2010 Section 4AAAA Semifinals

Prologue
To the brand spanking new facility at East Ridge for the section 4AAAA semifinals.  Carbone's pizza not bad, but a smidge greasy.  You wear that off walking all the way across the building to get it though.  Very nice crowd tonight and people hanging all over the railings.  U of Mary and Concordia-St. Paul in the building tonight looking on.  Great music tonight too with some Guns and Roses (Sweet Child O' Mine and Welcome to the Jungle) and Metallica's Wherever I may Roam.

Semifinal #1: Sibley vs Woodbury
Woodbury took out Stillwater for the 2nd time in 3 years in an upset in the first round.  I didn't pick that but it didn't surprise me.  Interesting to see Sibley since they haven't lost since I last saw them at the TWolves Shootout.  Nick Quicksell with 6 in a row for Woodbury to keep them within 14-10 almost 10 minutes into the game.  Sibley goes on a 18-6 run over the last 6:45 of the half and they lead by 17 at the break. 

A nice side out of bounds lob set gives Joe Rizzardi a dunk despite the fact that coach Dasovich saw the play coming.  That cuts the lead to 15 but Sibley isn't challenged in the second half. Mike Rostampour all over the glass in this one with putback after putback.  Sibley wins easily 68-47.  Rostampour finishes with 17 points and 17 rebounds on my sheet.  Jake Kreuser 16 points to continue the inside domination.  Jordan Jackson 18 points on 6-17 shooting.  Woodbury gets 16 points from Nick Quicksell on 6-21 shooting.

Semifinal #2: Tartan vs Cretin-Derham Hall
Noteworthy injury here is CDH starting point guard Cortez Tillman.  The sophomore missed the last game and will miss at least this one with a sprained foot.  Lateral movement being the current issue with it.  Big question here was how Tartan would deal with Seantrel Henderson.  Simple answer, they couldn't.  He enters the game at the 15:42 mark and promptly scores and is fouled and then puts back a miss.  Raijon Kelly runs out and finishes and then spins and goes glass for 2 more.  After a second Tartan timeout, Henderson finishes a screen/roll.  14-3 Raiders at 12:40.  Tartan won't go away as Troy Klingsporn makes a nice cut for a  layup, Manani Beavers converts a turnover into a layup and frosh Darrion Strong off the bench nails a 3 to finish a 9-0 run.  Timeout CDH with a 14-12 lead and 9:26 left in the half.  Strong with 2 more from the deep beyond to keep Tartan within 21-20 at 6:50.  Henderson with another putback and Taylor Montero with a steal for a 3 point play that might have been continuation.  Henderson rebounds and goes Wes Unseld to Elliot Owusu for a breakaway dunk.  Henderson then with 2 on the block to end a 9-0 Cretin run.  CDH sloppy in the last minute.  The Raiders lead at the break 34-28.

CDH ready to go in the second half.  A blocked shot and extra pass becomes 1 Gus Gehlen 3 and Kelly skips to him for another.  CDH goes to their 2-3 trap and Tartan doesn't handle it well.  Henderson on the post for 2, then a turnover for 2 Kelly free throws.  Then Henderson with a catch and the high post and the big fella puts it on the deck for a 3 point play.  Henderson with a putback and Kelly with 2 freebies at 9:20.  53-38 Raiders and the rout appears to be on.  With Henderson resting, Tartan manages to cut the lead to 10.  He comes back and converts against the Tartan pressure and another Unseld outlet leads to 2 Gehlen free throws.  59-45 Cretin-Derham Hall with 6:09 left.  Tartan with no answer for Henderson so hope looks minimal here.

Then Troy Klingsporn decides to enter the phone booth and come back with the Superman jersey (with apologies to Dwight Howard).  He nails back to back triples to cut the lead to 8 with 5:22.  Tartan decides to go Hack-A-Henderson here if he touches it, very interesting (and smart) strategy.  They miss him the first time but CDH misses 2 freebies anyway.  Klingsporn replies with another bomb.  Then then do get Henderson and he misses 2, but Tartan can't convert.  The teams trade turnovers before 2 more CDH misses at the line with 3:31 left.  Strong down the lane and he scoops for 2.  59-56 CDH with 3:17 left.  CDH turns it over and Tartan can't convert.  Kelly with 2 free throws at 2:59 to push the lead back to 5.  After trading turnovers, Strong has a great look at a 3 that's no good at 1:55.  Tartan can't get to Owusu in time and that costs them 2 Kelly free throws at 1:18.  63-56 CDH leads.  Carter Ciolkosz with a 3 countered by 2 Henderson free throws. 

Klingsporn again from 3 and Henderson misses a pair of freebies at 35.5 (once again Jerry Kline leaves him in the entire time down the stretch).  Klingsporn makes Cretin pay with another 3 with 20 seconds to go and Tartan is all the way back.  65 all when Cretin brings the ball to the front court and takes time with 10.2 remaining.  They run the same post play they've been running all night.  1-4 high, enter to the wing away from the elbow where Henderson is.  Post screens away (Neumann in this case) for Henderson to come to the low box.  Henderson runs over a Tartan defender (who probably acted a bit too) and there's no call.  Neumann pops back to the ball per design (both defenders go to Henderson and why not).  He catches in the middle of the lane and finishes as time expires.  67-65 Cretin-Derham Hall escapes with a win.  Cretin got that play all night and they've gotten it all year.  Tough to defend.  Seantrel Henderson leads CDH with 23 points and 8 rebounds on my sheet.  Raijon Kelly 8 of 8 freebies in the 2nd half for 17 points.  Gus Gehlen with 10 of his 12 in the second half.  Troy Klingsporn with 19 of his 25 in the second half (official has him for 27).  That included 5 triples in the last 6 minutes.