Scouting report on the Ada-Borup Cougars!

A view of part of the "White Out" at UM-Morris last year during the 2011 Section 6A championship game...
Right now the only team in the state that means a thing to the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team is the #9 state-ranked Ada-Borup Cougars.

Propelled by an early 13-point lead against Ulen-Hitterdal, the Cougars boys' basketball team needed less than 9 minutes to race out to the big early lead in the Sub-Section 6A-North championship on Tuesday in Moorhead. A 16-0 run launched the Cougars out to a quick 17-4 lead at the 9:50 mark of the first half.

In the second half, after the Spartans cut the deficit down to 38-34 with 12:50 remaining, Ada-Borup went on a huge 17-1 run to put the game out of reach.

The Cougars went on to win 64-42 to advance to the Section 6A finals for the first time since 2010. It also avenged two regular-season losses this year to the Spartans, a Pine to Prairie South Conference rival. The Spartans defeated the Cougars 48-40 in January and 62-53 in February. The third meeting was the one that really mattered, though, as it gives the Cougars a shot at advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2009.

That year, Ada-Borup won Section 6A with a 72-60 win over Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley and then destroyed Cass Lake-Bena 82-44 in the Class A state quarterfinals. They met Ellsworth in the semis and lost 62-53 before edging Chisolm 60-58 in the third-place game to finish 27-5 overall.

From 2003 to 2008, the Cougars never got deeper than two games into the playoffs, so the 2008-2009 season was pretty remarkable for their school. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy knocked out Ada-Borup 62-56 in the 2010 Section 6A finals, and last season they fell to Norman County East 44-37 in the sub-section finals.

The final 2011-12 conference standings in the P2P-South showed U-H at the top with an unblemished 10-0 record. Ada-Borup took second alone at 8-2. Norman County East and Norman County West both finished tied for third at 4-6 each. Waubun (3-7) and Lake Park-Audubon (1-9) rounded out the six-team conference standings.

Offensively, Ada-Borup puts up 69.4 points a game while giving up only 53.4.

Here's a glimpse of an article from the last game that Ada-Borup lost...a 69-66 outcome to conference foe Barnesville on March 2:

'Ada-Borup limits own success with turnovers'
Ada-Borup committed the majority of its 18 turnovers in the final minutes of Friday's game against Barnesville in Ada, resulting in a 69-66 loss.

Ada-Borup held a 61-60 lead with 2 minutes and 44 seconds to play, until a series of turnovers led to 7 unanswered Barnesville (15-10) points.

"We have to stop committing the absent-minded turnovers if we are going to win the playoff games coming up," Ada-Borup coach Trevor Stewart said. "Every team will have some turnovers, but we'd rather ours be from aggressive play compared to absent-minded."

Ada-Borup (19-5) would close the gap to just one point, 67-66 with 15.5 seconds left, but another turnover led to a bonus free throw situation where Barnesville made both.

...and
'Ada-Borup drops a game to AA Hawley'
Hawley dished Ada-Borup its fourth loss of the basketball season Monday with a 72-59 win in Hawley on Feb. 20

Ada-Borup's (18-4) smallest deficit was just two points after a 10-2 run to open the second half. But with 8 minutes and 45 seconds to play, Hawley (13-8) switched its defensive scheme and benefited offensively from the Cougar's turnovers and height disadvantage.

Hawley grabbed 35 rebounds to Ada-Borup's 24, granting second chances that eliminated the Cougar's chances of a comeback.

"Our flaws showed themselves well tonight," Ada-Borup coach Trevor Stewart said. "We had a chance to take the lead opening the second half, but they adjusted well and we couldn't answer... that in itself is something we must work on to have a strong postseason."

Ada-Borup has just two games left before playoffs, both are in Ada against Climax/Fisher and Barnesville.

My two cents: the Jaguars are gonna need a fast start and strong defensive play through all 36 minutes of the game if they want to advance to 'state' again.

...and don't forget that the game is a "White Out" for B-B-E fans!