Jaguars survive stiff challenge at HL-W-W

This was the closest the Lakers got to the Jaguars tonight...score shown with 2 minutes left in the 1st half.

At halftime, the Jaguars boys' basketball team had a 29-25 lead over Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted. The first half was close the entire way...just how the second half played out. The Lakers never led, although they cut the halftime deficit down to 29-27 with a little less than two minutes gone after halftime. It was also down to two points at 37-35 with 13:36 left.

Final: B-B-E 58, HL-W-W 52. In the last 12 minutes, the Lakers got no closer than 5 points. Although...they got the deficit down to 5 on numerous occasions. Trey Heinsius led the Jaguars with 23 points while coming in with a 9 point scoring average. HL-W-W's Cody Painschab led his team with 22 points; he entered the contest with a 17.9 point scoring average. Heinsius earned a double-double while hauling down 12 rebound on top of his scoring prowess. He hit two key three-pointers early in the second half while the Lakers were mounting a strong challenge to B-B-E's slim lead.

Trey Heinsius cutting to the basket against pretty strong defense by the Lakers; the HL-W-W student section was fantastic in support of their team (shown in back).

The teams shot an awfully close field goal percentage: 19-for-57 for the Jaguars and 19-for-60 for the Lakers. B-B-E went 17-of-29 at the line compared to HL-W-W's 9-of-15 mark at the charity stripe.

Action from the second half with under three minutes to go...both teams get great plays in the paint...

B-B-E (14-0) now owns the record for the most wins in a row in the CMC for a boys' basketball team. That magic number is 45. They tied the old record of 44 set by HL-W-W from 1999 to 2002 with their win at Rockford Area last week. I've been closely (and privately) watching their current conference winning streak continue through all of last season and now cautiously into this year. It's been an amazing ride to say the least!

Up next: a trip into Morrison County to face always-tough Pierz next Tuesday night. See below on what the Pioneers did tonight in order to get a win over Kimball Area on their home court. There may be more parity in the CMC than I initially thought.

(And thanks, Holt Motors of Cokato, for the free wireless internet! I had no luck getting online at the HLWW high school.)

Central Minnesota Conference boys' basketball scores on January 17:
Pierz 54, Kimball Area 45 (OT! Pioneers get a half court buzzer beater at the end of regulation to tie it at 41-41!!)
Rockford Area 72, Eden Valley-Watkins 68 (@ Rockford)
Maple Lake 62, Holdingford 53 (@ Maple Lake)

Area boys' basketball scores on Jan. 17:
Melrose Area 85, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 70
Sauk Centre 74, Montevideo 44
Benson 48, LQPV 45 OT
Browerville 49, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 48 (2 OT!)
BOLD 55, Minnewaska Area 50
Osakis 36, Eagle Valley 32 (Silverstreaks get their first win)
West Central Area 58, St. John's Prep 51
Upsala 76, Swanville 69 (what an excellent border battle; Bulldogs put the scare in a very good Cardinals team)
Dawson-Boyd 63, Ortonville 60 !

Area girls' basketball scores on Jan. 17:
BOLD 75, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 58
Underwood 50, Battle Lake 41

Area wrestling scores on Jan. 17:
Kimball Area 33, Holdingford 30 (match was tied 30-30 entering the heavyweight round)
Royalton/Upsala 54, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 21
A-C-GC 55, Paynesville Area 12

Heartwarming...click on this to read more about a unique fundraiser idea put into action at NDSU in support of 2009 Eden Valley-Watkins graduate Hannah Linz and her battle with a recurrence of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Please continue praying for her and her family in these tough times.
http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205986673&DB_OEM_ID=2400

saukheraldreporter@gmail.com