Tartan Semifinal Day

Prologue
Off to Tartan for a long semifinals day.  Early games going OT so we get a 30 minute late start.  I didn't partake in the cookies which is a mistake but plenty of food otherwise.  A quality pork sandwich and a hot dog meal deal.  44 oz of Pepsi to go with it all.   Plenty of great old time music on the public address.  That includes today's tune.

Song of the Day
Lollipop - The Chordettes

Total Beverage Consumption Counter: 532 ounces  (50 games, 38 days)

• 36 oz Dr Pepper
• 24 oz Sprite
• 80 oz Red Powerade
• 40 oz Red Gatorade
• 224 oz Pepsi
• 108 oz Coke
• 20 oz Barq's Root Beer

Game 1: Centennial vs Rogers
Early 15-4 spurt for Centennial takes them to a 21-10 lead at the 11 minute mark.  Reid Sagehorn for 3 and fouled at the halftime buzzer for 2 more free throws.  That pulls Rogers within 37-31 at the half.  Brice Johnson for 3 and a putback to end a 7-0 Centennial run and put them up 55-43 at the 9:45 mark.  Rogers would claw their way back.  Cole Murray inside for 2 and a Lance Lendl jumper cuts the Centennial lead to 61-57 with 4:25 left.  Soph Tyler Peterson for 3 and an inbounds 3 point play to end a Centennial 7-0 run to slam the door.  Centennial wins 78-63.  Kevin Grow with 25 points, mostly layups shredding the defense and likely double digit boards.  6'9" and skilled, you have to think D2s would notice.  Tyler Peterson with 16.  Forward Cole Murray with 17 to lead Rogers.

Game 2: Chisago Lakes vs Duluth East
12-10 Duluth East at 10:25 thanks to pounding the ball low vs the halfcourt extended 1-2-2 from Chisago Lakes.  Chisago Lakes would comeback with a 17-2 run to take control.  Dylan Wood 6 points inside during the run and shooter Jakob Lindquist with a pair of 3s in that run.  27-14 Wildcats at the 5 minute mark.  Guard Aaron Maslowski with 3 late triples for East to keep them within 33-23 at the break.  The game stayed at 8-10 most of the rest of the way.  Chisago Lakes kills the clock late with THE WORLD'S WORST OFFENSE.  Game never really in danger.  Chisago Lakes wins 54-48.  Dylan Wood leads all scorers with 16 points.

Game 3: Columbia Heights vs Forest Lake (Semifinal #1)
Columbia Heights totally out of sorts early vs the Forest Lake 1-3-1.  6 quick turnovers and they're down 10-2 just over 3 minutes in.  But for all of that, Forest Lake never pulled away when the game felt far more in control than the scoreboard showed.  Heights counters with a halfcourt 1-2-2 trap of their own and that flusters the Rangers.  After being down 13-4 in the first 4:30, Heights controls the rest of the half for a 29-23 halftime lead.  Heights soph Jerret Baptiste controlling the paint and the lead balloons to 43-25 with 13 minutes left.  Forest Lake benching all 5 starters for a stretch there. The run is 14-2 to start the half and 28-6 over 12:20.  The turnovers rear their ugly head again for Heights and Forest Lake storms back.  Matt Degendorfer goes off the rest of the way for Forest Lake.  He scores 7 straight Rangers points and buries an NBA 3 with 2:30 left to cut the lead to 4.  A Heights turnover and Degendorfer converts that to cut the lead to 1 with 42 seconds left.  Heights counters with a layup and Forest Lake turns it over for 2 free throws.  But Degendorfer has 2 more bombs left in him to cut the lead to 1.  Zakaria Ali would go 9-9 FTs in the 2nd half, he makes 2 with 7.9 seconds left.  Forest Lake gets 1 last look at a 3 and its no good.  Columbia Heights hangs on to win 73-70.  Jerret Baptiste with 22 of his 30 points in the 2nd half to lead Heights.  Matt Degendorfer with 26 of his 31 in the last 13 minutes.  Connor Knutson adds 18 for Forest Lake.

Game 4: Spring Lake Park at Tartan (Semifinal #2)
Tartan looking to be in control early.  Brody Jackson 11 early points inside and frosh PG Jordan Horn with 3 jumpers for 7 early.  28-15 Titans at the 8 minute mark.  Spring Lake Park would counter with TC Robinson heating up.  A late 15-4 Spring Lake Park run would cut the Tartan lead to 36-35 at the break.  Robinson 6 in a row early in the half and Eli Ejiya controlling inside.  46-41 Spring Lake Park with 13:45 left.  Then a couple of absolutely nonsense technicals on Spring Lake Park washes that momentum away.  Jordan Horn makes 3 of the 4 technical free throws and his jumper with 10:30 left ties the game at 48.  Tight game the rest of the way.  Jackson to Horn out of the double for a layup with 3 minutes left.  TC Robinson to the lefty drive to keep the game tied at 59.  The teams trade 2 free throws.  Spring Lake Park possession and Brody Jackson blocks 2 chances for the lead.  Spring Lake Park still keeps it but misses a good post look.  Tartan will hold in the last minute.  Keenan Bellaphant looking to take Robinson off the bounce.  Robinson appears to get the strip but the whistle blows.  Difficult call in real time.  Bellaphant makes both with 10.8 left.  Robinson rushes back the other way and his attempt at the basket over Jackson is no good with 3 seconds left.  Jackson rebounds and makes 2 free throws to seal the win.  65-61 Tartan wins.  TC Robinson with 19 points to lead Spring Lake Park.  Brody Jackson 17 points, Jordan Horn 16 points for Tartan.