Breck wins conference rivalry showdown

Prologue
Its a very light night on the metro schedule due to caucuses.  But we do get a handful of private school matchups on the docket.  For me, its the west metro rivalry between Blake and Breck.  These teams tied for 2nd in the Tri-Metro at 5-2.  No John Veil for Blake as he injured an elbow in their win over SPA last Friday.  Quality Papa John's sausage pizza with 20 oz of Sprite for tonight's concessions.  A table gives way (not with me on it) so Blake head coach Sean Kruger chips into rearrange things.  Nice music on the public address but an old school reference from earlier in my day provides our tune.

Song of the Day
Maniac - Michael Sembello (from the movie Flashdance)

Total Beverage Consumption Counter: 1076 ounces  (95 games, 76 days)

• 12 oz 7 Up 
• 20 oz Barq's Root Beer
• 20 oz Mug Root Beer 
• 56 oz Sprite 
• 60 oz Dr Pepper
• 140 oz Red Powerade
• 140 oz Red Gatorade
• 164 oz Coke 
• 464 oz Pepsi

Game Time
Johnny Curran with a bucket and a pair of free throws.  8th grader Jack Moe off the bench with instant offense for 3.  Those buckets give Blake a 16-10 lead at 10:45.  Breck would counter with Will Culliton knocking down a pair of 3s around a Mo Lawal bomb for a 9-0 run and 22-19 Breck lead.  Curran stops that run with another 3.  Graydon Kulick drives for 2, then a chance a 3 point play and he puts back a miss for Breck to push their lead to 6.  Curran to the bucket for 2 more.  Lawal with back to back buckets and a late 4 point play by Culliton stretch the Breck lead to 38-31 at half.

Charlie Levitt for 3 to cut the Breck lead to 4 just over 2 minutes into the second half.  Culliton with a jumper and he adds a 3 and then 1 of 2 free throws to stretch the Mustangs lead to 50-40.  Moe off the bench with another quick 3 and Curran with 2 free throws to cut the lead to 5.  Breck would extend the lead back to double figures.  Henry Cousineau for 3, Mo Lawal scores and Culliton fouled by Moe out of the Blake matchup zone for 2 of 3 free throws.  57-45 Breck with 6:27 to play.  Blake almost makes it interesting late.  Bascom with 2 free throws to cut the lead to 6 and then a dicey travel call on a reverse layup with 1:27 keeps the lead from going to 4.  Curran misses an open look at a 3 but Bascom gets away with a pushoff on an offensive board.  He puts that back with 1:08 left to cut the lead to 4.  But 3 turnovers in the last minute keep Blake from making it closer.  Breck wins 67-60.

Post Game
Blake falls to 10-10 on the season and 5-3 in the Tri-Metro.   They hold the tiebreaker on Minnehaha (who took it to Concordia tonight) for 3rd.  Johnny Curran with 13 of his 15 in the 1st half.  JR Bascom finishes with 14.  Definitely not the same firepower when Veil isn't in the lineup.  The schedule doesn't get easier as they host 15-3 Cloquet on Thursday.  Despite a 22 point thumping of Grand Rapids, thanks to the idiocy of choosing to have the computer do the seeding, Grand Rapids will likely get the 1 seed rather than Cloquet.  This scenario is exactly why we need human intervention in all seeding.  Its also why a 64 team AAAA tourney would be the best of both worlds.  Unbiased human intervention with the computer as a valuable tool.  There's my soapbox for the day.

Breck improves to 9-9 and takes sole possession of 2nd in the Tri-Metro at 6-2.  Will Culliton leads the way with 20 points.  Mo Lawal chips in with 15.  17 to 9 edge in made free throws for Breck (4 makes in the last minute when Blake had to foul).  Its a very thin Breck lineup with 5 junior starters and only 1 bench player, frosh Garrett Opperman.  Breck's 2 scorers make more plays than the 2 scorers for Blake and that's your ballgame.  Breck is at Watertown-Mayer in a section 5AA South game on Saturday.  A win there should lock up at least the 2 seed for the Mustangs since they already have wins over Brooklyn Center and Providence.