Step VII: the journey ends (VIDEOS)

And what a journey it has been! We are SO PROUD of our Jaguars! What they have accomplished this season is truly incredible. And better yet: they are just one of many teams we are grateful to have in our community.

Back-to-back threes by Ashton Dingmann vaulted the Jaguars out to a 13-4 lead with 10:53 to go in the first half. Ashton cashed a right corner three-pointer with 6:13 left to make it an 18-11 lead. The Jaguars then built double digit leads of 27-17 and 29-19 in methodical fashion as halftime approached. Hayfield scored with just three seconds to spare before the first buzzer to make it 29-21 at the break. By that point, the Jaguars made 4 of 9 three-point shots, while the Vikings missed all five three-point attempts. This was a key factor in the first half, but the script changed for the second half.

Junior Isaac Matti went on a tear to open the second half with three three-pointers in the first three minutes. It was a back-and-forth affair from that point on.

Final score: Hayfield 51, B-B-E 49. The Jaguars pulled ahead 44-42 with under 4 minutes to go on a shot by Gavin Kampsen. This capped a 6-0 run after Hayfield grabbed a 42-38 lead. On the next possession, however, Hayfield tied it with a slick alley-oop basket on the right side. With 2:16 left, the Vikings pulled ahead when they made one of two free throws for a 45-44 lead.

The game clock fell to just 32 seconds before any more scoring took place, and it was an uphill climb the rest of the way for the Jaguars, as the Vikings (32-2) cashed six free throws in those last 32 seconds of play.

B-B-E led 23-17 with 2:27 to go in the first half, but back-to-back buckets by Ashton Dingmann and Kaden Pieper gave them a double digit lead at 27-17 as the clock neared the final minute.

**Here's a video from late in the first half today, with the Jaguars expanding their lead to 27-17 as halftime approached:

For the game: B-B-E shot 19-of-46 on field goals, while Hayfield shot 19-of-45 on field goals. The Jaguars made more three-pointers, but the Vikings made more free throws...plus they got to the line more often than the Jaguars. Hayfield went 10-of-12 at the line, while the Jaguars went 1-of-2 at the line. B-B-E made 6 three-pointers, while the Vikings made 3 three-pointers. Isaac Matti led the Vikings with 27 points. Ashton Dingmann was leading scorer for the Jaguars with 20 points.

A welcome home ceremony will take place later this afternoon at the elementary!! Stay tuned! The public is invited.

***Spread the word!!!  3:45 p.m. today!! WELCOME HOME ceremony for the team!!! In Brooten!!!!

**Update: the team's bus passed through Regal at 3:45. So it's time to make tracks to the school!

**Here's a fun moment...going to yesterday, when the Jaguars took the court prior to the player introductions that were televised on Channel 45 TV!


Tonight is the Belgrade Lions Chili Cook-Off at the Belgrade VFW. That will consume a good chunk of my night and prevent me from blogging that much. After that comes the final Open Gym night of the winter season.

In other Class 1A games at state:
For third place, New Life Academy demolished Cherry 75-50 this morning. In the fifth-place game today, Sacred Heart beat Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 63-54. Sacred Heart ended Sleepy Eye St. Mary's season by a 69-52 score in Thursday's consolation semifinal game. R-T-R beat Nevis 74-71 in the other semifinal.