Islanders Make History with Five Straight Titles
DeLaSalle’s strive for five straight state titles and Minnesota state history had a physical final battle but you have to believe that Head Coach Dave Thorson wouldn’t have it any other way. Fergus Falls wasn’t the expected opponent but after…
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Continue ReadingDeLaSalle’s strive for five straight state titles and Minnesota state history had a physical final battle but you have to believe that Head Coach Dave Thorson wouldn’t have it any other way. Fergus Falls wasn’t the expected opponent but after they relatively easily handled Red Wing the Islanders knew they were in for a fight.
DeLaSalle is known for physical defense and they will bump a cutter as hard as anybody but it was Fergus Falls who did more of the grabbing, clutching, and hands on style of defense opening the game. The main objective was to slow down Islander junior Goanar Mar who has been averaging nearly 25 a game in the last month and they did that, they just had a hard time stopping sophomore scorer Gabe Kalscheur and some of the others.
Reece Kramer had hands on Mar around the basket as well as shoulders into any Islander cutter while Rund often chased around Kalscheur. Being physical slowed the Islanders down but Nathan Rund was picked off with screens and other times was ran around obstacles freeing Gabe for three early treys and three trips to the foul line (Gabe scored 19 first half points). Add in the corner threes from freshman Tyrell Terry and the Otters had a terrible time defending space away from the paint.
In the second half Fergus Falls extended their defense by picking up full court man to man and doing some trapping after the Islanders crossed the center line. The Otters were able to force some mistakes but the athletes of DeLeSalle then had lanes to attack. Sage Booker and Samm Jones both scored multiple times on the move and then Goanar Mar contributed with a pair of second half field goals moving off the ball. With nine minutes to go the Islanders held a 60-44 lead.
With six minutes to do DeLaSalle then put Fergus Falls through the grind. What is the grind? Thirty to forty-five second possessions of spaced out halfcourt offense where the Islander ball moves around the perimeter for about a dozen passes before a lane opens and then DeLaSalle attacks the tired defense. After about six possessions of this Fergus Falls finally gave up and Dave Thorson had his 500th win and DeLaSalle had a record breaking fifth state championship.
Numbers
DeLaSalle was led by the 27 points from Gabe Kalscheur making 8 of 16 field goals including three treys plus 8 of 10 at the foul line and seven rebounds as well. Samm Jones had 14 points, Goanar Mar scored 12 (with eight boards), and Sage Booker scored 11.
Fergus Falls sophomore Harrison Christensen scored 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting while classmate Nathan Rund had 13. Jake Western scored an active 12 while Matthew Monke had 11. Of those four only Western graduates so the Otters will be really good next year as well (sophomore Elijah Colbeck also returns next season).
Class AAA All Tournament Team
Monticello: Matt Todd
Red Wing: Travis Toivonen, Joe Sevlie, Ben Munson
Fergus Falls: Nathan Rund, Matthew Monke, Harrison Christensen
DeLaSalle: Gabe Kalscheur, Goanar Mar, Samm Jones