The Crookston Pirate Boys’ Basketball team started hot but could not overcome East Grand Forks’s offense, which came away with a 76-55 win in a Section 8AA game played at the Crookston High School gymnasium.
FIRST HALF –
Crookston started things off on the right foot, with the Pirates scoring the first seven points. Hunter Nicholas was a force early, as he commanded the paint and knocked down a couple of shots to open the game. The answer came about three minutes into the half when Carson McDonald got going with a layup of his own. EGF would then score six of the next eight, with Jack Everett scoring the lone bucket. Fouls started to mount for both sides as the Green Wave defense attempted to double-team Nicholas, but he was great from the line to keep Crookston in the game early. The Green Wave had answers, though, as they would cut the lead to 14-13 around the halfway point in the 1st. EGF continued to foul the Pirates, but Crookston came away empty on a few free throw attempts. McDonald continued to force the issue from the floor en route to 12 first half points. Crookston had points from Everett, Matt Contreras, and Michael Deng to stay within reach. Crookston’s defense made a few plays late in the half, with Everett recording two blocks and Deng with a couple of steals. However, both teams lacked perimeter shooting in the half, as each team only made one three. The Green Wave overcame the solid Crookston defense and made enough plays to build a 34-28 halftime lead.
SECOND HALF –
East Grand Forks came out firing to start the second half, with McDonald scoring the first five points of the period. Rylan Lubarski tapped in a floater to end the run, but East Grand Forks continued to force the issue offensively. Three quick Pirate fouls put Chase Lindgren and McDonald on the line for and-one chances, which they were able to convert. The Green Wave offense came to life even more, with McDonald hitting four consecutive threes to keep EGF ahead. Deng, Everett, and Contreras added triples to answer, but Crookston was ultimately outgunned in the shooting match. The Green Wave double team started to get to Nicholas, who struggled to find open passing lanes throughout the half. Despite all of this, Crookston kept the game within 8. The Pirates trailed 58-50 with seven minutes to go in the game, but aggressive defense led to several transition buckets for the Green Wave. Crookston was outscored 18-5 over the last six minutes of the contest. The Eastside reserves added five points in the final minute, as the Green Wave rolled to a 76-55 win.
Crookston is now 5-15 on the year and will host Thief River Falls on Friday night. East Grand Forks improves 15-5 on the year with a perfect 10-0 record in section 8AA.
J.V. – EGF won 69-18 C-Squad: EGF 60-44
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| East Grand Forks | 34 | 42 | 76 |
| Crookston | 28 | 27 | 55 |
| For Crookston | Points | Rebounds | Steal/Assists |
| Hunter Nicholas | 19 | 15 | 1 assist/1 steal |
| Matthew Contreras | 10 | 5 | 3 steals/1 assist |
| Jack Everett | 10 | 7 | 2 assists/1 steal/1 block |
| Michael Deng | 5 | 2 | 2 assists/1 steal |
| Tyler Michaelson | 4 | 1 | 2 assists/1 steal |
| Rylan Lubarski | 3 | 5 | 1 assist |
| Zachariah Ali | 3 | 4 | 1 assists/1 steal |
| Carter Fee | 1 | 1 | 1 steal |
| For East Grand Forks | Points |
| Carson McDonald | 29 |
| Chase Lindgren | 11 |
| Spencer Larson | 9 |
| Jez Jones | 8 |
| Brody Knutson | 5 |
| Messi Kalenda | 4 |
| Brayden Campos | 3 |
| Daj Hall | 3 |
| Alex Link | 2 |
| Ryan Gravos | 2 |
