The Crookston Pirate Boy’s Basketball team battled back and forth with the Park Rapids Panthers but eventually ran out of gas in the final minutes as the Panthers pulled away for an 80-66 victory in a Section 8AA game played in Park Rapids.
FIRST HALF –
Crookston started the game slowly, and Park Rapids took advantage by going on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes of the game. Crookston finally got on the board with a Hunter Nicholas three-pointer. After a Park Rapids basket, Crookston responded with a 5-0 run with a basket from Nicholas, a Jack Everett free throw, and two Tanner Giese free throws to get within a four-point deficit.
Park Rapids slowly built a 20-12 lead when Isaac Thomforde gave Crookston a spark with a basket, followed by a Reggie Winjum three-pointer and a Giese basket to get within a 20-19 deficit with under eight minutes left in the half.
Park Rapids would answer with a run before Crookston responded with another run, and Park Rapids took a 37-36 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF –
Crookston took their only lead of the game at the start of the second half when Winjum made another three-pointer for a 39-37 lead, but Park Rapids responded immediately with a Ryan Carroll three-pointer to spark a 9-0 run for a 46-39 lead three minutes into the half.
Giese stopped the run with back-to-back three-pointers to get back within one point (36-35). Park Rapids led 48-47 when they went on another 9-0 run for a 57-47 lead halfway through the half. After the teams exchanged baskets, Crookston went on a 7-0 run with a basket from Nicholas and five straight points from Boike to get within a 59-56 deficit with 8:51 left in the game. Once again, Park Rapids responded with a run, this time a 6-0 run for a 65-56 lead, and Crookston seemed to run out of gas in the final minutes of the game as Park Rapids pulled away for an 80-66 victory.
Crookston drops to 7-12 on the year and will host East Grand Forks on Monday, February 13. Park Rapids improves to 4-13 on the year.
TO HEAR COACH GREG GARMEN’S POST-GAME COMMENTS CLICK BELOW
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1st
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2nd
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Final
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CROOKSTON
|
36 | 30 | 66 |
Park Rapids
|
37 | 43 | 80 |
For CROOKSTON
|
Points
|
Rebounds
|
Assists/Steals
|
Tanner Giese | 22 | ||
Hunter Nicholas | 21 | 11 | |
Reggie Winjum | 8 | 3 | 3 assists/2 steals |
Ryan Abeld | 5 | 3 | 3 assists/2 steals |
Caden Boike | 5 | ||
Jack Everett | 3 | 3 | 2 assists/2 steals |
Isaac Thomforde | 2 |
For Park Rapids
|
Points
|
Ryan Carroll | 24 |
Noah Larson | 18 |
Noah Morris | 15 |
Blake Morris | 11 |
Mason Yliniemi | 10 |
Luke Hartung | 2 |