Targeting the Tri-metro

Its a quiet Saturday on the February schedule.  But this day gives me a chance for my first games of the year (and maybe only ones) at Target Center.  Tri-Metro foes De La Salle and St. Croix Lutheran just played each other on Thursday.  For now, they host the 2 games at Target Center.

Game 1: #1AAA De La Salle vs #3AAAA Sioux City East (IA)
Sioux City East played early last night and made the trip up afterwards.  The 3rd ranked Black Raiders came in 15-1 on the season.  They feature 2 top Iowa players in soph guard Aidan Vanderloo and junior forward Van Rees.  Rees would open the game with a 3 point play. Then its a 20-0 Islanders run in a span of 4:45 with 6 different De La Salle players to start it.  The lead stays at 20 at the break.  Rees picks up his 4th foul just over 90 seconds into the 2nd half.  That triggers a 9-0 run that pushes the De La Salle lead to 26.  The Black Raiders would rally as De La Salle got sloppy vs the 2-3 zone.  Rees converts a turnover into points to cut the lead in half.  53-40 with 5:51 left after a 17-4 run.  But De La Salle doesn't give up a field goal the rest of the way.  Christian Dickson diving from the high post vs the zone for 2, Dom Bledsoe for 3 etc etc.  De La Salle finishes the game on a 20-4 run.  Islanders win 73-44.  Goanar Mar 22 points to lead De La Salle.  Gabe Kalscheur with 12 and Christian Dickson with 14 off the bench.  Aidan Vanderloo leads Sioux City East with 13 points.  Van Rees with 11.  Lithgow off the DL for this one but him and his crew did not have the best of days.  The Sioux City East bench was not pleased all day.  Let's just call it rust and leave it there.

Game 2: St. Croix Lutheran vs Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
This is a rematch from last year's state quarterfinals where SCL won big.  This year both teams hovering around the .500 mark.  No Stephen Kletscher for St. Croix Lutheran due to going thru the concussion protocol.  Adam Arroyo starting in his place.  Big day for Garrett Maag.  He scores the 1st 8 for SCL.  The SCL lead expands to 17-6 thanks to an 11-2 run.  Arroyo 2 buckets there.  DGF would cut the lead to 5 but all SCL from there.  Arroyo 3 hoops and Ryan Eckl off the bench with 2 bombs.  Crusaders go on a 19-5 run over the last 7:05 of the half.  The lead is 19 there and the 2nd half provides no drama.  St. Croix Lutheran wins 66-48.  Garrett Maag leads all scorers with 27 for St. Croix Lutheran.  Adam Arroyo adds 13.  Kyle Rothschadl with 4 3s and 16 points all in the 2nd half to lead Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.  Freshman Drew Coalwell with 10 off the bench for the Rebels as well.

Then the real fun would begin.  The teams had the arena until the top of the hour and there were still 10 minutes left.  So let's bring the end of bench guys out and play 10 running time minutes with the varsity head coaches doing the officiating.  DGF head coach Mike Clark putting in work getting up and down.  SCL head coach Jay Wendland never breaking into a jog but getting great angles from the top of the key.  On the other end that is.  If he only would have blown the whistle from there, the shame.  Nice to see the lower guys get some time on court and against somebody different.  Fun move by the coaches who kindly jumped in with the whistle.