Section Blowouts and Blowups

Prologue
A busy 24 hours of hoops.  I pull out the passport for a Friday trip outside The Kingdom to see Chisago Lakes 7AAA opener.  They should count as a former Kingdom member though (from their North Suburban days).  Then back to the metro for 3 games on Saturday.  Plenty of Pepsi on this trip so the beverage counter gets an appropriate boost.  Domino's and Little Caesar's pizza included, but I did skip the Walking Taco at Highland Park (lunch plans between sessions).  Bad choice.  We get The Rev working the late game and a special appearance from Toddler Ref.

Number of Teams I've Seen: 159 (67 courts)

Beverage Consumption Counter: 1597.8 ounces (101 days, 139 games, 2 scrimmages added on)

• Pepsi: 812 ounces
• Coke: 192 ounces
• Dr. Pepper: 48 ounces
• Sprite: 200 ounces
• Sierra Mist: 12 ounces
• Barq's Root Beer: 20 ounces
• A&W Root Beer: 60 ounces
• Red Powerade: 120 ounces
• 0 Calorie Fruit Punch Powerade: 20 ounces
• Red Gatorade: 96.9 ounces
• Water: 500 ml

Hot Dog Counter: 20

Game 1: 8 Hibbing at 1 Chisago Lakes (Fri 7AAA Quarterfinal)
Chisago Lakes won the regular season meeting in big fashion.  PG Ethan Hickcox would sit for Chisago Lakes with 2 fouls in the 1st 1:41.  Chisago Lakes would go on a 14-2 run  to take control 21-7 at the 6:52 mark.  Jake Lindquist  with 3 triples and a 3 point play in that run.  Hibbing cuts it to 9 but a 10-2 run to close the half puts the Wildcats ahead 32-15 at the break.  The run extends to 23-5 as we get under 14 left.  45-18 Wildcats.  They get a bit sloppy but still win easily 70-51.  Jake Lindquist 19 to lead Chisago Lakes.  Dylan Takkunen 21 to lead Hibbing.

Game 2: 4 St. Paul Academy vs 5 Concordia (at Highland Park, 4AA Quarterfinal)
This one was even for the 1st 6 minutes as we're tied at 10.  Then Concordia's wheels fall off.  Dalante Peyton dunks a turnover, Emerson Egly to the rim for 2, Peyton flares for one 3 and then buries another.  29-14 SPA at 8:38 after a 19-4 run.  Concordia just trying to do too much on the offensive end.  Concordia switches Isaiah Maddox on to Peyton to try to slow him down.   The bleeding is stopped enough.  36-23 SPA at the break.  Kent Hanson slips the flare screen he sets for Peyton for a layup and Abdul Osman puts back a miss to push the lead to 18.  Maddox goes for 6 in a row via a 3, a free throw and a floater to cut the margin to 53-41 with 8:02 left.  Hanson with 7 straight SPA points on 2 free throws a steal for 2 and a 3 point play.  Peyton adds a transition 3 with 3:50 left to slam the door.  The lead is 19 and SPA finishes it off to win 75-53.  Dalante Peyton 22 points and 7 boards along with hounding Roger Moore all day.  Kent Hanson 19 and 11.  Abdul Osman 12 points in effective minutes.  Roger Moore 20 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Isaiah Maddox with 18 to lead Concordia.  Moore had 11 turnovers on my sheet.  I feel both pressed too much and the rest of roster only combined for 15 points.

Game 3: #9AAA St. Thomas Academy (3) vs #7AAA Hill-Murray (2) (at Washington 4AAA Semifinal)
Tough charge call on Marshawn Wilson at the 13:26 mark is his 2nd foul.  Unlike the holiday matchup where Wilson stayed in, coach Hannigan will sit him down for a bit and then shuttle him in and out in offense/defense type situations.  Senior Jimmy Quirk off the bench for 3 countered by Nate Chaffee going lefty inside and then Ryan Jacobsen shooting the passing lane and going the other way for a dunk.  18 all at 10:25.  Sam Westby drives and scores then Wilson comes back in.  He promptly buries a 3, grabs a defensive board and then kicks it ahead to Jack Fahey who drives and scores to end a 10-2 Pioneers run.  28-20 Hill-Murray at 8:12 as the Cadets need a timeout.  Chaffee controlling the paint but a couple of late Simeon Davis 3s help keep the lead.  46-41 Hill-Murray at the break.

Kai Endahl playing like Wilson in the 2nd half as he just bullied people.  But every time the Cadets would threaten the lead, the Pioneers made a play to keep it.  Endahl drive and a Andrew Mayleben hoop cut lead to 1, Fahey counters for 3.  Endahl free throw, Wilson coast to coast and buries the pull up 3.  Jacobsen for 3, Wilson double clutches the jumper and adds another hoop.  60-52 Hill-Murray with 12:10 left.  Wilson with another hoop to keep the lead at 7 with 5 minutes left.  Endahl to the fade, Jacobsen coast to coast to cut the lead to 3.  Jacobsen makes 2 free throws to keep the margin at 3, Wilson misses 2 free throws and Jacobsen throws a bullet to Endahl on the backside for a layup with 1:50 left.  Hill-Murray misses 4 of 6 free throws but the Cadets can't convert.  Finally Chaffee grabs a miss and makes 2 free throws with 20.5 left.  Another Pioneers missed free throw gives the Cadets a last chance with 9.8 left.  Endahl misses from the right wing at the buzzer.  Hill-Murray wins 81-79.  Marshawn Wilson 30 points and 12 rebounds on my sheet.  3 other Pioneers in double figures as well.  Jack Fahey 14 with 3 triples, Chris Moore 14 points inside and Simeon Davis 10 points (all 1st half).  Ryan Jacobsen goes out with 27 points.  Nate Chaffee scored 16 of his 20 in the 1st half but didn't get many post touches in the 2nd half.  Kai Endahl 11 of his 17 in the 2nd half and was a difficult matchup.

Game 4: #8AAA Simley (4) vs #2AAA Johnson (1) (at Washington 4AAA Semifinal)
The Rev working this game which gets my attention.  Better yet, we get Toddler Ref making a special appearance running up and down the sideline with him.  Pure comic gold.  Justus Murphy with 3 early hoops being productive inside.  Jalen Mobley adds a hoop for a 12-8 Govs lead.  Johnson goes mass subs early bringing in 4 bench guys at once.  Simley takes advantage of that to go on a 9-0 run mostly against those bench guys.  Jack Stensgard for 3 in transition to start it and then a tough floater from Matt Amspoker to finish it.  17-12 Spartans at the 9:30 mark.  Its all Johnson after that.  Simley botches a 4 on 1 break for a Mobley layup, Andre Smith for 3, Mobley to Eric Elliot for a layup to put the Govs on top.  Smith another 3, Murphy a hoop and a Mobley 3 and Elliot bucket before Mobley beats the halftime buzzer.  26-6 Govs run over the last 8:30 and 17-2 in the last 4:45.  38-23 Johnson at half.  The next 5 go to Johnson as well for a 22-2 spurt (or 31-6 if you wish) and the lead is 20.  Simley not quite done as Jack Stensgard hits a pair of 3s and a 3 point play from Alex Anderson cuts the lead to 51-40 with 11 minutes left.  A 8-0 Govs run at that point puts the game away as the lead is back to 19.  The last 4 minutes make the final even worse.  Johnson wins 93-65.  Junior Andre Smith 24 points with 3 triples to help keep Simley's zone honest.  Jalen Mobley and Eric Elliot both add 17.  Justus Murphy with 13.  Jack Stensgard with 4 3s and 18 points.  Alex Anderson and Sam Stensgard 12 each.  The game became a track meet and that's Johnson's way to win.  Simley needed this to be a slow down execution type of game and it wasn't that.