sports

CROOKSTON BOY’S BASKETBALL SURVIVES LATE ROSEAU RALLY FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

December 27, 2019

The Crookston Pirate Boy’s Basketball team survived a late Roseau rally winning 63-60 behind Caden Osborn’s 29 points in a Section 8AA game played at the Roseau High School Gymnasium.

First Half –
Caden Osborn opened the scoring with a lay-up giving the Pirates an early 2-0 lead. David Nelson tied the score with a pair of free-throws before Jack Garmen connected on a three-pointer giving Crookston a 5-2 lead. Aiden Walsh made two more free-throws pulling the Rams within 5-4. Carter Bruggeman scored at the rim after hauling down an offensive rebound extending the visitors’ lead to 7-4. Caden Osborn finished through a foul adding a free-throw boosing the Pirates’ lead to 10-4. Walker Winjum converted a runner through a foul continuing Crookston’s run pushing the lead to 12-4. Jed Dunham scored Roseau’s first field-goal over 6 minutes into the game trimming the Rams’ deficit down to 12-6. Caden Osborn spun into the lane for another lay-up followed by a mid-range jump shot pushing Crookston’s lead to 16-8. Osborn ended Roseau’s ensuing possession with a steal and fired a pass up to Easton Tangquist for a lay-up giving Crookston an 18-8 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first half. David Nelson ended Crookston’s run with a score before Jack Garmen connected on a jump shot from the free-throw line giving the Pirates a 22-10 lead. Jace Hulst brought down a pair of offensive rebounds before scoring inside trimming Crookston’s lead down to 22-12. Caden Osborn made a pair of free-throws extending the visitors’ lead to 24-12. Jack Garmen made another mid-range jump shot boosting Crookston’s lead to 26-12. Steele Walsh cut Roseau’s deficit down to 26-14 with 6 minutes to play in the half after scoring his first points. Jed Dunham scored the Rams’ second straight basket bringing Roseau within 26-16. Following a Caden Osborn offensive rebound, he sent a pass to Easton Tangquist for another basket regaining a 28-16 lead for Crookston. Jack Garmen answered two three-pointers from Roseau with two three-pointers of his own extending Crookston’s lead to 34-22. Caden Osborn made another basket through a foul adding a free-throw to make it 37-24. Jack Garmen and Jacob Hesby made free-throws adding to Crookston’s lead making it 39-27 going into halftime. “Really until we got in some foul trouble, I felt like we controlled the pacing,” said Garmen. “Getting Caden and Jack going on offense as a one-two punch really opened things up for some other guys. I think seeing shots fall at one end tend to always help on defense.”

Second Half –
Crookston opened the second half with a steal leading to an Easton Tangquist free-throw extending the Pirates lead to 40-27. Jed Dunham made a lay-up to bring Roseau within 40-29. Carter Bruggeman added a lay-up giving Crookston a 42-31 lead. David Nelson scored for Roseau trimming the Rams’ deficit down to 42-33. Roseau scored another basket to pull within 42-35. Jack Garmen halted the run with another three-pointer giving Crookston a 45-35 lead. Roseau used a 10-0 run to pull within 45-43 as Crookston’s offense struggled to score and the defense fouled more than it stopped Roseau’s offense. Caden Osborn scored a lay-up halting the Rams’ run and giving Crookston a 47-43 lead. Roseau pulled back within 3 before an Easton Tangquist lay-up gave Crookston a 50-45 lead. Roseau responded with a free-throw and then a lay-up to pull within 2 before a Caden Osborn lay-up gave Crookston a 52-48 lead. Walker Winjum made a contested jump shot answering Roseau’s next basket reestablishing a 4 point lead for Crookston at 54-50. Steele Wash buried a three-pointer cutting Roseau’s deficit down to 54-53 followed by another Caden Osborn lay-up to make it 56-53. David Nelson made a second-straight Rams’ three-pointer tying the game at 56-56. Caden Osbon continued his second-half dominance making a lay-up through a foul giving the Pirates a 58-56 lead. “I don’t know how many rebounds he ended up with, but he’s always one to find an offensive put-back for us,” noted Garmen. “(Caden) had a couple and-ones late in the game that really helped us keep the lead.” Clive Gordon answered with an and-one opportunity of his own making his free-throw giving Roseau its first lead at 59-58 with 3:30 to play. Caden Osborn scored his twenty-fifth point with a jump shot giving Crookston a 60-59 lead with under 3 minutes to play. With 1:40 to play Roseau regained possession following a Crookston turnover trailing 60-59. Caden Osborn made another lay-up through a foul adding a free-throw extending Crookston’s lead to 63-59 with 30-seconds to play. A free-throw brought Roseau within 63-60 before the Rams stole the ensuing inbound pass setting up Roseau with a chance to tie with a three-pointer with 18-seconds to play. The Rams missed both attempts to tie in the closing seconds as the Pirates hung on for the 63-60 win. “It’s always good to go on the road and get a win,” summarized Garmen. “Especially at Roseau where we’ve struggled a bit over the years. We weren’t as sharp as I felt we could be but at the end of the day we made enough plays to get a win and that’s what you want to do.”

Crookston improves to 4-4 and returns to the court on Thursday, January 2 when the Pirates host East Grand Forks at 7:30 P.M. on KROX. Roseau falls to 0-7.