CROOKSTON BOY’S BASKETBALL SLUGGISH START COSTS THEM IN LOSS TO ADA-BORUP

The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team sluggish first half proved to cost them in a 74-64 loss to the Ada-Borup/West Cougars in the regular season finale for both teams played in Ada.

Crookston scored the first four points of the game when Cade Osborn had back to back baskets for a 4-0 lead.  Crookston had a 9-7 lead four minutes into the game when Ada-Borup, who started their five seniors, went to the bench and inserted several players that usually start and went on an 8-0 run for a 15-9 lead.  Crookston’s Walker Winjum stopped the run with a three-pointer and the teams exchanged baskets for two or three minutes before Ada-Borup went on a 4-0 run to take a 21-14 lead with eight minutes to go in the first half.  Ada-Borup had a nine-point lead several times in the final minutes of the half and took their biggest lead of the first half 37-26 with less than a minute to go in the half.  Crookston ended the half with a Nick Garmen three-pointer and Ada-Borup led 37-29 going into halftime.  “We were lucky to hit the shot going into the half,” said Pirate Coach Greg Garmen. “We really didn’t play that well and were still in the game at halftime, so that was good.”

Crookston had a good start in the second half, scoring the first four points with baskets from Osborn and Jaden Lubarski to trail 37-30.  Ada-Borup answered with a three-pointer and three-point play before Crookston answered with a Jack Garmen three-pointer and a nice basket from Osborn.  Ada-Borup slowly built their lead to 10 points when they took a 54-44 lead with 10:14 left in the game.  Crookston had a spark with an Easton Tangquist three-pointer and after a Cougar basket, Walker Winjum and Osborn scored baskets to get within a five-point deficit.  Ada-Borup made a three-pointer, but Crookston answered with a basket from Osborn, a three-pointer from Nick Garmen and the Pirates were within one possession (59-56).  The teams exchanged baskets for a couple of minutes and after a Walker Winjum three-pointer, Crookston trailed 65-62 with 3:15 remaining and it looked the Pirates were ready to make a run.  “When we are assisting each other and moving the ball we play better,” said Coach Garmen. “When we don’t work the ball around and play as a team we struggle and we were moving the ball well at that point.”  Ada-Borup had different plans as they responded with a 7-0 run to take a 72-62 lead and they held on for a 74-64 victory.  “We didn’t have that zip that we had at Breckenridge on Tuesday night and we needed to have a little more energy by everybody.  We were slow to get back and slow to do everything,” said Coach Garmen. “We made a run at them, but we couldn’t get a stop when we needed to and that was the story.”

Crookston ends the regular season with an 8-18 record and they will likely play at East Grand Forks in the first round of the Section 8AA Boys Basketball tournament on Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m.  The seeds come out Saturday morning.  Ada-Borup/West improves to 24-1 on the year and they will play in the first round of the Section 8A tournament as the #1 seed in the west sub-section.
J.V. – Ada-Borup won 63-38     C Squad – Ada-Borup won 49-22