Pirates get revenge

Prologue
To another big game.  This is the 2nd meeting of the season between visiting #6AAAA Osseo and district archrival #7AAAA Park Center.  Osseo won the 1st game by a point.  The expected full house on hand.  A nice grease ratio on the Jet's Pizza tonight with the 500 ml bottle of Pepsi go with it.  I was surprised we didn't get the usually quality Pirate Pep Band.  Great moment at halftime with the leaders of the student sections coming together halfway for a rock, paper, scissors challenge.  The Park Center leader won it to one of the loudest cheers of the night.

Number of Teams I've Seen: 118 (102 games, 58 days, 37 buildings, 18 online)

Beverage Ticker: 754.3 ounces (8250 Calories)

• Pepsi: 243.6 ounces (3040 calories)
• Coke: 129.8 ounces (1540 calories) 
• Dr. Pepper: 36 ounces (450 calories)
• Sprite Zero: 20 ounces (0 calories) 
• Sprite: 136.9 ounces (1620 calories) 
• 7 Up: 12 ounces (140 calories)
• Red Gatorade: 1000 ounces (700 calories)  
• Red Powerade: 40 ounces (260 calories) 
• A&W Root Beer: 24 ounces (340 calories) 
• Mug Root Beer: 12 ounces (160 calories)

Food Ticker:

• Hot Dogs: 19
• Walking Tacos: 5
• Pizza: 17
• Pulled Pork Sandwich: 1
• Chipotle: 1 (thanks to Bethel staff)

Game Time:
Dain Dainja not in the starting lineup but he's in at the 14:59 mark.  Levonte Parker with a steal and dunk and a couple Tommy Chatman hoops.  12-5 Park Center just over 7 minutes into the game.  The offenses taking time to figure things out.  Zach Theisen for 3 to cut the lead to 1 before Dainja scores.  Dainja will sit with a 2nd foul at the 7:57 minute mark.  But he's back at 6:11 as Osseo hits a couple freebies to break an 8-0 Pirates run.  Dainja with a whirling move for a short jumper then 2 strong moves in the post as he scores 3 straight hoops.  26-17 Park Center in control at the 4:35 mark.  But he's out of control on the break and picks up a charge for his 3rd at the 2:54 mark.  That's after Jarius Cook gets his 2nd on charge.  With Dainja sitting, Osseo pounds the ball inside to Anthony Williams.  He gets a 3 point play on a set high low look plus a couple more inside hoops.  Park Center tries to hold for the final shot but a turnover results in a Williams tip that just beats the buzzer. 32-30 Osseo at the half thanks to a 15-4 run to close it out.

Osseo keeps the momentum going to start the 2nd half.  Theisen scores on a pretty Iverson look into a backdoor cut.  Emmette Page adds a hoop and his only 3 of the night. That helps get the Osseo lead to 43-37 with under 13 minutes to play.  Park Center's defense takes over from there.  Chatman 2 hoops after Osseo turnovers.  Khari Broadway bonus free throws and a rim attack for 2 more.  Emmanuel Tamba runs for a layup and that forces an Osseo timeout as the score flips from up 6 to down 6.  Jarius Cook with a stick back and runs for a layup plus a Tamba steal and finish.  A blocked shot on the defensive end leads to a Broadway free throw.  Tamba with another layup and Chatman finishes the run by fittingly converting a turnover.  The Pirates run is 25-5 in just over 8 minutes.  62-48 with 4:25 left.  Zach Theisen with a couple late 3s but Osseo never gets closer than 9 the rest of the way.  Park Center wins 72-58.


Post Game
Osseo was totally taken out of their offense in the middle of the 2nd half.  Park Center's man pressure just got up in them and took them out of anything they wanted to do.  That allowed the Pirates to get out and run either off of turnovers or misses and generate easy offense.  Zach Theisen leads the Orioles with 21 points and 5 3s.  Emmette Page with 15 points, Anthony Williams adds 11.  The loss stops a 10 game Osseo winning streak.  The Orioles fall to 12-3 overall and 8-1 in the NW Suburban.  Osseo does have a schedule edge as they have already beaten fellow division leader Champlin Park and Park Center hasn't played them yet.  Osseo hosts Spring Lake Park and visits Irondale next week as they begin a soft part of their schedule.

For Park Center, a very balanced scoring night.  Emmanuel Tamba leads with 15 points.  Tommy Chatman with 14, Khari Broadway 12 and Dain Dainja 10.  No outside shooting with no triples on the night for the Pirates.  Jarius Cook quiet with 8 points is an explanation.  Very surprised that Park Center didn't try to pound the ball into Dainja in the 2nd half after the success he had inside in the 1st half.  But the story here was the Pirates defense.  Not only was Tamba the leading scorer but he was the catalyst on defense as he was all over causing havoc.   The athletic advantage of Park Center at almost every position was a major factor.  Park Center moves into a 1st place tie with Osseo at 8-1 in the NW Suburban and 13-3 overall.  They have a big week ahead with a trip to Totino-Grace on Tuesday and a visit from North division leader Champlin Park on Friday.  Beyond that, they should have clear sailing except for a trip to Maple Grove.