2A quarterfinal basketball roundup: Top-seed Annandale comes back to win

March 13, 2014 at 4:34AM
Annandale's Matt Miller drove the baseline passed New London-Spicer Ethan Bohisen in the second half. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com During the state championship 2A quarterfinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, March 12, 2014. Annandale won over New London-Spicer 76-70.
Annandale's Matt Miller drove the baseline passed New London-Spicer Ethan Bohisen in the second half. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com During the state championship 2A quarterfinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, March 12, 2014. Annandale won over New London-Spicer 76-70. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

New London-Spicer's Shane Zylstra can dunk. And the junior forward did after stealing the ball from Annandale with about 10 minutes left.

But when the referees called him for a foul right after, it stopped the momentum that the dunk had created. It was a constant theme for New London-Spicer.

Annandale outlasted the Wildcats 76-70, coming back from a 36-33 halftime deficit Wednesday in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Target Center.

In the Wright County Conference, the No. 1-seeded Cardinals (24-6) defeated New London-Spicer (19-11) twice. That familiarity fueled a game with 10 ties and seven lead changes.

"We played them in football. They sent us home," Annandale junior forward Chase Knickerbocker said. "So there was a little bit of rivalry there."

Annandale coach Don "Skip" Dolan called Knickerbocker, who led his team with 23 points, one of the best scorers in the state. Zylstra scored 17 points for New London-Spicer, including two dunks. His coach, Chad Schmiesing, called him "dynamic," saying he possesses abilities many high school players don't.

Dolan prepared his team for a game that would be decided in the final seconds.

"Night in and night out, I have to coach the last two, three, four minutes," he said. "The kids have to play those last two, three, four minutes."

Both teams did. The Wildcats cut a seven-point deficit to one in four minutes near the end. Schmiesing, eyes rimmed red, said his team played with "fight" and "toughness."

"Annandale certainly won this game," he said. "I didn't feel like we lost it."

MEGAN RYAN

Esko 57, East Grand Forks 54 (OT): Fatigue was setting in, and the pressure was mounting as time ticked off the clock in overtime at Williams Arena. Shots were starting to come up short, both from the field and free-throw line.

Esko senior forward Kory Deadrick figured the best solution was to take it to the basket. His three-point play with 1:42 left in the extra session gave the Eskomos (27-3) the lead for good at 54-51.

"My shots weren't dropping, so I figured I would take it hard to the hole, and was fouled, too," Deadrick said. "Luckily, my shot fell, and I made my free throw."

Each team made three free throws before Esko turned the ball over with 10 seconds left. The Green Wave (20-10) missed two three-pointers in the final seven seconds, the last one at the buzzer.

"We were lucky to get out of here with a win," said Deadrick, who led the Eskomos with 24 points but was only 2-for-6 from the free-throw line. He missed three free throws in overtime and the front end of a 1-and-1 toward the end of regulation. "You have to make your free throws down the stretch. It would've been really bad if we would've lost because of those [missed] free throws."

East Grand Forks tied it 51-51 on Jim Warmack's three-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation. Esko missed a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer. Warmack also scored 24 points.

"He was really physical, and tough," Deadrick said. "It was a good back-and-forth battle."

RON HAGGSTROM

Fairmont 58, St. Peter 54: The Cardinals knew St. Peter wasn't going to be a pushover despite its 14 losses. They had seen their improvement firsthand in two regular-season meetings. The third was the best to come.

Faimont used an 8-2 run midway through the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a five-point lead. It got baskets from four different players during the run.

St. Peter (14-15) pulled within 55-54 on Tom Steidler's two free throws with 20 seconds left. The senior forward finished with a game-high 19 points.

Senior guard Jay Rugen made three free throws and came up with a steal in the final 19 seconds to preserve the victory. Rugen and Mitch Pfingsten each had 17 points for Fairmont (25-4).

"When you play a team for a third time it's a real dogfight," Pfingsten said. "We knew what to expect, and they knew what to expect. It makes it so much sweeter when you win."

RON HAGGSTROM

Caledonia 75, St. Paul Academy 53: Caledonia junior Austin Bauer scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the first half, as the fourth-seeded Warriors overcame a shaky start to beat St. Paul Academy.

Caledonia (28-2) made 14 three-pointers — seven by Bauer, a five by eighth-grader Owen King — and shot 47.2 percent overall. King finished with 21 points.

Making its first state tournament appearance in 17 years, Caledonia trailed 8-0 when head coach Josh Diersen called a timeout.

He had a simple message for his team: Keep shooting.

Bauer hit three-pointers on the Warriors' next four possessions, and Caledonia went on a 14-0 run.

"We know we can make shots," Bauer said afterward. "We knew that we had to just keep doing what we're doing and trust what got us this far. And it just clicked."

BRYCE EVANS


Esko's Kory Deadrick (31) pulled down a rebound. ] Boys Basketball State Tournament. Class 2A East Grand Forks Green Wave vs. Esko Eskomos. (MARLIN LEVISON/STARTRIBUNE(mlevison@startribune.com)
From left, Caledonia’s Austin Bauer drove to the basket. … St. Peter’s Kolin Bartlett blocked the shot of Fairmont’s Luke Peterson. … Annandale’s Matt Miller drove the baseline against New London-Spicer. … Esko’s Kory Deadrick pulled down a rebound against East Grand Forks. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
St. Peter's Kolin Bartlett (50) blocked the shot of Fairmont's Luke Peterson (15). ] Boys Basketball State Tournament. Class 2A Fairmont Cardinals vs. St. Peter Saints. (MARLIN LEVISON/STARTRIBUNE(mlevison@startribune.com)
St. Peter's Kolin Bartlett (50) blocked the shot of Fairmont's Luke Peterson (15). ] Boys Basketball State Tournament. Class 2A Fairmont Cardinals vs. St. Peter Saints. (MARLIN LEVISON/STARTRIBUNE(mlevison@startribune.com) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Caledonia's Austin Bauer drove around St. Paul Academy/Summit School' s Dalante Peyton in the second half. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com During the state championship 2A quarterfinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, March 12, 2014. Caledonia won over St. Paul Academy/Summit School 73-53.
Caledonia's Austin Bauer drove around St. Paul Academy/Summit School' s Dalante Peyton in the second half. ] (KYNDELL HARKNESS/STAR TRIBUNE) kyndell.harkness@startribune.com During the state championship 2A quarterfinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, March 12, 2014. Caledonia won over St. Paul Academy/Summit School 73-53. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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