PERHAM BOY’S BASKETBALL HANGS ON LATE FOR WIN OVER EAST GRAND FORKS IN SECTION 8AA SEMIFINALS

The East Grand Forks Greenwave boy’s basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit but were unable to stop a strong second half from Finn Diggins as Perham Yellowjackets won 66-63 in the Section 8AA Tournament semifinals at Memorial Auditorium at Concordia-Moorhead.

First Half –
Finn Diggins opened the scoring with a three-pointer giving Perham an early 3-0 lead. Charlie Rasmussen attacked the rim on the Yellowjackets’ next possession increasing Perham’s lead to 5-0. Julian Benson scored a lay-up for East Grand Forks’ first basket trimming the deficit down to 5-2.  Sam Votava used a crossover dribble to get to the rim for a lay-up bringing the Green Wave within 5-4. Gabe Thompson scored a tough shot inside increasing Perham’s lead to 7-4, but East Grand Forks tied the game with a three-pointer by Aiden Stainbrook. Finn Diggins gave Perham an 11-9 lead with a hook shot in the lane with 12:30 to play in the first half. Elijah Morris added a free-throw putting the Yellowjackets in front 12-9. A runner by Grant McMartin banked off the backboard increasing Perham’s lead to 14-9. Charlie Rasmussen finished a lay-up through the foul tacking on a free-throw putting the lead at 17-9 before Finn Diggins scored at the rim followed by a three-pointer from Diggins as Perham’s lead ballooned to 22-9 with nine minutes to play in the first half. Rasmussen added a turnaround jump shot from the lane extending the Yellowjackets’ run with Perham’s lead up to 24-9. Tanner Campos made a much-needed three-pointer for East Grand Forks trimming the Green Wave’s deficit down to 24-12. Perham’s Grant McMartin answered with a lay-up giving the Yellowjackets a 26-12 lead. McMartin added a corner three-pointer as Perham pulled ahead 29-12. Julian Benson made a lay-up bringing East Grand Forks within 29-14. Charlie Rasmussen cut backdoor for an uncontested lay-up increasing the lead to 31-14. Julian Benson responded with a lay-up. Grant McMartin used a dribble-drive along the baseline for a lay-up increasing the Perham lead to 33-16. Sam Votava scored a lay-up through a foul cutting the deficit down to 33-18. Tanner Campos banked in a three-pointer from the corner pulling East Grand Forks within 33-21. Finn Diggins halted the run with a lay-up at the other end increasing the lead to 35-21. Nathan Willett scored on an inbound play along the baseline for his first points as East Grand Forks closed the gap to 35-23. Willett added a three-pointer before taking a steal and dunking it with force closing the half on a 7-0 run with Perham’s lead down to 35-28 at halftime.

Second Half –
Nathan Willet continued his personal scoring run with a three-pointer to open the second half bringing East Grand Forks within 35-31. Willett scored his twelfth straight with a lay-up before Sam Votava stole the ball and laid it in tying the score at 35-35. Nathan Willett connected on a step-back three-pointer giving East Grand Forks a 38-35 lead. Finn Diggins scored Perham’s first basket of the second half with a coast to coast lay-up bringing the Yellowjackets within 38-37. Grant McMartin scored a lay-up giving Perham a 39-38 lead. Nathan Willett answered with a finish at the rim putting the Green Wave in front 40-39. Willett added a free-throw giving East Grand Forks a 41-39 lead. Carter Aakre sank a three-pointer for Perham giving the Yellowjackets a 42-41 lead. Charlie Rasmussen added a lay-up countered by a score from Julian Benson bringing East Grand Forks within 44-43. Julain Benson made two free-throws giving the Green Wave a 45-44 lead with 10:30 to play. Carter Aakre answered with two free-throws giving Perham the lead 46-45. Sam Votava responded with a lay-up giving the Green Wave a 47-46 lead. Finn Diggins banked in a tough shot through a foul burying the free-throw putting Perham ahead 49-47. Sam Votava responded with a three-pointer giving EGF a 50-49 lead. With Perham leading 53-50, Finn Diggins added a free-throw giving the Yellowjackets a 54-50 lead with 6:50 remaining. A reverse lay-up by Sam Votava brought East Grand Forks within 54-52. Grant McMartin countered with a lay-up reestablishing a 56-52 lead for Perham. Julian Benson drove to the rim for an easy finish cutting the Yellowjackets’ lead down to 56-54. Charlie Rasmussen drove to the rim for a basket giving Perham a 58-54 lead. Nathan Willett scored on a cut to the basket trimming the deficit down to 58-56. Finn Diggins secured an offensive rebound and was fouled putting the ball back up allowing the junior to make two free-throws reestablishing a four-point lead for Perham. Sam Votava split the Yellowjackets defense getting to the rim for a lay-up trimming East Grand Forks’ deficit down to 60-58. Julian Benson scored off a steal tying the score at 60-60 with 80-seconds to play. Finn Diggins tipped back an offensive rebound giving Perham a 62-60 lead. After a missed three-pointer, Charlie Rasmussen added a free-throw to Perham’s lead. Finn Diggins added two more free-throws increasing the Yellowjackets lead to 65-60 with 21-seconds to play. Tanner Campos buried a corner three-pointer for East Grand Forks bringing the Green Wave within 65-53 with 10.9 seconds to play. Perham survived by killing nine seconds after inbounding the ball adding one free-throw in the final second for a 66-63 win.

East Grand Forks ends their season with a 26-3 record. Perham improves to 28-0. The Yellowjackets advance to the Section 8AA Tournament championship game Friday night where they’ll play Fergus Falls.

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