Step III: putting on a display of team basketball (VIDEOS)

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team left no doubt tonight as their level of play rose to the occasion against a tough, physical, disciplined Hancock Owls team. Throughout the first half, Hancock challenged every pass and shot by the Jaguars, whose first points of the game came on two free throws by Kaden Pieper in the opening minute. Early momentum was up for grabs, and Matt Thompson's three-pointer with 14:54 left made the score B-B-E 5, Hancock 3.

A layup by Pieper with 14:20 left put the Jaguars ahead 9-5, but Thompson's eight-footer on Hancock's next possession made it a 9-7 game. Ashton Dingmann knocked down a three-pointer for a 12-7 lead, but once again the Owls got a bucket by Thompson to cut it to a 12-9 lead.

Between the 12-minute mark and the 8:50 mark of the first half, the Jaguars had an 8-0 run to give them a 20-9 lead after Ashton Dingmann canned a 12-footer.

**Here's video featuring that 12-footer by Ashton Dingmann:


**Here's another video recorded later in the first half:


After Hancock cut into the lead to make it 23-16 with 6:20 left, the Jaguars got three straight shots by Pieper, two coming on the fast break, to put the Jaguars up 29-16 and force the Owls into a timeout with 4:33 to go. That leads into the video above.

Halftime: B-B-E 37, Hancock 24.

The Owls got what they wanted by getting the first bucket of the second half, but with three minutes played, the Jaguars held a 40-27 lead after Luke Dingmann scored on the right block. It was the start of a 9-0 run that gave the Jaguars a commanding 47-27 lead with 11:35 left.

Final score: B-B-E 71, Hancock 44. The No. 4-ranked Owls finish their season 23-6 overall, while the No. 5-ranked Jaguars take a 25-4 record into the section finals.

Next: the Section 6A championship on Friday this week at Fergus Falls high school. Tip-off against New York Mills (28-1) is at 7 p.m. This is B-B-E's first section finals appearance since 2019, when they lost to Cromwell-Wright 65-52 in the Section 5A championship at Crosby-Ironton high school.

The No. 2-ranked New York Mills Eagles defeated No. 14-ranked Henning 65-60 in tonight's Sub-Section 6A-North championship played at Perham. Their lone loss of the season was by a 67-60 score at Hancock on January 22.

Sub-Section final boys' basketball scores across rural Minnesota:
Osakis 54, Annandale 52
Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 64, BOLD 57
Nevis 79, Browerville 53
Barnum 57, Cromwell-Wright 39
Albany 58, Mora 48
Maranatha Christian 79, Rockford Area 71 (2 OT!)

I've got a newspaper to get ready for press tonight. Also, more video is uploading.