Winning on the big floor

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team got back on track quickly after losing on Tuesday night. At Morris on the college floor tonight, they beat a very good Lac qui Parle Valley team 63-58. The win improves their overall record to 8-4.

Evan Wiener led all scorers with 26 points. The senior had nine good field goal shots on 13 attempts and made four of five free throws; all that plus two assists, two blocked shots and nine rebounds (eight defensive boards!).

The Eagles (9-5 overall) are currently in first place in the Camden North Conference with a one-game lead (6-2) over second-place Renville County West (5-3). They could have made it a little tighter in the end with better free-throw shooting. They made six of 12 attempts at the line compared to B-B-E draining five of six free throws.

A big difference on the night was B-B-E making 10 three-pointers compared to LQPV making four. Also important was B-B-E's defense holding a high-octane LQPV offense 14 points below their average of 72 ppg.

LQPV is the No. 2-ranked team in Sub-Section 3A-North (No. 25 overall in Class 1A); they are looking up at No. 8-ranked (QRF) Minneota, who is the top overall-ranked team in Section 3A by QRF standings and also the No. 1-ranked Class 1A team in Minnesota in the Minnesota Basketball News poll.

B-B-E is also rated No. 2 in their sub-section (5A-South); the No. 28-ranked (QRF) Jaguars are looking up at defending champion and No. 23-ranked Hinckley-Finlayson.

The Jaguars have had some rough nights on that UM-Morris gym floor, and I'm referring specifically to playoff games over the years dating back to 1996. Tonight was not one of those nights. It was a very satisfying win.

Next for the boys' basketball team: a road game and border battle at Minnewaska Area next Monday, January 21; the Lakers just snapped a three-game losing skid with a 59-40 trouncing of Sauk Centre tonight.

Also tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team beat Paynesville 59-35 in a home conference game. They led 37-25 at halftime.

The Bulldogs fall to 1-12 overall (0-6 Central Minnesota Conference); B-B-E is 10-4 overall and now 4-2 (second) in the CMC. They trail first-place Eden Valley-Watkins, who is 15-0 overall and 8-0 in the CMC.

More to come later. I'm still basically "punched out" and off the clock for the day / night.

Central MN Conference girls' basketball scores on Jan 17:
Eden Valley-Watkins 63, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 28
Holdingford 56, Maple Lake 33

Area boys' basketball scores on January 17:
Redwood Valley 80, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 58
Kimball Area 75, PACT Charter 44
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 80, Benson 72
BOLD 61, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 55
Henning 85, Menahga 70
Pillager 66, Bertha-Hewitt 47
Wadena-Deer Creek 66, Verndale 47
Minnewaska Area 59, Sauk Centre 40
Melrose Area 72, Montevideo 28

Area girls' basketball scores on January 17:
Upsala 43, Osakis 37
Parkers Prairie 65, Rothsay 30

Royalton 71, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 53

Yellow Medicine East 61, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 54
Pine River-Backus 48, Verndale 38
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 54, Hancock 53
Minneota 65, Lac qui Parle Valley 51
Swanville 69, Browerville 41
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 50, Ortonville 43

Brandon-Evansville 52, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 12
East Central 53, Hinckley-Finlayson 42
Pine City 82, Ogilvie 33