2017 Bethel Champoinship Day

To Bethel for all 4 games on their championship day for both brackets.  After avoiding a fence and high jumping a guard rail, I do make it thru the snow to the Robertson Center after inhaling some McDonalds.  A great music selection for most of the day.  Then for dinner Santa Novak and his staff bring me Chipotle.  Many thanks to the entire Bethel crew for their hospitality.  We start with a pair of 3rd place games and then a pair of tight championship games for the 2 brackets.  That includes Hollywood who had the late game and went without the sleeves tonight.

Game 1: St. Paul Central 70 Mounds View 47
Forward Daveonte Davis with a strong start for Central.  He goes for 2 hoops, a triple and 3 free throws early. My'Kel Alexander with 2 early stick backs as well.  Davis adds a triple to push the lead to 11.  The margin stays there for the 1st half.  Central extends that with a 7-0 run thanks to Davis out on the break for a layup and another bomb.  Mounds View tries to stay close with an 7-0 run via a Brendan Kauls triple and a pair of steals for buckets.  Davis ends a Central 7-0 run with a 3 point play.  Then a late 14-2 run to really bust the game open for the final margin.  Daveonte Davis with 3 3s and 25 points in another nice performance.  He's a matchup problem with post size and strength to go with guard skills.  Central adds 3 other starters in double figures.  Michael Fahim with 11 points to lead the Mustangs.  They are just hard pressed to generate offense. 

Game 2: Roseville 61 Eagan 44
Speaking of offensively challenged, the 1st half of this game showed that with a 22-12 halftime score.  Eagan also hard pressed to get good looks.  Roseville would eventually pull away as Eagan had to try to apply some pressure and the Raiders took advantage.  Yohanes Gebeyehu and Jovan Hunter with triples and a Nolan Wald 3 point play push the margin to 18 with 5:25 left after a 9-2 run.  But never any danger here.  Gary Smith with 12 to lead Roseville.  Drew Adams, Jovan Hunter and Nolan Wald all added 10 for great balance.  Eagan has 12 players score but nobody in double figures.  Soph guard Jaylen James with 9 to lead the Wildcats.

Game 3: Bloomington Jefferson 61 Maranatha 54
Back and forth 1st half of this one.  Everything was at Jefferson's methodical pace which is definitely not the way Maranatha wants to play.  Maranatha with a 36-32 lead in the 2nd half when Beijan Newbern gets undercut on a rebound.  That was a side effect of trying to faceguard him with a tiny guard rather than a wing.  That takes him out of the lineup for 3 minutes.  It also triggers a 9-0 Jefferson run with the last 5 from forward Isaiah Watts.  41-36 Jefferson with 9:30 left.  Newbern back in and stops the bleeding with a 3 point play on a steal.  He drives for another bucket as part of the 10-2 run to put MCA back on top 46-43 with just over 5 minutes left.  Jefferson takes time and responds with an 8-0 run with a Watts 3 to start it.  Then a 3 point Jags lead and a coach Evens cry of "Get a layup" leads to a Oh My God, What Are We Doing, Great Shot triple from Owen Campbell with 2:18 left and a 6 point Jags lead.  Watts seals it with a putback of a missed free throw.  Isaiah Watts leads Jefferson with 22 points.  Owen Campbell with 10 off the bench for the Jags.  Beijan Newbern with 17 despite being faceguarded most of the game.  Clarence Daniels and Travaris Ricks-Wesseh each add 13.  Except for 2 late meaningless free throws, MCA gets nothing from their bench.


Game 4: Totino-Grace 64 St. Louis Park 63
Strange focus on bench cheering from the Hollywood crew.  Finally the lead official gives Totino-Grace a bench warning for it in the 2nd half.  Total insanity.  Tight game the entire way with the Will Schmidt show on a loop.  He scores 19 points in the 1st 7 minutes with 5 3s. 23-14 Eagles at 11:01.  St. Louis Park would claw their way back thanks to Cire Mayfield.  2 bullet passes for 3 Anthony Odens free throws.  He adds 2 free throws later then 8 points in the last 3:30 of the half as the Orioles take a 3 point halftime lead.

Schmidt from the deep again and its 45-43 St. Louis Park with 14:40 left.  Mokiller timeout and St. Louis Park goes on a 9-0 run to force another TG timeout.  Mayfield with 2 hoops in the run plus a killer hustle play by DaShaun Emerson to track down an offensive FT miss which turned into another hoop.  But Totino-Grace responds with a 12-0 run of their own out of that timeout.  Nick Flottmeier 5 straight to start it, then Schmidt with a drive and another bomb.  Back and forth we go. Aiden Doherty with a 3 point play to break a tie and Braeden Mischke sticks back a miss for his own 3 point play.  60 all with 2:59 left.

St. Louis Park with back to back turnovers to allow 2 Charlie Jacob free throws for a 62-60 lead.  But a bad miss with 1:30 left after the 2nd turnover allows Mayfield a chance to tie it at the foul line.  He makes 1 of 2 and Totino will hold but take another bad shot.  Mayfield makes them pay with 19.7 left.  TG ball down 1.  Its high pick and roll with Schmidt setting the screen. He rolls into the post and gets the feed.  He appears to have nothing and then spins middle to his left hand and finishes it with 3 seconds left.  Time runs out and that's the tournament championship bucket.  Will Schmidt finishes with 8 3s and 35 points to lead all scorers on the day.  Tyler Kittelson adds 10.  Cire Mayfield leads the Orioles with 19 points.  Aiden Doherty adds 16, Joey Whitlock with 13.