2016 Bethel Tourney Day 2 Thoughts

Day 2 of my 2016 Holiday Tournament adventures takes me to the middle day of events at Bethel.  Its the finals of the 1st bracket with openers in the 2nd bracket.  2 cans of Coke for refreshment.  Hot Dog for the food count.  Lots of bun with it.  Czar gets a music request for Stand By Me granted by the kind Bethel players at the scorer's table. 

Bracket 1
3rd Place: Roseville vs St. Paul Central
This was a rematch of last Thursday's meeting in Roseville where Central won 57-52.  The start of the game is very ugly.  Roseville throws in a prayer for their 1st hoop and a putback for their 2nd.  7-4 Central at the 6:55 mark of the 1st.  Then Central falls apart and gives up a 34-5 run across halftime.  Central with only 2 field goals in about 17 minutes during that run.  But a T on coach Scott Howell may have gotten his players attention.  They turn up a 1-2-2 halfcourt and 3/4 court trap.  They go on a 11-2 run over 3 minutes left.  That cuts a 24 point margin to 38-23 with over 8 minutes left.  Central with an end game flurry cut the final margin.  Roseville wins 50-44 in a final that doesn't reflect how 1 team or the other dominated play.  Soph Jovan Hunter leads all scorers with 18 for Roseville.  Shawn Blanchard 15, soph Daveonte Davis 14 for Central.

1st Place: Bloomington Jefferson vs Minnetonka
In typical Jefferson fashion, the pace of this one is slow.  Matt Haas and Tyler Riemersma effective inside for their squads.  Neither team able to gain any huge advantage.  27-24 Tonka at the break.  Joe Hird would take over the Jefferson offense in the 2nd half.  His driving hoop pulls the Jags within 41-40 with 4:33 left.  Tonka would score the next 6 thanks to Isaiah Carver-Bagley driving and dunking, Haas with a layup and Carver-Bagley with 2 free throws.  Tonka in control up 47-40 with 1:33 left.  Jags rally back thanks to 2 Tonka turnovers and a pair of Hird bombs.  Tonka doesn't get a shot on the final possession and we'll play OT tied at 47.  Hird would make 1 of 2 free throws for a 2 point lead with 35.9 left in the OT.  Burt Hedstrom made 4 straight free throws in the OT.  He stepped to the line with 4.3 left and a chance to tie.  He made the 1st but missed the 2nd. In the ensuing scramble for the rebound, the clock runs out.  Jefferson wins 53-52 in OT. Joe Hird all 20 of his points after halftime.  He scored 20 of the 26 Jags points after the half.  Tyler Riemersma with 12.  Isaiah Carver-Bagley 16 points to lead Minnetonka.   Burt Hedstrom and Matt Haas 14 each for the Skippers.

Bracket 2
Game 1: St. Louis Park vs Eagan
Jaren Tschetter off the Eagan bench for 13 points in the first half.  Aidan Doherty with 7 off the St. Louis Park bench.  35-32 Eagan with the lead at half.  St. Louis Park's attacking style picks up in the 2nd half.  Doherty with a couple of hoops in a 14-4 St. Louis Park run early in the 2nd half to take a 50-42 lead inside of 11 minutes left.  Eagan would be within 6 with 5 minutes left but Cire Mayfield with back to back hoops and then counters a pair of Eagan free throws. That keeps the lead at 10 inside of 3 minutes left.  St. Louis Park wins 73-60.  Jaren Tschetter leads all scorers with 20 points for Eagan.  Aidan Doherty and Richard Green both off the bench with 13 points to lead St. Louis Park.

Game 2: Mounds View vs St. Francis
This was a defensive struggle.  Brian Stone with a steal and score at the 12:35 mark as Mounds View jumps out to a 7-2 lead.  But the Mustangs would not make another field goal in the half, just 8 free throws.  St. Francis gets good minutes from guard Genuine Matthews to take a 20-15 halftime lead.  Mounds View finds their offense in the 2nd half and they go on a 20-3 run after the 1st bucket of the half.  They make 4 3s in the run from 4 players, 3 of them in a row as they go from 7 down to 35-25 up with 9 minutes left.  The Swing Offense and 1-3-1 defense slow the pace to a crawl.  Frosh Wyatt Schroeder with 3 straight hoops late to make it interesting.  Nate Varberg makes 1 of 2 with 0.8 left to seal it.  Mounds View wins an ugly one 43-39.  Nick McMillan with 14 points to lead Mounds View.  Ryan Svihel with 12 points to lead St. Francis.