2018 Tartan Tourney Day 1 Notes

Its the most wonderful time of the year with holiday tournaments and crazy weather going on all over the state.  I start my annual tour of the metro with a day at the annual Tartan Tournament.  This was an 8 team 3 day event in prior years and then fell apart last year.  Now its back with 8 teams but in 2 4 team brackets for just 2 days.  Great music all day from Michael Jackson's Billie Jean to AC/DC  Back in Back with some KT Tunstall Suddenly I See thrown in too.

Silver Bracket

Spring Lake Park 70 Farmington 61
Spring Lake Park would hang around in the 1st half thanks to 10-18 free throws as they once had a 12-4 advantage in fouls.  Farmington would extend a 3 point halftime lead to 7 thanks to an 8-2 run early in the 2nd half.  After a Spring Lake Park timeout, the Panthers rally with an 18-4 run of their own.  That starts with Blake Remme from deep via the day's only possession of THE WORLD'S WORST OFFENSE.  Remme adds another bucket in the run plus a critical 3 from Jacob Say.  Soph Trey Johnston with a putback for a 3 point play in the run as well. That run turns the game into a 7 point SLP lead with 5:25 left.  Farmington would miss a couple hurried looks late in a 3 point game.  A couple of layups against the press finish the deal.  Blake Remme leads all scorers with 18 points.  Also for Spring Lake Park, Daydor Phillips 15 points and Gabe Myren 13 points.  Jameson Shrum leads Farmington with 16 points.  Miles Mendes adds 14.

Tartan 74 Park of Cottage Grove 55
Former Tartan player Mike Weah returns to Tartan with his Park squad.  Their strategy of playing 1-2-2 zone was a solid idea.  Tartan attacked it wtih Antwan Kimmons off high ball screens.  But Joseph Kearney with 3 bombs in the 1st half breaks down that zone a bit and Tartan takes a 15 point halftime lead.  Tartan sloppy play and they got beat up on the offensive glass in the 2nd half.  Park would cut the margin to 10.  But 2 Kimmons hoops, a Dorian Singer 3 and one of many Park turnovers for a M'akil Weems dunk pushes the lead back to 19 and there's no danger.  Domenick Block 21 points for Park.  UMD commit Charlie Gorres held to 5 points on 2 FG.  Antawn Kimmons 21 points for Tartan.  Joseph Kearney 14 points and 3 3s.  Dorian Singer also with 3 triples.

Blue Bracket

White Bear Lake 74 Fridley 50
Sam Schwartz still out and on crutches for undefeated White Bear Lake.  Despite early fouls Fridley would hang around only being down 5 at the break.  But Isaac Tessier goes off for 18 points in the 2nd half and its blowout city.  Tessier leads all scorers with 28 points.  Quiet day for Jeremy Beckler with 11 points and 14 rebounds on my sheet.  No more than a handful of looks for him inside where he had a major advantage.  Frosh Hassan Kamara leads Fridley with 11 points.

Superior, WI 71 Chisago Lakes 53
This one got ugly after about the 1st 6 minutes.  Superior converted turnovers into points and took a 17 point lead to halftime.  The Spartans cruised from there to an easy win.  6 1st half triples for Superior didn't hurt the cause either.  Will Tinjum 12 points for Chisago Lakes.  Xavier Patterson leads 3 Spartans in double figures with 22 points.  Tartan will take on Superior on the final Saturday of the regular season in Feburary.