Browsing the NW Suburban

So its 2 nights in the NW Suburban with trips to Spring Lake Park and Park Center for a couple of competitive non-conference games.  Quality hot dogs and Jet's pizza to go around with plenty of regular Sprite as the beverage.  Rowdy Spring Lake Park students for the JMOA on Monday.  Lithgow and Ricky get the Tuesday tilt.  Both crews get double duty as they also work the JV games.  Here's what I saw.

Monday: Spring Lake Park 62 Mounds View 51
Mounds View would use a 7-0 run to take a 1st half lead but then they wouldn't score another field goal the rest of the half.  The drought goes over 9 minutes crossing halftime.  It results in a 25-3 Spring Lake Park run that puts them up 41-20 early in the 2nd half.  Then Spring Lake Park forward Blake Remme goes down with an injury (back within a week or 2 I hear).  Mounds View comes out of the injury delay with zone and the game totally shifts.  Spring Lake Park takes 2 quick time outs at the beginning of the run and it doesn't help.  The Mustangs manage to cut the margin to 5 with just over 3 minutes left.  Josh Albers scores 10 points in that run. But Gabe Myren slams the door with a hoop and 6 free throws.  He finishes with 21 points.  Remme with all 14 of his points including a couple of 3s in the 1st half before the injury.  Josh Albers 12 of his 16 in the 2nd half to help lead the Mustangs back.    Mounds View turned it over far more than you'd ever expect from them.  Spring Lake Park with some effective run and jump pressure to cause that. 

Tuesday: #3AAAA Park Center 68 Minnetonka 56
Minnetonka coming in a bit banged up with no AJ Tolliver or Aaron Syverson in the lineup.  Tonka goes on a 13-2 first half run to counter a 9-0 Park Center run.  DJ Purnell 5 points in the Pirates run.  Jarius Cook hits a couple of 3s to bring Park Center back to even at 17.  Jalen Dearring to the bench for the last 5 minutes of the half with 3 fouls for Minnetonka.  Cam Steele with a hoop and triple to put the Skippers up 5 but an Emmanuel Tamba full court dash and scoop at the buzzer would tie the game at 26 going to the break.

Dain Dainja with a putback and a Tommy Chatman 3 point play allow the Pirates to open a 10 point lead.  That's with Steele sitting with 4 fouls. He comes back in and Tonka claws its way back via a pair of Dearring triples.  Cook with a pair of hoops to counter a Dearring FT and triple.  Park Center closes it out from there.  Jarius Cook leads the Pirates with 17 points. Emmanuel Tamba 13 off the bench.  Dain Dainja adds 12.  He didn't shoot as many jump shots this game but still isn't getting enough touches in the post.  Jalen Dearring leads Minnetonka with 15 of his 20 in the 2nd half.  Soph Cam Steele adds 13 of his 15 in the 1st half.  Its a difficult offensive lineup for Tonka with 2 non-shooting wings and a post playing and the 2nd best perimeter shooter is the power forward.