They say basketball is a game of runs, and that was the case in the first half before the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies put together a 29-9 run to end the first half and the start of the second half to cruise past the Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team 80-59 in the season opener for both teams in Warren.
First Half –
Crookston started the game with baskets from Hunter Nicholas and Reggie Winjum for a 4-0 lead one minute into the game. Crookston had a 9-7 lead before WAO went on a 12-0 run with five points from Derek Moehrle, a Tucker Franks three-pointer, and two points apiece from Reed Hanson and Noah Sedlacek for a 19-9 lead with 12:30 left in the half. Crookston settled down and answered with five straight points with baskets from Nicholas and Winjum before a free throw for Tyler Michaelson. After four Pony points, Crookston’s Caden Boike converted a three-point play, and Nicholas followed with four points to get within a 23-21 deficit. The teams battled back and forth for several minutes, and the Ponies led 28-25 with 4:09 left in the half. WAO ended the half on a 14-2 run with six points from Hanson, five points from Adam McIntyre, and a three-point play from Derek Moehrle for a 42-27 lead going into halftime.
Second Half –
The momentum that WAO had to end the first half carried over to the second half as they continued to build on their lead by starting on a 15-8 run led by Derek Moehrle’s nine points to build a commanding 57-34 lead five minutes into the half. Crookston’s Nicholas stopped the run with a basket, and after a Pony basket, he added another for his 11th point of the half, accounting for all of the Pirate second-half points. WAO led 65-38, and halfway through the half, somebody other than Nicholas scored for the Pirates as Rylan Lubarski scored. WAO continued to build on their lead and had a 77-47 lead with four minutes left in the game. Crookston finally started to warm up offensively as they ended the game on a 12-3 run against the Pony bench, and WAO held on for an 80-59 victory.
Crookston drops to 0-1 on the year and will host Pelican Rapids on Monday. Warren-Alvarado-Oslo improves to 1-0 on the year.
J.V. – WAO won 50-45 C-Squad – WAO won 45-21
FOR CROOKSTON COACH GREG GARMEN’S COMMENTS, CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE FOR WAO COACH CHRISTIAN ERICKSON’S COMMENTS
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1st
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2nd
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Final
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Crookston
|
27
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32 | 59 |
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Warren-A-O
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42
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38 | 80 |
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For CROOKSTON
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Points
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Rebounds
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Assists/Steals
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Hunter Nicholas
|
28 | 19 |
2 steals/1 block
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Isaac Thomforde
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9 |
6
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Reggie Winjum
|
8
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2 steals/2 assists
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Tyler Michaelson
|
6 |
2
|
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| Brannon Tangquist |
3
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Caden Boike
|
3
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Rylan Lubarski
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2
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For Warren-A-O
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Points
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Adam McIntyre
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22
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Derek Moehrle
|
20
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Dustin Moehrle
|
12
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Reed Hanson
|
8
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Noah Sedlacek
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7
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Kaden Pierce
|
5
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Tucker Franks
Ethan Ellerbusch |
3
3 |
