Update on Area Basketball Playoff Action

Brief notes from area boys basketball games tonight:
Sub-Section 3AA-North Championship:
Benson 83 (20-9), West Central Area 82 (22-5, WCA school record)
*In a remarkable comeback at the R/A Facility at Southwest Minnesota State University, the Braves trailed the Knights 77-66 with about three minutes left in regulation. They trailed 80-79 in the final minute before pulling ahead 81-80 in the final 30 seconds. Both teams then traded field goals before the game ended.
*Benson hits the 20-win mark for the third straight season, as well as landing themselves in their third straight Section 3A Championship game. They will face the Luverne Cardinals for the third straight time in that game. Luverne advanced to state in 2005, while Benson made it in 2006. Hats off to Roger Lindahl's talented and high-scoring Braves team.

Sub-Section 5AA-20 semi-finals:
New London-Spicer 72 (19-6), Eden Valley-Watkins 69 (17-7)
*NL-S is the defending Section 5AA champion.
Paynesville 61 (18-5), Maple Lake 54 (14-13)
*Paynesville will play in the SS-20 championship for the first time since 1998, when they lost to our B-B-E Jaguars. NL-S lost twice to the Bulldogs in the regular season. The SS-20 title game is on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:00 at the Dassel-Cokato High School.

Sub-Section 6AA-North semi-final:
Pierz 70, Foley 60
*Pierz (24-4) advances to its sub-section final game for the second straight season. Their 24 wins sets a new school record for wins in a boys basketball season for Pierz.

Sub-Section 4AA-West semi-final:
Rockford (21-7) 93, Holy Family Catholic (20-7) 94
*Rockford, who started the year state-ranked and finished as Central Minnesota Conference champions for the third straight season, goes 1-1 in the playoffs. It is the first time since the 2002-2003 season that they will not play for a sub-section title.

Sub-Section 6AA-South Final Four:
Sauk Centre 58 (15-11), Staples-Motley 51 (14-12)
Melrose 47 (19-6), Minnewaska 41 (11-14)
*Sauk and Melrose will meet in the "rubber" match, as they split their conference series during the regular season on their home floors in overtime and double-overtime. Their sub-section championship game will be Tuesday, March 13 at 8:00 at St.John's University. Sauk has done a remarkable job to regroup for March Madness after losing five straight going into their playoff opener. It is a heavy understatement to say that this Sauk-Melrose meeting will be the most intense crosstown battle this area has seen in many years.

Section 5A-South Final Four:
Ortonville 61, St. John's Prep 58
Osakis 70, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 67

**In girls basketball, Eden Valley-Watkins lost in the Section 5AA championship game to Norwood-Young America 56-43. The Eagles finish another remarkable season 23-5. N-YA is now 28-2 and will play Esko (27-3) in the first round of the Class AA state tournament next week. The Pierz Pioneers lost in the Section 6AA Championship 72-48 to the Albany Huskies, who advance to the state tournament for the fifth straight time. The Pioneers, who also had a great season while ending in third place in the CMC, finish their season 21-9. The talent-laden, high-scoring Huskies are now 27-1 and will face Fairmont (18-8) out of Section 2AA in the state quarterfinals. Good luck to the Huskies as they hope to improve on last season's first-round exit (they lost a close game to Eden Valley-Watkins).