CROOKSTON BOY’S BASKETBALL SURVIVES LATE SCARE IN WIN OVER CLIMAX-FISHER

The Crookston Pirate Boys Basketball team used 22 points from Easton Tangquist and 20 points and apostate Boys basketball record 22 rebounds from Caden Osborn and a strong second half to beat the Climax-Fisher Knights 69-59 in a game played at Fisher High School.  Osborn’s 22 rebounds broke Emanuel McCullough’s record of 21.

1st Half –
Climax-Fisher fouled Easton Tangquist while shooting a three-pointer, making all three free-throws giving Crookston a 3-0 lead. Walker Winjum buried a floated increasing the Pirates’ lead to 5-0 before Caden Osborn bounced a pass to a cutting Easton Tangquist for a lay-up extending the game-opening run to 7-0. Hayden Reitmeier scored at the rim for Climax-Fisher’s first basket, followed by a three-pointer from Zach Fenno. Reitmeier scored his second basket with a jump shot tying the game at 7-7. Caden Osborn scored through a foul after stealing an outlet pass, making the free-throw to put the Pirates ahead 10-7. Easton Tanqguist added another lay-up in transition before Hayden Reitmeier scored his third basket bringing the Knights within 12-9. After Miles Smith made a three-pointer tying the game at 12-12, Crookston went on a 7-0 run with back-to-back baskets scored by Walker Winjum giving Crookston a 19-12 lead. Caden Osborn continued the run with a lay-up set up by an assist from Easton Tangquist, putting the Pirates in front 21-12. Easton Tangquist made a three-pointer giving Crookston a 24-14 lead. Trailing 26-19, Climax-Fisher went on a 7-0 run tying the game at 26-26. Carter Bruggeman scored a lay-up after spinning through the lane reestablishing a 30-26 lead for the Pirates. Zach Fenno made a pair of free-throws trimming Crookston’s lead to 30-28 at halftime. “We had some chances to open it up, and we didn’t,” said Crookston head coach Greg Garmen. “That’s sort have been our m.o. all year. We build a lead and then give it up. We need to do a better job, I feel, of extending the lead and keep going.”

2nd Half –
Caden Osborn opened the second half with three-straight points before scoring another lay-up, increasing the Pirates’ lead to 33-29. Crookston went on a 6-2 run, making it 40-33 later in the half. Jack Garmen and Easton Tangquist made three-pointers for the Pirates on back-to-back possessions giving the visitor’s a 43-35 lead. Walker Winjum added a lay-up to make it 49-40. Easton Tangquist continued his stellar night, scoring a lay-up on a fastbreak before Jack Garmen stole a dribble and fired an outlet pass up to Walker Winjum for an uncontested finish as Crookston’s lead grew to 53-42. Caden Osborn made a lay-up pushing the lead to 55-42 with under 8 minutes to play. “We had a good start to the second -half, but again it was sort of up and down,” added Garmen. “We could’ve put them away at a couple of different times, but they shot the ball well. We did some interesting things that we need to sure up, or it’s going to be a battle every night for us.” Zach Fenno scored a lay-up with 4:33 off a steal to trim the Knights’ deficit down to 56-45. Jack Garmen scored a lay-up increasing the Pirates’ lead to 58-45, but Climax-Fisher’s Dylan Evitts answered with a 3-pointer trimming the host’s deficit down to 58-48. After Walker Winjum made a free-throw, Miles Smith countered with two free-throws at the other end before a steal and lay-up by Jory Vasek trimmed the deficit to 59-52. Dylan Evitts added a pair of free-throws in the bonus to bring Climax-Fisher within 59-54. Caden Osborn brought down a missed Crookston free-throw and put it back up for a basket with 1:28 to play increasing Crookston’s lead back to 61-54. Hayden Reitmeier made two free-throws cutting the deficit back down to 5 points. Crookston maintained a two-possession lead the rest of the game, making enough free-throws down the stretch to close out a 69-59 win. “A wins a win anytime in high school basketball,” noted Garmen. “You never know what’s going to happen or who’s going to show up night in and night out, so certainly we’ll take it.”

Crookston improves to 6-9 overall. The Pirates return to the court next Friday, January 31, when they host Warroad in an important Section 8AA match-up at 7:30 P.M. Climax-Fisher drops to 1-12.