sports

STEPHEN-ARGYLE HOLDS ON TO BEAT WAO IN SECTION BOYS BASKETBALL 1ST ROUND

March 18, 2021

The Stephen-Argyle Storm Boys Basketball team made all eight of their free-throw attempts in the final two minutes of the game to beat the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies 70-60 in a Section 8A first-round playoff game in Stephen.

FIRST HALF
Stephen-Argyle jumped out to a 7-0 lead two minutes into the game. Brandon Kroll got the run started with a basket, Zach McGlynn added a basket, and Jason Lindgren followed with a three-pointer to cap the run. “We talked before the game about getting buckets inside and the first two were,” said Storm Coach Nevin Lubarski. “Then we got a kick-out three-pointer from Lindgren and that was a good three for us. It was a good start.” Warren-Alvarado-Oslo answered with a 10-point run that was started with a Gavin Gullickson three-pointer, four points from Tyson Mortimer, and three points from Jackson Woinarowicz for a 10-7 lead with 11:20 left in the half. “I was disappointed we got in a seven-point deficit right away,” said WAO Coach Christian Erickson. “I was happy with that we fought like heck and got a few shots to fall and that got us going.”
Stephen-Argyle regained the lead with back-to-back baskets from Zach McGlynn and Kroll for an 11-10 lead. The lead exchanged hands two more times and the teams were tied at 27 when the Ponies’ Braylee Schroeder made a three-pointer before the buzzer. “Brandon (Kroll) seemed to have big baskets in the first half,” said Coach Lubarski. “They were kind of the answer to big shots. We also had some big rebounds and guys stepping up and making plays. It was a good first half.”

SECOND HALF
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo came out strong in the second half and was dialed in from long-distance. After a Stephen-Argyle free-throw, the Ponies’ Schroeder made a three-pointer, Gullickson followed with a three-pointer and after a Storm basket, Gullickson buried another three-pointer for a 36-30 lead. Stephen-Argyle battled back to tie the game at 46. The teams exchanged baskets and were tied at 48 before the Ponies took a 54-50 lead after another Gullickson three-pointer with 7:38 left in the game. “We got out to a nice start in the second half,” said Pony Coach Erickson. “Their length and physicality was too much and wore us down a little bit.” It was this point in the game when Stephen-Argyle turned the momentum back in their favor when Zach McGlynn stole the ball and went in for a layup. Lindgren added a basket and on the defensive end of the floor, he took a charge. “Zach’s play was a big play for us at the time,” said Coach Lubarski. “On Lindgren’s basket, the key play was (Colten) Pagnac getting a big block out and rebound leading to the basket.” Kroll and Colten Pagnac followed with baskets for a 58-54 lead with less than five minutes to go. Stephen-Argyle led 62-58 when the Ponies’ Mortimer stole the ball and went in for a layup to cut the deficit to two points with two minutes remaining. In the final minutes, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo had great open shots, but couldn’t get them to fall. “We were getting good looks,” said WAO Coach Erickson. “We just couldn’t get them to go in and that was too bad.” The Storm worked the ball around and was finally fouled with 1:24 left and Lindgren made both free throws for a 64-60 lead. Kroll was fouled the next three possessions and made all six free throws to give the Storm a 70-60 victory. “It was a great game. It was physical, there were little runs, exactly what you would expect out of a playoff game,” said Storm Coach Lubarski. “They (WAO) have a lot of talent and it was shining through. They are well-coached and a good team. We knew it would be a 36-minute game and there was a lot of squeezing the rosary beads in the pocket. It was scary for a while because they are a talented team and playing loose. But we started finishing bunnies better and that was big for us down the stretch.”

Stephen-Argyle improves to 13-3 on the year and will travel to the “Swamp” to play Badger/Greenbush-Middle River in the Section 8A quarter-finals at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The teams split during the regular season.
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s season ends at 10-9 and they say goodbye to seniors, Spencer Wittman and Thomas Jones.