Park Region Conference Showcase Recap
Sebeka vs. Bertha-Hewitt
Final Score: Bertha-Hewitt 61, Sebeka 53
Sebeka was hampered by some foul trouble in the first half, as senior big-man Jack Lillquist picked up two early fouls. Bertha-Hewitt’s zone gave the Trojans some trouble, but Mason Dailey and William Hannu were able to each hit from outside in the first half, giving Sebeka a 31-27 lead at the half.
Brett Jansen, Bertha-Hewitt’s senior center, was sidelined by an apparent injury midway through the first half, he would return in the second half, and he proved to be the difference. With Lillquist having to be cautious on defense due to foul trouble, Jansen was too much to handle in the post. He finished the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Becker and Luke Follmer each chipped in 14 and 13, respectively. Three Sebeka players reached double figures in the loss; Dailey and Hannu finished with 13 each, while James Clark was limited to 12.
Game MVP: Brett Jansen, Bertha-Hewitt, Sr.
The senior center was temporarily hampered in the first half by an injury that prevented him from being much of a factor. In the second half, he displayed a great touch around the rim as the Bears made it a point to get the ball to him on the block. His relentless rebounding limited the Trojans to just one shot on a number of possessions, as he finished with 12 boards on the night to go along with 12 points.
Verndale vs. Menahga
Final Score: Menahga 62, Verndale 60
The Mehahga Braves jumped out to a 35-25 lead at half behind 11 first half points from junior Zach Floyd, and they hung on down the stretch for the victory.
This was a game of two contrasting styles, Menahga is more of a finesse team, while Verndale is much more physical. The physicality might have done the Pirates in, as Menahga got to the charity stripe 34 times on the afternoon, and they capitalized, sinking 26 of those tries.
Menahga was led by some young talent, as sophomore Tristan Aho netted 19, followed by Floyd with 18, and freshman Charlie Hodge with 12. Verndale kept it close at the end behind a scoring barrage in the last two minutes from senior guard Owen Korfe, who finished with 24. Fellow senior, Luke Weniger, was the only other Pirate in double figures with 13.
Game MVP: Tristan Aho, Menahga, So.
The Braves don’t have much size, and when Verndale went into a zone at times, Aho didn’t just settle for jumpers. He worked the high post a number of times, either looking for a teammate on the wing, or driving to the basket. He displayed a solid jumper, ability to take it off the dribble, and a great touch from the line as he converted a number of trips in the second half. This sophomore has a bright future.
Pillager vs. New York Mills
Final Score: Pillager 66, New York Mills 57
This one was back-and-forth in the first half, as New York Mills mixed up their defenses to keep Pillager guessing. Pillager senior, Braeden Wangsness got loose a few times, knocking down 4 triples in the first half. However, New York Mills held on to a 30-28 lead at half.
New York Mills junior center, Jonas Baune, displayed tremendous footwork and activity in the post, finishing with 20 points and 9 rebounds for NYM, but it wasn’t enough. In the second half, Wangsness was able to penetrate the zone and either finish or get to the line on a regular basis, finishing with 24 for the game.
Three other Huskies got into double figures with seniors Josh Doss and Tanner Swenson adding 13 and 12, respectively, and sophomore center Spencer Schaefer scored 11. Russell Arno added 16 for New York Mills, and Brady Bauck had 10.
Game MVP: Braeden Wangsness, Pillager, Sr.
The senior got his night going by hitting 4 threes against the NYM zone in the first half. Much like Aho in the previous game, he didn’t settle for jumpers in the second half. He has good length and athleticism, which allowed him to make and finish a number of controlled drives to the basket late in the game, finishing with 24 points on the night.
Henning vs. Wadena-Deer Creek
Final Score: Wadena-Deer Creek 84, Henning 76
There was a little more offense to be found in the finale, as both teams are led by a number of tremendous perimeter players. WDC clung to a 42-40 lead at half as senior guard Noah Ross had 14 to pace the Wolverines in the half.
The offense for WDC stayed on pace, but they tightened up on defense just enough when they had to in the second half to sneak by the Hornets. Henning had no answer on defense for Ross, as he scored in a variety of ways to end the night with 29 for WDC. Fellow senior, Jonathan Pantages added 14 points and 7 rebounds, while sophomore guard Bereket Loer connected multiple times from downtown to finish with 17.
A young Hornets team (only 1 senior) got double figure nights from a pair or juniors, and a pair of sophomores. Sophomores Blake Wallevand and Isaac Fisher each scored 15, while junior Adam Lange chipped in 14 and junior guard Sam Fisher led the way with 19.
Game MVP: Noah Ross, Wadena-Deer Creek, Sr.
Ross can score in a number of ways, and they were all on display Saturday night. Whether it was catch-and-shoot for three, off the dribble, on the block if he had a mismatch, from the charity stripe, this guy has a knack for getting buckets. He even shared the ball-handling duties with Bereket Loer for large portions of the game. A complete display of scoring on his way to 29 on the night.