Osseo returns to the big dance

Prologue
Back to Rogers for the 5AAAA championship between Osseo and Champlin Park.  Osseo had a rough stretch without Ian Theisen during the 2nd half of the year.  They beat Champlin Park without him and lost with him earlier in the season.  Champlin Park had a late hiccup in the season but generally rolled.  Looking for another classic here.  I actually liked the officiating crew coming into the game.  But despite letting them play actually had some very strange calls on minimal contact and let plenty of fouls go.

Song of the Day
Big Time - Peter Gabriel

Total Beverage Consumption Counter: 1396 ounces  (125 games, 107 days)

• 12 oz 7 Up 
• 20 oz Barq's Root Beer
• 20 oz Mug Root Beer 
• 80 oz Sprite 
• 104 oz Dr Pepper
• 160 oz Red Powerade
• 272 oz Red Gatorade
• 184 oz Coke 
• 544 oz Pepsi

Game Time
Connor Kittleson with a pair of early easy buckets as Osseo takes a 7-6 lead at 14:15.  Champlin Park sees Marty Hill get his offense going.  Hill with a jumper and triple for force an Osseo timeout.  Ian Smith for 3 and a kickout to Alec Leabo for 3.  Ian Smith to Alex Hilley for a layup.  27-12 Champlin Park at the 6 minute mark.  Then the Rebels once again go the 1-3-1 that killed them against Park Center.  Wheeler Baker to the rack to end a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 11 at the 3 minute mark.  Gibson with a strip late in the half and finds Smith for a layup at the buzzer for a 39-27 Rebels lead at the half. 

Gibson for 3 and a pair of free throws to push the lead to 44-27.  Then Osseo pounds the glass.  Elliot Kane with a putback, Theisen on the glass for a 3 point play.  Jordan Dembley with a 3 point play and coast to coast for 2 more.  Theisen buries a 3, Wheeler Baker drives for 2, Theisen with another putback.  17-3 Osseo run brings the Orioles within 47-44 at the 12:22 mark and we have a ball game.   Game stays tight when Wheeler Baker dives after a loose ball and gets called for his 4th foul with 8:08 left, tough break there.  Smith makes both for a 5 point lead and scores again with 5:50 left for a 59-53 Rebels lead.  Osseo makes their comeback.  Theisen with 2 putbacks that sandwich a Kane bucket and we're tied at 59 with 3:45 left.

Teams trade 1 of 2 at the line.  Osseo with a long final possession that they save by diving on a loose ball and getting a timeout with 1:35 left.  Osseo holds until 21 ticks left and takes time.  Ball swung on the pick and roll to find Kane in the right corner, he has a lane to the bucket and goes hard but stepped on the baseline.  We'll go to OT tied at 60.  Kane with a big 3 at the 2:20 mark of OT to give Osseo a 5 point lead.  Baker fouls out on the next possession.  Gibson makes 1 and Osseo misses a front end but Champlin Park can't convert.  Giovanni Pastrano makes 3 of 4 free throws late as he continues his outstanding play for the Orioles.  Osseo wins 72-67 in overtime.

Post Game
Champlin Park finishes the year 25-3 with 2 losses to Osseo and a loss to Hopkins.  Ian Smith leads with 18 points, Marty Hill with 12 of his 15 in the first half.  Champlin Park gives away a 17 point second half lead which will make this one tough to swallow.  The future is very bright despite losing stars Ian Smith and Brennan Witt

Ian Theisen comes up huge for Osseo with 14 of his 23 in the second half.  He was all over the glass with somewhere in the vicinity of 20 rebounds.  Wheeler Baker with another off night but still scored 12 points.  Jordan Dembley with 10.  I didn't think Osseo could get away with the front court combination of Theisen, Kittleson and Pastrano when Champlin Park backed off them but the Orioles stayed within their roles and made it work.  Osseo's seed at state will be a fun topic of discussion with Lakeville North and Cretin-Derham Hall likely ending up in the 2-4 slots.  How much weight will be on this win and Theisen's injury during the 4 game losing streak.  How much will the CDH win over Apple Valley weigh?