2011 State Tourney Day 3 Class AA

Its random stream of thought time again as we look at the 2011 Class AA semifinals.

Game 1: Redwood Valley vs Rochester Lourdes

• Lourdes comes out in a 2-3 and runs the La Crosse Logan version of THE WORLD'S WORST OFFENSE.  This is going to be a long game.  And they'll throw in some half court 1-3-1 and man to boot.
• Michael Busack with 28 and 19 in the quarterfinal win for Redwood over Minnehaha.  His follow dunk forces an early Lourdes timeout.  After Lourdes comes back and takes the lead, 2 guys jump at Busack off a down screen and he makes a nice pass for a layup just before the halftime break. 19 all at the half, teams 15-40 combined shooting, 4-20 from 3.
• What a scene with the entire Perham team, Zach Gabbard and the responders at halftime.  The first responders, principal and AD from DGF receiving awards for their heroic efforts.  More emotional than Wednesday at Williams Arena.  Great standing ovation from entire crowd.  Gotta be tough on the Perham kids to have that emotion just before they go into the locker room for their semifinal battle with WEM.
• Sophs Jordan Ford and Alec Koster off the Redwood bench with a pair of 3s each (Koster back to back then Ford back to back) after not showing on the 1st half stat sheet and Redwood comes back to lead 33-31 with 4:18 left.
• All of that was after Lourdes made a bucket with 9:22 left to lead by 4 . Then they don't get another field goal for the next 7:58.  Its Chris Eickemeyer's 1st shot of the night for a 37-35 Lourdes lead with 1:24 left.  (turns out its a stretch of 2 FG in 17 minutes for Lourdes).
• JT Radel with a tough drive with 48 seconds left to tie it and bring the fans to their feet.  Lourdes will play and then take time with 6.5 left.   A nice misdirection flare screen but the pass gets tipped away.  Eickemeyer gets a clean look at 17 footer on the right baseline and its back iron and out for overtime.
• Redwood patient vs 1-3-1 and they turn it over with a minute left in the OT on an over and back call on Busack.  Lourdes again runs it down and takes timeout.  Its their last timeout with 10.4 left in the OT.   
• Eickemeyer with a putback of a missed 3 with 1:09 left and we're tied at 41, Redwood takes timeout inside a minute left and we've seen this before.  Teams trade turnovers inside the last half minute.  Redwood with the ball and 8.8 left in the second OT.  Lourdes stays 1-3-1 and a long 30 ft JT Radel 3 is just off and we'll play a 3rd OT.
• After a timeout just inside 2 minutes left in 3OT, Lourdes holds.  Alex Kapraun gets a good look on a drive and its back iron.  Its a scramble and tieup stays with Lourdes with 0.2 left.  Kapraun gets a look but doesn't tip it and we'll play a 4th overtime.
• Alex Kapraun for 3 from on the NBA line for a Lourdes 44-42 lead with 1:22 left in the 4th OT.  Then Radel is short on a 3 and Shane McGrath runs out for a layup.  Kapraun with a pair of free throws to ice it.  Lourdes wins 48-42 in 4 overtimes. 
• Kapraun finishes with 20 points.  Mike Busack 8 points and 18 rebounds.  Lourdes 16-51 FGs (3-21 from 3).  Redwood Valley 14-43 and 6-24 from 3.  Redwood Valley won the war on the boards 44-27 but had 20 turnovers.

Deep breath

Game 2: Waterville-Elysian-Morristown vs Perham

• WOW, Zach Gabbard gets up and walks out to line when the reserves are introduced.
• These are the top 2 teams in the top 2 teams in AA in points allowed.
• Perham has 2 stars in foul trouble, shoots 4-14 and turns it over 13 times but is only down 15-11 at the half thanks to 5-20 shooting from WEM.  Lost chance there for WEM.  Mark Schumacher demonstrated he was difference inside defensively until he had to sit on a close call 2nd foul.  WEM bench only plays 2 total minutes.
• Conrad Masberg back to back hoops, 26-21 WEM with 9:04 left and they take the momentum killing timeout.  Sigh.  Not to mention it was a good time for a Perham timeout, just as WEM may have been on a run.  Though they wanted it after the 1st bucket.
• Masberg again and the lead is 30-24 with 6:25 to play.  Just have a feeling that if Perham can get a lead, but they can't make a shot.
• WEM does a nice job out of the DDM with the initial backdoor look and then feed the post guy flashing high and hitting the give and go.  Saw that work nicely tonight and in the quarters.
• Perham finally scores after a 4:30 drought and then they get a turnover which turns into a charge.  50/50 call and it would have been a huge swing for Perham.   Tate Harmon counters on the other end with a nice stepthru move and the lead is back to 6. 
• WEM takes an ill-advised open 3 (would've been dagger), the outlet is tipped and ends up right in a steaking Perham player's hands for a layup.  32-28 WEM with the ball and 1:42 left.  WEM to the basket and that's a charge with 1:30 left.  Nick Tobkin backdoor and the layup with 1:17 left and the crowd roars.  On the WEM inbounds, the touchdown pass is too long and Perham gets it under their own basket with a chance to tie.  Jordan Bruhn to Schumacher to tie the game with 50 seconds left.  WEM plays for 1.  Harmon's drive is no good and we're tied at 32 going to OT.  WEM needed to score there.  All the momemtum with Perham.
• Perham jumper is just on the 3 point line to tie the game at 34.  Post Jordan Gregor to the line with 1:29 left in the OT and his FTs put WEM up 36-34.  Tobkin to the line with 1:25 left and his bonus freebies tie the game at 36.  WEM holding the ball again for 1 shot, Perham doesn't go out.  Down to the end and WEM really doesn't get into much of anything and a force is long.  36 all to the 2nd OT.
• Perham with a steal on the 1st possession and Nick Tobkin knocks down a jumper for the lead.  Now they're over the hump.  He gets a block which leads to a free throw and its 39-36 Perham.  A WEM 3 is no good and its all Perham now. 
• WEM presses and forces Perham to use their last 2 timeouts with 2:29 left in OT #2.  Perham really frazzled vs the pressure.  1 turnover results in a layup to cut the lead to 1.  Conrad Masberg fouls out with 1:36 left (a primary scorer) and Perham makes both free throws to extend the lead back to 3.  Grant Pope leaves a 3 short, Sam Stratton steps up after making the last 2 and gets the kind roll on the 1st, the second is also good, he adds a block of a layup on the other end.  ZG3 is the chant from the Perham students.  After 2 of 3 FTs on 3 point foul, WEM cuts the lead to 4 and forces a turnover.  But there's no quick score in order.  Perham comes from behind to win ugly in double OT 45-41.
• Nick Tobkin 14 points to lead Perham.  Conrad Masberg 17 and 8 for WEM.  Its ugly, WEM shoots 13-51, 2-18 from 3.  Perham 15-43 and 2-14 from 3 (that's 4-32, 12.5% combined from 3).  19 Perham turnovers but only 6 after halftime.  

These games were ugly, but a day full of 7 overtimes is one to remember.