Tracking 4AA and semis in 8AAAA

A fun 3 days of hoops on the schedule.  A pair of coin flip type matchups in section 4AA start and end the stretch.  A pair of quality semifinals in section 8AAAA gets sandwiched inbetween.  Quality pizza and Pepsi at Monticello in my 1st visit to that quality setup.  A rare appearance from Chipotle Gal for the Saturday matinee.  Bethel and Crown staff also appear there.

Thursday: 9 Concordia 82 8 Humboldt 65
This was the 8 vs 9 game in Section 4AA.  Both teams go zone.  Humboldt straight 2-3 while Concordia goes matchup out of their 2-3.  Concordia knocks down 10 3s in the 1st half against that zone.  That is part of opening up a 35-8 lead just 11 minutes into the game.  Humboldt stays man too long but once they go man they manage to get the lead all the way down to 8 with 7 minutes left.  Concordia no flow on their offense and everything going in for the Hawks in the 2nd half.  But a silly Humboldt technical switches the momentum.  That results in a free throw.  A pair of sets result in a backdoor 3 point play and a triple.  Concordia coasts from there.  Aaron TerHaar with 5 triples and 26 points to lead Concordia.  Barnabas Preble adds 19 points.  Desmond Lugo 4 3s and 3 FTs being fouled on a 3 for 15 points to lead Humboldt.

Friday Game 1: 1 Maple Grove 65 4 St. Michael-Albertville 48
Maple Grove would use a 23-7 spurt in the 1st half to open up a 32-13 lead late in the 1st half.  Hot shooting from Kyle Dreyer included 3 triples and 11 points in that run.  STMA with 4 late 3s after that to close the half on a 12-2 run and cut the lead to 34-25 at the break.  STMA would cut the lead to 5 a couple of times in the 2nd half.  Peyton McLean with 3s during a couple of different spurts to keep the game tight.  Maple Grove slows the pace.  Nate Adams starts with a bucket and then a dagger 3 after a long possession pushes the lead back to 14 and the Crimson are out of danger.  Nate Adams 17 points, Kyle Dreyer 16, Jared Rainey 15 for great Crimson guard production.  Ryan McGinnis good backup center minutes as well for Maple Grove.  Peyton McLean and Evan Wieker lead STMA with 11 points each.  The Knights have a talented junior class for next year when they'll join the Lake Conference.

Friday Game 2: 2 Buffalo 84 3 Moorhead 71
Buffalo would open a 18 point halftime lead behind the interior play of Aidan Bouman and the attacking of Tony Dahl.  Moorhead star Maleeck Harden-Hayes sits with 2 fouls at the 7:19 mark and Buffalo goes +12 with him sitting.  Bouman picks up his 4th foul with 12:54 left and sits.  Harden-Hayes nicely attacking in the half and that draws that 4th foul.  He adds a bucket and a putback and the lead is down to 7 with just over 11 minutes left.  Buffalo coach Josh Ortmann not messing around and he'll roll the dice by putting Bouman right back in the game.  That pays off as Bouman plays the rest of the game.  Harden-Hayes fouls out on a tough reach and strip call with 4:44 left.  Drew Hagen fouls out with 3:22 left.  Soph Brady Walthall trying to keep Moorhead close at the charity stripe but there's not enough left.  Aidan Bouman leads Buffalo with 28 points dominating the blocks.  Tony Dahl very effective out of the 2-1-2 dribble drive for 22 points.  Good minutes from freshman point guard Antonio Bluiett as well.  Moorhead gets 19 points from Brady Walthall.  Maleeck Harden-Hayes with 12 of his 14 in the 2nd half.  Both teams return a ton for next year.  Buffalo has their top 6 coming back.  Moorhead returns everybody except Harden-Hayes.  Buffalo and Maple Grove meet on Thursday in St. Michael for the 8AAAA championship.

Saturday: 5 Trinity 45 4 Minneapolis Edison 42
Edison would make the game hectic early.  But Trinity would settle down after a couple of minutes. Edison goes over 9 minutes without a field goal.  But a 3 from Jeremiah Thompson to break that streak cuts the lead to 12-9 just outside the 6 minute mark.  Trinity beats the buzzer with a jumper off an offensive rebound for a 24-15 halftime lead.

Ben Maslow 2 early 3s in the 2nd half.  The 2nd is at the 13:12 mark for a 32-19 Trinity lead.  That's the last Trinity FG of the game.  After the lead grows to 34-20, Edison's defensive chaos pressure starts to take effect.  Edison goes on an 18-3 run for the lead.  Antonio Simmons with a nice slip of an elevator screen for a layup and then 2 free throws to cap that run.  38-37 Edison with 3:38 left.  Simmons and Jermaine Cornell with steals for layups.  42-40 Edison 1:45 left and we have a loud gym.  Maslow ties it with 2 freebies with 1:38 left.  Edison turns it over and Anthony Rumpza with 2 free throws for the lead with 9-0 seconds left.  Edison runs offense and misses.  Trinity rebounds and holds.  Trinity misses both FTs with 17 seconds left and Edison still has a chance down 2.  They miss with 7 seconds left.  1 Trinity free throw gives Edison 1 last possession.  But they dribble it off a foot and time runs out.  Antonio Simmons 13 points to lead Edison.  Ben Maslow 15 points to lead Trinity.  Michael Ennis adds 14 points.  Trinity advances to play Minnehaha on Tuesday.