The Crookston Pirate Boys’ Basketball team gave up a 20-4 run and the Warroad Warriors pulled away for a 73-52 victory in a Section 8AA game played at the Warroad High School Gymnasium.
FIRST HALF –
Warroad started the game with a Liam Grover free throw, which was the 1,000th point of his career. The Warriors added a basket from Kason Pietruszewski for a 3-0 lead. Crookston got on the board with a Matthew Contreras three-pointer to tie the game. The teams exchanged baskets with the game tied at 5 before the Warriors built a 13-7 lead. Crookston responded with a Tyler Michaelson three-pointer, a Michael Deng three-point play, and a Reggie Winjum basket for a 15-13 lead, the first Pirate lead of the game.
Warroad’s Pietruszewski and Grover each scored a basket and Crookston Michaelson scored on a layup to tie the game at 17 with 8:03 remaining in the half.
There were two lead changes and after a Contreras basket, Warroad led 22-21 with 5:35 left in the half. Warroad picked up the defensive pressure the rest of the half and went on a 16-4 run behind a bunch of steals that led to easy baskets and a 38-25 lead at halftime.
SECOND HALF –
Warroad’s Pietruszewski and Eastvold started the half with baskets for a 20-4 run at the end of the first half and start of the second half for a 42-25 lead a little over two minutes into the half.
Crookston’s Rylan Lubarski stopped the big Warroad run with a basket before Pietruszewski and Luke Billingsley scored for a 46-27 Warrior lead. Crookston’s Michael Deng grabbed a rebound and scored and Winjum added two free throws before Warroad answered with four points of their own for a 50-31 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. The Pirates answered with a Winjum three-pointer two Lubarski free throws to get within a 50-36 deficit. Warroad responded with baskets from Adams, Brady Fast, Liam Grover, and Billingsly scored two points apiece for an 8-0 and a 58-36 lead. Crookston’s Carter Fee banked in a three to stop the Warroad run. After a Warrior basket, WInjum made a three pointer to get within a 60-42 deficit. Warroad made a three-pointer before Crookston’s Tyler Michaelson scored four straight points and after a Warroad basket, Michaelson added another basket and the Pirates trailed 65-48 with three minutes left in the game. As Warroad did most of the game, they responded with a mini-run and this time it was six straight points before Michaelson made a free throw. After a Warrior basket, Fee made another three-pointer and that is how the game ended with Warroad winning 73-52.
Crookston drops to 0-2 on the year and 0-2 in Section 8AA play and will host BGMR on Tuesday. Warroad improves to 3-0 on the year.
J.V. – Warroad won 56-40
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Crookston | 25 | 27 | 52 |
| Warroad | 38 | 35 | 73 |
| For Crookston | Points |
| Reggie Winjum | 15 |
| Tyler Michaelson | 12 |
| Rylan Lubarski | 7 |
| Carter Fee | 6 |
| Matthew Contreras | 5 |
| Michael Deng | 5 |
| Hunter Nicholas | 2 |
| For Warroad | Points |
| Liam Grover | 17 |
| Luke Billingsley | 15 |
| Kason Pietruszewski | 14 |
| Todd Eastvold | 10 |
| Hudson Adams | 8 |
| Brady Fast | 4 |
| Andrew Mayfield | 3 |
| Logan Gustafson | 2 |
