Step I: Jaguars pour it on against the Braves (VIDEOS)

After about one-third of the first half was played, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team settled in against a tough, physical defense being dished out by visiting Benson tonight in their playoff opener.

After leading just 6-4 with five minutes played, the Jaguars went on a 22-1 run and began running all over the Braves while building a 35-8 halftime lead.

**Here's the playing of the National Anthem, the starter introductions and the opening minutes of the game:


**Here's a video clip from the first half that begins with about 10 minutes left:


The Jaguars then scored the first nine points of the second half to lead 44-8 with 15:30 to go. Benson's shooting improved in the middle part of the second half, and with 11 minutes left, they trailed 52-22. Junior guard Juan Espinoza drained at least four second-half three-pointers to help the Braves fare better after the break.

With 4:35 left, Gavin Kampsen scored on the right block to give the Jaguars a 60-33 lead.

Final score: No. 1-seeded B-B-E 67, No. 8-seeded Benson 41. A total of 11 Jaguars scored in the game. We now have to go back to the 2016-2017 season for the last time B-B-E lost in the playoff opener.

Next for the Jaguars: the Sub-Section 6A-South semifinals will be this Saturday, March 12 at 1 p.m. at Minnewaska Area high school. The Jaguars (23-4) will face No. 4-seeded Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. The Fighting Saints (17-9) prevailed in a close battle against Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in Kerkhoven by a 49-47 score. The Warriors (17-9) had a late three-pointer glance off the rim in the final seconds. K-M-S was ahead 28-24 at halftime. The Fighting Saints finished 10-6 in the rugged Camden North Conference in a second-place tie with Dawson-Boyd. More on their team will come in a new blog post on Friday.

Halftime scores in Sub-Section 6A-South...the Hancock Owls led 37-29 over Brandon-Evansville; the Ashby Arrows held a slim 23-19 lead over No. 7-seeded Parkers Prairie.

Video is uploading. I am having Internet connectivity issues so it's been a slow process tonight. It will be a little after 10 p.m. before the first video is ready to post.

Sub-Section 6A-South quarterfinal boys' basketball scores on March 10:
Ashby 49, Parkers Prairie 41_
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 49, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 47
Hancock 72, Brandon-Evansville 55

Area boys' basketball playoff scores on March 10:
Browerville 56, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 39
Nevis 82, Bertha-Hewitt 49
Osakis 73, Royalton 36
Verndale 58, Upsala 56
Battle Lake 60, Breckenridge 55
New York Mills 77, Park Christian 36
Swanville 75, Pine River-Backus 61 (Swanville is the No. 6 seed in their subsection, while PRB was the No. 3 seed)
Annandale 70, Maple Lake 21
Redwood Valley 60, Fairmont 56
Pierz 54, Eveleth-Gilbert 37
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 67, Litchfield 42
Central MN Christian 61, Lac qui Parle Valley 57