Crookston Boys Basketball loses heartbreaker in OT to Bagley

The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team led for most of the game, but lost a heartbreaker to the Bagley Flyers 77-76 in overtime at the Crookston High School gymnasium.

FIRST HALF –
Crookston had a great start to the game, and it was a sign of things to come for most of the game. The Pirates started the game with energy, making shots and executing plays. After Bagley scored the first basket of the game, Crookston responded with eight straight points after back-to-back three-pointers from Reggie Winjum and Carter Fee, forcing a Bagley timeout. After the timeout, Crookston’s Nolan Johnson scored for an 8-2 lead. Bagley made two free throws before Crookston answered with seven more points behind baskets from Winjum and Johnson and a three-pointer from Fee for a 15-4 lead five minutes into the game.
Bagley battled back with eight straight points to get within a 15-12 deficit. The teams played even for the next six minutes, and Crookston led 27-25 with two minutes left in the half. Crookston’s Winjum scored five straight points before Bagley ended the half with a Drayden Thompson basket, and the Pirates took a 32-27 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
The back-and-forth battle continued in the second half for a while as Bagley’s Thompson scored the first basket of the half before Crookston’s Johnson had a basket in the paint, and Fee buried a three-pointer for a 37-29 lead. Bagley countered with five points before Crookston answered with a 10-0 run with five points apiece from Winjum and Johnson for a 47-33 lead. After a Bagley basket, Crookston’s Fee made two free throws, and Winjum added a basket for a 51-35 lead, the biggest lead of the game with 11:26 to go. Trailing 54-38, Bagley went on a 10-2 run with Ethan Proulx scoring five of the points to get the deficit down to single-digits at 54-45. Crookston kept the lead around 10 points, and after a Beau Smith basket with 3:25 left in the game, Crookston led 66-57. Crookston had some bad shots and turnovers over the next three minutes, and Bagley scored nine straight points to tie the game 66-66. Crookston’s Smith made a basket before Bagley’s Ethan Rud scored in the paint, and Thompson made a three-pointer for a 71-68 Flyer lead, the first Bagley lead of the game with 43 seconds remaining in regulation. The Pirates’ Johnson had an offensive rebound and putback before Bagley made one free throw, giving them a 72-70 lead. After Crookston missed a shot, Bagley’s Thompson made a free throw for a 73-70 lead with 13 seconds left. Crookston got the ball to Fee, who made his fifth three-pointer to tie the game at 73-73 with 4.2 seconds left. Bagley tried a half-court shot, and it was short, and the game was going to overtime.

OVERTIME –
The teams struggled offensively for the first 90 seconds of the four-minute overtime until Crookston turned the ball over, and Brett Schwegel of Bagley made a basket for a 75-73 lead. Crookston’s Gunnar Groven missed the first free throw on a bonus situation, but made up for it after the Pirates grabbed the offensive rebound and Groven got the ball in front of the Pirate bench and made a three-pointer for a 76-75 lead with 90 seconds remaining. Bagley’s Rud scored with one minute to go. After the teams weren’t able to score, Crookston had a chance to win the game with the shot clock off and the clock winding down. Bagley blocked a shot with seven seconds left before Crookston inbounded the ball and worked the ball to Pirate eighth-grader Beau Smith, who had an open three-pointer from the left wing. The shot was right on line, but clipped the rim and bounced out, and Bagley won the game 77-76 in overtime.

Crookston drops to 0-9 on the year and will host #2 ranked Red Lake County on Thursday. Bagley improves to 7-5 on the year.
J.V. – Bagley won 60-59

Nolan Johnson

Beau Smith

Carter Fee

Reggie Winjum

Nolan Cassavant

Nolan Johnson

Beau Smith

Carter Fee

Reggie Winjum

Nolan Cassavant

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