Weekend Bird Watching

Yes it was a weekend for the birds.  The 1st 2 rounds are Orioles.  That includes Eagles too with Osseo visiting Totino-Grace.   Then the finale with the #2AAA Bluejays of Waseca bringing one of the best squads in AAA to the north side to take on #2AA Minneapolis North.  A mid-afternoon break means no concession food but between game Famous Dave's instead.

Friday: Osseo 59 Totino-Grace 57
This was as good a defensive battle on the whole as I've seen all year.  Both teams locking up on that end, though both teams aren't exactly classified as explosive on offense.  25-21 TG at the break as it took until midway thru the 1st half to see any semblance of offense.  DJ Akepti with a pair of 3s as TG opens up a 41-27 lead with just over 13 min left.  But the Eagles are held to only 1 FG from there until 90 seconds left in the game.  Furious rally from the Osseo defense and their bench.  Chaz Franklin 5 in a row to start the rally.  Miles Vinson with a triple in the run as well.  The starters chime in too.  Cornell Richardson 2 bombs.  Terrance Waits with a steal for 2 to tie it at 47 and then buries a 3 off a scramble for the lead just under 3:30 left.  Franklin another bomb, a turnover for a bucket and then 2 Osseo FTs after TG misses 2 critical freebies.  Osseo clings to the lead late as they are up 4 with 30 seconds left and TG cuts it to 2 at the end.  5 critical 3s in the 2nd half for Osseo and their quickness on defense was too much.

Saturday Gm 1: St. Louis Park 69 Stillwater 61
Sticking with the Orioles theme, I get my 1st in person viewing of St. Louis Park as well as Stillwater this season.  Stillwater getting all their offense in the post from Ben Recksiedler and Trenton Attwood.  Anthony Rayson countering that with his own solid post offense.  9 point Orioles lead at the break.  That would largely hold until a 9-0 Stillwater run cut the lead to 49-47 with 8:06 left.  But its a MoKiller timeout and was it ever.  St. Louis Park counters with an 11-0 run out of that to put the game away.  Rayson with 5 points and the Orioles add a couple offensive putbacks in the run as well.  Nate Shikenjanski and Ben Smalley try to help out the bigs but its too little too late for the Ponies. Anthony Rayson with 26 all inside to lead the Orioles.  Ben Recksiedler with 19 to lead Stillwater.  St. Louis Park has won 12 of 13.  Next week they host rival Benilde-St. Margaret's and then what could be the defacto Metro West title game at Chaska.  Stillwater with a tough week ahead at home vs Cretin-Derham Hall and St. Michael-Albertville.

Saturday Gm 2: #2AAA Waseca 77 #2AA Minneapolis North 64
Now its a fun battle of #2s.  Waseca blows the doors off early with a 19-4 start as they're running for buckets and burying 3s.  North keeps it within shouting distance then its 2 more 3s and a 3 point play and all of a sudden its 43-20 as we approach the 3 minute mark.  Forward Matt Olsem sits for Waseca with 2 fouls and North goes on a 14-0 run forcing turnovers.  Omar Brown with the 1st 6 of that spurt.  But Malik Willingham buries a 3 and Andrew Morgan beats the buzzer with a dunk.  48-35 Waseca at the break.  Their big 4 all with 10 or 11 points (43 of the 48).

Malik Willingham inside out for 3 and the lead is at 16 with 16 minutes left.  You can't discount North at home and here come the mighty Polars.  Nasir El-Amin 2 hoops, Davon Townley a post bucket and a putback.  Eli Campbell for 3 and a steal for 2.  Omar Brown drives and scores.  The Polars run is 21-4 and we have a game folks.  59-58 Waseca with just under 9 minutes left.  But its Malik Willingham again to stop the bleeding.  He goes for a 3 point play at the 7:14 mark  They breaks a streak of almost 9 minutes with only 1 Waseca FG.  Post Andrew Morgan with a hoop and runs the floor for 2 free throws.  Then a nice Iverson screen the screener set for a Malik Willingham 3.  Morgan with a dunk and Waseca adds bonus FTs.  That 14-2 run pushes the lead back to 73-60 with 3:18 left.  Bluejays close it out from there.  Malik Willingham leads all scorers with 24 points and he came up with run killing buckets.  Andrew Morgan adds 17 inside. Kyrese Willingham with 11 of his 13 in the 1st half.  Nick Dufault with 14.  Nasir El-Amin leads North with 18 points. Omar Brown adds 16. 

So with Waseca and De La Salle both beating Minneapolis North by similar scores and Waseca doing it on the road in impressive fashion and being undefeated, do you swap them into the top spot in AAA?  Let the debate rage on.  Considering what North's pressure did tonight, have to think De La Salle's man pressure is something that would have to concern Waseca.  But give Waseca credit, North made big runs at them and they responded each time.  North has the big AA showdown with Minnehaha on Tuesday and a trip to Eden Prairie the following Tuesday.  They've already clinched the Minneapolis City title and a place in the Twin Cities Game.

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