Step I: boys' basketball surpasses 90 in playoff opener

In their playoff opener tonight on the home court, the No. 2-seeded B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team defeated Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 93-34. They are 15-4 now and will host the second round on Saturday, March 20 back on the home court.

W-H-A finishes the season 3-16 overall.

*Update: the Sub-Section 5A-West semifinal game at B-B-E elementary will be this Saturday, March 20, with tip-off at 7 p.m. The Jaguars will face either No. 3-seeded Verndale or No. 6-seeded Sebeka.

**Another update: two nights after sending their girls' basketball team to Jaguar Country for the playoffs, the Verndale Pirates will send their boys' basketball team to our community. This Saturday, Verndale will head to B-B-E elementary to face our Jaguars in the subsection semifinals. Verndale defeated Sebeka 57-38 tonight to advance.

Verndale went 1-1 in the regular season with the Trojans, losing 45-39 at Sebeka on February 8 during their second meeting. They are now 10-9 overall, and they finished 6-7 (fifth place) in the Park Region Conference.

Section 5A playoff scores on March 18:

Browerville 53, Pine River-Backus 40 (No. 5 beats the No. 4 seed)

Upsala 62, Swanville 38 (Upsala is the No. 2 seed in the east sub-section)

St. John's Prep 2, East Central 0 (forfeit win)

Braham 74, Hinckley-Finlayson 62 (OT)

Nevis 91, Bertha-Hewitt 41

Area boys' basketball playoff scores on March 18:

Sauk Centre 2, Pine City 0 (forfeit win)

Paynesville Area 80, Benson 56

New London-Spicer 60, Minnewaska Area 58 (at MAHS high school)

Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 85, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 57

Melrose Area 74, Maple Lake 38

Albany 79, Spectrum 45

Eden Valley-Watkins 48, Foley 33

Rush City 49, Kimball Area 44

Hancock 68, Ortonville 44

West Central Area 70, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 53

Ashby 46, Brandon-Evansville 22

Renville County West 70, Lakeview 56

Minneota 2, MACCRAY 0 (forfeit win)

Osakis 65, Royalton 42

More to come later.