Quite a night

The Jaguars are off to the races here against Hancock.

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team beat Hancock 69-63 in a battle of the top two teams in Sub-Section 6A-South. The Jaguars led 33-32 in a topsy-turvy first half. That trend played out in the second half with the game hanging in the balance the whole way. After B-B-E took 45-38 lead with 12:35 left, the Owls blew the lid off the basket with a 13-0 run. With 8:30 left, Hancock's junior guard Tyler Reese made two double bonus free throws to put his team ahead 51-45. Over the next 100 seconds, the Jaguars tied the game at 51-51 on field goals by Austin Trustheim, Tanner Heinsius and Ryan Illies.

Hancock took their last lead on a three-point play Reese with 5:50 left, up 54-51. Trustheim's 10-footer put the Jaguars in the lead for good 58-56 with 4:10 to go.

The Jaguars are 11-6 overall; the Owls fall to 9-4.

At Holdingford the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team won 62-54 to improve to 5-2 in the Central Minnesota Conference. I really believe they have to run the table and finish 12-2 in the CMC to have a shot at winning the title. Holdingford is 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the CMC.

At Long Prairie the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team went 2-1 with wins over Border West (score of 48-27) and state-ranked West Central Area/Ashby/Evansville (score of 34-30). Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville, a Class 2A pairing, beat the Jaguars 39-26; tough and close losses by decisions at 138, 145 and 220 cost the Jaguars the win.. The Jaguars (9-6 overall) host Sauk Centre-Melrose on Tuesday night, January 26.

Central Minnesota Conference girls' basketball scores on Jan. 22:
Kimball Area 63, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 55 (the Cubs improve to 14-2 overall and 7-0 in the CMC; they are having their best girls' basketball season since 2002-2003, when they beat Hancock 47-41 in the Section 5A championship and advanced to the state tournament)
Eden Valley-Watkins 65, Paynesville Area 47
Maple Lake 60, Pierz 42

Area girls' basketball scores on January 22:
Underwood 56, Parkers Prairie 51
Hancock 54, Ortonville 47
Browerville/Eagle Valley 84, Menahga 50
Albany 59, Detroit Lakes 40

Area boys' basketball scores on January 22:
Battle Lake 66, Bertha-Hewitt 36
Verndale 60, Underwood 54
New London-Spicer 52, Watertown-Mayer 50 (a huge road win for the Wildcats, as they knock the Royals out of first place in the Wright County West)
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 46, Osakis 39
St. John's Prep 63, West Central Area 52
Swanville 56, Royalton 48 
BOLD 60, Minnewaska Area 54 (Lakers slip to fourth place in the West Central Conference)
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 67, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 65
Montevideo 72, Benson 68
Lakeview 61, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 30
Melrose Area 38, Sauk Centre 33 
MACCRAY 74, Yellow Medicine East 62
Canby 77, Lac qui Parle Valley 66
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 82, Dawson-Boyd 74 (2 OT!)