DeLaSalle cruises into Class 3A state tournament

DeLaSalle restated its case for the title of Minnesota's top boys' basketball team.

The Islanders cruised to a 69-57 victory over Totino-Grace in the Class 3A, Section 3 championship game Friday night at Coon Rapids High School.

The win that showcased DeLaSalle's unmatched skill, and the consistent "oohs" and "awes" it attracts, came a day after the state's No. 1 team, Apple Valley, was upset in the Class 4A, Section 3 title game. DeLaSalle continues its quest for a third consecutive state title next week at Target Center.

Jarvis Johnson led DeLa- Salle with 18 points, Reid Travis scored 17, Sacar Anim 13 and James Lawson 10.

"Maybe we can be back to No. 1 in the state," Johnson said after scoring 16 second-half points. "In some sense we gotta tell our players we're the best team again, but we still gotta keep our composure."

Totino-Grace trailed 34-23 at halftime and managed to stay within 10 points until DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson used a 30-second timeout to change his team's tempo with 7:47 remaining. The Islanders responded by using more than a minute to produce a bucket and then slowly pulled away.

They led by as many as 22 points and let the reserves take over in the final minutes. Totino-Grace responded by going on a 13-2 run in the final minutes, but the Islanders' starters returned to close the door.

"This was just another step we had to take as a team. I think we did a great job preparing and coming together for this one," Travis said. "It's nice to celebrate this with the senior class. And of course, looking forward to next week, it'll be another hurdle we'll have to tackle, but I think we're ready for it."