The Next Day: Maple Grove upsets No. 6 Spring Lake Park 74-65
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A Northwest Suburban-West matchup took place on Friday night between Maple Grove and ranked Spring Lake Park. The Crimson pulled off the road upset behind a great balance of guard play and hot shooting by a final score of 74-65.…
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Continue ReadingA Northwest Suburban-West matchup took place on Friday night between Maple Grove and ranked Spring Lake Park. The Crimson pulled off the road upset behind a great balance of guard play and hot shooting by a final score of 74-65. The rundown:
Jared Rainey: certified closer. Need three outs? On the basketball court it’s more like three minutes of ball security, and that’s what Rainey comforts the Crimson with. The 6-1 senior guard’s composure was key in keeping Spring Lake Park at bay late in the game. Rainey and the Crimson perimeter stretched the defense in a five-high stall look, giving space for Rainey to drive in space and get to the rim for free throws, one of the things he is so good at. He had 23 points to go with eight rebounds and four steals.
SLP’s stars. MG held a lead most of the game, but Gabe Myren kept the Panthers around all first half. He finished the day with 18 points on 8-10 shooting, mostly operating in the midrange game and turning corners jn pick and roll for buckets. 6-5 wing counterpart Blake Remme had a slow start (held to one FG make in the first half) but turned it on defensively so he could break away for some buckets in the second frame. He had 20 on the night along with three steals. The junior pair showed when they’re on, they’re tough to beat.
Confidence oozes from Nate Adams. The future NDSU golfer seems not to have one bit of fear or stress on the court. He’s cool and balanced at all times and his shooting prowess gives him chances to surprise people and drive into the paint too. Added 23 points for the Crimson plus four crucial assists. 6-2 senior guard.
Difference maker? RaShaun Parker. The reason Maple Grove got a cushion to work with in the first half was all RaShaun Parker. The junior guard came off the bench and hit four treys on kickouts in the first frame and got the Crimson faithful rowdy. Parker scored 17 including some key late free throw makes. When Spring Lake Park didn’t have another hot option on offense, Maple Grove found one off the bench to propel them to victory.
Other notables. SLP 6-8 senior center Mason Johnson was a force on defense against the smaller MG frontcourt, deterring shots and drives out of the paint. He added six points and four rebounds. Junior point guard Jacob Say scored 10 for the Panthers hitting a couple momentum-swinging treys. For the Crimson, senior guard Kyle Dreyer made plays outside the scoring column, adding five rebounds and a couple nice finishes. Keep an eye on 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Caden Boettcher. He started for MG and has the makings of a scoring combo forward in the years to come.