Jaguars Boys Basketball wins thriller against Melrose 56-55

Junior forward Kevin Kuefler led the Jaguars with 24 points against Melrose.

The Jaguars boys basketball team won a thriller on Tuesday night, defeating visiting Melrose Area 56-55 in non-conference action. The hosts trailed 29-26 at halftime.

The Dutchmen, who were playing in their season opener, have seven seniors on the roster and are one of the top teams in the West Central North Conference.

With the big win over one of their neighboring rivals, the Jaguars improve to 2-1 overall heading into Thursday night's non-conference game at home against Hancock.

The Hancock Owls, who are now a sub-section rival for the Jaguars, fell 80-66 to Dawson-Boyd in their season opener on Tuesday night.

Quite a few noteworthy boys basketball "border battles" took place on Tuesday night around Central Minnesota. Talk about exciting atmospheres in these gyms when neighboring rivals meet up on the hardcourt. A state-ranked MACCRAY team whooped a depleted Yellow Medicine East squad 82-36 in Granite Falls. Little Falls won at home against Pierz. Redwood Valley won a shootout over BOLD in Redwood Falls. Holdingford drubbed visiting Royalton. All of the games I just mentioned were non-conference.

Now imagine the implications of a B-B-E vs. Melrose game that's a conference game? How cool would that be, having a home-and-away series with Melrose every year?

Boys basketball games involving Sub-Section 6A-South teams:
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 65, Underwood 30
Eagle Valley 61, Brandon-Evansville 56
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 68, Rothsay 37

Boys basketball games involving Central Minnesota Conference teams:
Delano 92, Rockford 43
Holdingford 58, Royalton 39
Little Falls 56, Pierz 42
Zimmerman 56, Eden Valley-Watkins 50

Area boys basketball results:
MACCRAY 82, Yellow Medicine East 36
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 81, Benson 46
New London-Spicer 99, Paynesville Area 52 (WHEW!)
Redwood Valley 78, BOLD 69
West Central Area 80, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 62
Osakis 56, Sauk Centre 54

Games involving Central Minnesota Conference girls basketball teams:
Dassel-Cokato 63, Kimball Area 56
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 65, Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 30
Monticello 68, Maple Lake 39
Rockford 60, Zimmerman 45

Area girls basketball results:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 50, Benson 45
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 60, Renville County West 38
Lac qui Parle Valley 42, BOLD 40
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 63, Milaca 23
MACCRAY 59, Central MN Christian 49
Melrose 49, St. Cloud Cathedral 47
Montevideo 73, Minnewaska Area 66 OT
New London-Spicer 78, Foley 20
Osakis 55, Royalton 39
Yellow Medicine East 46, Paynesville Area 44
Browerville 71, Swanville 35

Games involving Sub-Section 6A-South girls basketball teams:
Brandon-Evansville 53, Ashby 43
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 50, Lidgerwood ND 42
Milnor (ND) 51, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 34

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