The #9 ranked Red Lake County Rebel boy’s basketball team pulled away late to beat the Stephen-Argyle Storm 60-42 in a Section 8A semi-final game played at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Thief River Falls.
FIRST HALF –
Red Lake County came out firing on all cylinders as they took an 11-2 lead to start the game. Will Gieseke scored four points, an Ethan Majeres three-pointer, and baskets from Owen Chervestad and Connor Duden for a nine-point lead four minutes into the game. Stephen-Argyle started to settle in as Raydon Woinarowicz basket, and the Rebel’s Gieseke added a basket for a 13-4 Red Lake County lead. Stephen-Argyle’s Shay Setterholm buried a three-pointer and after a Chervestad basket, he made a free throw line jumper to bring the Storm within a 15-9 deficit with 10:43 left in the half. The teams exchanged baskets and Red Lake County had a 21-12 lead with under 4:49 left in the half. Stephen-Argyle started to pick up their play and Woinarowicz made two free throws and Setterholm added a runner in the lane before Caden Pagnac had a big two-handed slam dunk to bring the Storm within a 21-18 deficit with 2:37 to go. Red Lake County bounced and finished the half on a 6-2 run with an offensive rebound and putback from Duden, a Gieseke basket, and another Duden layup giving the Rebels a 27-20 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF –
Red Lake County’s Duden scored the first four points of the second half to take a 31-20 lead, the biggest lead of the game so far. Stephen-Argyle’s Pagnac scored the first Storm points with two free throws. Red Lake County built a 35-23 lead five minutes into the half before Stephen-Argyle’s Smith buried a three-pointer, Darby Benitt made a runner through the lane, and Woinarowicz scored to get the Storm within a 35-31 deficit. Red Lake County’s Duden stopped the run with a basket and Ethan Johnson followed with two free throws for a 39-31 lead. Leading 39-32, Red Lake County scored six straight points with two points each from Johnson, Duden, and Ben Gullingsrud for a 45-32 lead with 5:30 remaining. The teams exchanged baskets for a minute and Red Lake County had a 49-37 lead. It was at this point in the game that Red Lake County’s Duden took over with back-to-back three-pointers for a 56-37 lead with 2:18. Both three-pointers were after the Rebels ran the shot clock down to single-digits. Red Lake County held on the rest of the way to win the game 60-42.
Red Lake County improves to 28-2 on the year and will play the winner of Kittson County Central and Fertile-Beltrami on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Ralph Englestad Arena. The game will be on KROX Radio and KROX TV. Stephen-Argyle ends an outstanding season with a 17-12 record and says goodbye to the following seniors – Darby Benitt, and Blaine Smith.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Stephen-Argyle | 20 | 22 | 42 |
| Red Lake County | 27 | 33 | 60 |
| For Red Lake County | Points |
| Connor Duden | 23 |
| Owne Chervestad | 13 |
| Will Gieseke | 10 |
| Ethan Majeres | 6 |
| Ethan Johnson | 4 |
| Luke Peterson | 2 |
| Ben Gullingsrud | 2 |
| For Stephen-Argyle | Points |
| Caden Pagnac | 11 |
| Blaine Smith | 10 |
| Raydon Woinarowicz | 8 |
| Shay Setterholm | 7 |
| Anders Thompson | 3 |
| Darby Benitt | 3 |
