CROOKSTON BOY’S BASKETBALL OUTLASTS WARREN-A-O IN A WIN AT UMC

The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team used an 8-0 run to start the second half to open up a double-digit lead and never looked back on their way to a 57-43 victory over the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies in a game played at the University of Minnesota Crookston’s Lysaker gymnasium.  

FIRST HALF-
Crookston started the game on a 5-0 run with a basket from Carter Bruggeman and a three-pointer by Jack Garmen almost three minutes into the game. “That always helps to get going,” said Pirate Coach Greg Garmen. “Carter had a nice basket and Jack hit the three to get us going.  It was a good start.” The Ponies answered with a 5-0 run of their own with a Tyson Mortimer basket and three points from Jackson Woinarowicz to tie the game at 5-5.  Crookston responded with another run as Garmen made back-to-back three-pointers and Crookston led 11-5.  The teams exchanged baskets for the next six minutes and the Ponies slowly chipped away at the Crookston lead to get within a 15-13 deficit with 5:45 left in the half.  It was this point in the game that Carter Bruggeman took over.  Carter scored all 10 of the Pirate points in the final five minutes of the half and Crookston took a 25-19 lead into halftime.  “Carter likes to drive and he has shown he can score better than we thought we would,” said Coach Garmen. “Any time you are up at halftime is good and we had a couple of kids in foul trouble.”

SECOND HALF –
Crookston exploded for an 8-0 run to start the second half with six points coming from Caden Osborn and a basket from Bruggeman for a 33-19 lead less than three minutes into the half.  “That never hurts when you have a good start like that,” said Coach Garmen. “Caden and Carter got us going.” Crookston took their biggest lead of the game a few minutes later when Walker Winjum rattled home a three-pointer for a 38-23 lead with 12 minutes left in the game.  Warren-Alvarado-Oslo responded with a 7-0 run with a three-pointer from Gavin Gullikson and a basket apiece from Hunter Steer and Nathan Sedlacek to get within a 38-30 deficit halfway through the half.  Once again, Crookston answered with a run (6-0) with Osborn and Bruggeman scoring the points and they led the rest of the way for a 57-43 victory.  “We shot free throws well at the end of the game (Crookston was 11 of 12 from the line in the half) so that was good,” said Coach Garmen. “We will take any win we get and we are going to battle in every game and we did that tonight.”

Crookston improves to 3-4 on the year and will travel to Roseau on December 27.  Warren-Alvarado-Oslo drops to 2-4 on the year.
J.V. – Crookston won 46-42.