2013 Class A Championship

Prologue
Its Maranatha and SW Minnesota Christian in a heavyweight class clash for the 2013 Class A state championship.  MCA with 5 guys who can all score.  SW MN Christian with Leighton Sampson inside and a defender in Klint Knutson along with Dominic Nibbelink on the outside.   A great start to championship day.

Game Time
Interesting choice for MCA putting Isaiah Hanson on Sampson rather than Shan Cheema.  Garrison Gillard with back to back hoops.  1st TV timeout at 13:29 after 2 Knutson FTs, 9-8 Mustangs lead.  Both teams getting quality looks going to rim.  Maranatha via getting out and running.  Southwest MN Christian off the bounce.  Both teams still getting anything they want.  10:51 TV timeout 13-12 MCA.  Teams combining for 11-17 shooting.  7-0 SW MN Christian run with Nate Pfeifle knocking down a 3 and then blowing by and going all the way from the top of the key with no help.   Timeout MCA down 19-13 at the 9:06 mark.

Sampson inside for a layup as MCA not guarding anybody.  Then another straight line drive for another layup.  Sampson buries Isaiah Hanson inside for a bunny and then another layup on a loose ball and feed.  29-21 Eagles with 6:36 left in the half.  SW MN Christian a blistering 13-16 from the floor.   Sampson misses a bunny, Grantham Gillard runs the other way and Sampson smacks that into another dimension.  But MCA gets it back and converts to cut the lead to 4.  Eagles miss 2 bunnies and Isaiah Hanson buries a left wing 3 at the 2:45 mark.   Hanson stuffed by Sampson and puts it back at the 2:25 mark.  Mustangs on the run after a turnover and its Josh Goldschmidt draino from the right corner for 3.  Timeout SW MN Christian after the 12-1 MCA run.  33-30 MCA with 2:11 left in the half.  Both fan sections really into it.  Goldschmidt pressured on a layup and misses and Nibbelink counters with a jumper on the other end.  Isaiah Hanson beats the buzzer with a putback for 37-34 MCA lead at the half.  MCA shoots 51.6% and grabs 6 offensive boards.  But they give up 62.5% on the other end.  Isaiah Hanson 16 and 7 in the half.  Leighton Sampson with 12. 

MCA puts Grantham Gillard in to start the second half.  Sampson running the floor and gets the nice feed for a layup at the 15:35 mark.  Coach Jeff Wall not happy and he takes timeout for MCA as the game is back to even at 39.  Grantham Gillard with a step back 3 to stop the 7-0 run and Jeremiah Hanson with a 3 of his own for a 4 point MCA lead.  After a Nibbelink 3, Garrison Gillard with the tough And 1 followed by a Goldschmidt 3 with 12:45 left.  MCA out to a 51-44 lead after a 12-3 run.

Isaiah Hanson sits and MCA promptly gives up a BLOB layup and turns it over for another layup. Nibbelink for 3 and we're back to even at 55 with 10 minutes to play.  TV Timeout with 9:45 left and Isaiah checks back in to go with the original starting 5.  Nibbelink to the rack with 8:13 left and that's the 4th on Josh Goldschmidt.  Jeff Wall decides to leave him in there.  SW MN Christian stretches it to 62-58 at the 6:59 TV timeout.

Jeremiah Hanson with a drive and difficult lefty finish.  That's countered by Knutson right to the rim unchallenged for a layup. Jeremiah again before Nibbelink goes to the floater.  A Mustangs miss and Pfeifle comes alive with a straight away 3.   SW MN Christian crowd erupts as the lead grows to 7.  MCA misses again.  Nibbelink hit on the drive and makes both ends of the bonus.  That sends us to the last TV timeout with 3:09 left.  73-64 SW MN Christian ahead after a 7-0 run.

Only basket in the half for Isaiah Hanson before he knocks down a 3 inside of 2 minutes left.  Josh Goldschmidt puts back a miss after a turnover.  Last MCA timeout with 1:24 left with the Mustangs trailing 75-69.  A quick drive and miss by SW MN Christian leads to Garrison Gillard FTs on the other with 1:11 left.  The clock never starts so MCA gets a good 5 more seconds but that won't matter.  SW Minnesota Christian wins the Class A title 81-73.

Dominick Nibbelink with 22 of his 28 points in the second half to lead all scorers.  Leighton Sampson 22.  For Maranatha, Isaiah Hanson with 24 points and 8 rebounds.  Josh Goldschmidt 16 points and 7 rebounds.  SW MN Christian shoots a crazy 64.6% from the field including 16-24 (66.6%) in the 2nd half.  MCA wins the 2nd chance battle 18-2 thanks to 16 offensive boards but SW MN Christian wins points off turnovers 17-7.


Class A All Tournament Team
Anders Broman - Lakeview Christian
Seth Thompson - Rushford - Peterson
Upsala - Christian Pekarek
Leighton Sampson, Klint Knutson, Dominic Nibbelink - SW MN Christian
Grantham Gillard, Garrison Gillard, Jeremiah Hanson, Isaiah Hanson - Maranatha