nice layups.

Jeffery Lenord Bonds for DeLaSalle came off the bench and provided an offensive and emotional spark. He was all over the floor going after loose balls.

DeLaSalle called a timeout with 2:39 left in the first half. The score was DeLaSalle 24 and Henry 17.

Both teams shot the ball well late in the half.

At halftime the score was DeLaSalle 34 and Henry 20.

DeLaSalle's Luke Scott was all over the place. On the offensive end he hit shots. On the defensive end Scott was able to slow down the guy he was guarding and made it hard for him to hit shots.

DeLaSalle was able to score quick baskets in transition. They were too quick for Henry.

Henry called a timeout with 13:16 left in regulation. The score was DeLaSalle 44 and Henry 28.

DeLaSalle took a lot of time off the clock.

Henry head coach Deane Brown received a technical for arguing a call with 7:00 left in regulation. After the free throws the score was DeLaSalle 55 and Henry 36.

DeLaSalle was too quick for Henry. DeLaSalle came away with the 76-58 victory over Henry.

The leading scorers for Henry were Darius Hill with 27 points and Matt Rovinson with 11 points.

The leading scorers for DeLaSalle were Luke Scott with 23 points and Reid Travis had 13 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts of the DelaSalle vs. Henry game. I was also joined by Aaron Edwards from MYSM. Check out his thoughts of the DeLaSalle vs. Henry game.