This is a day for a comeback for the B-B-E Resistance Robotics team in Grand Forks. They have their eyes set on running the table to finish out the Great Northern Regional competition at the spacious Alerus Center! Their robot finished strong in Friday's matches while performing all of its functions in the sixth qualification match of the tournament.
The opening ceremonies and performances of the U.S. National Anthem and Canada's national anthem take place at 8:30 a.m., and the second day of competition starts at about 9 a.m.
Also taking place today: the boys' basketball team faces Brandon-Evansville in the subsection semifinals at Minnewaska Area this afternoon.
Here's video from the last match of yesterday!
Here's how Saturday is playing out in Grand Forks...
In their first match of today, B-B-E's Red Alliance earned an exciting 49-35 win after the autonomous period ended in a 14-14 tie. This moved them up from 55th place to 52nd place in the field of 56 teams.
Update at lunch time: B-B-E's Blue Alliance won their second match of Saturday 58-48 in a Blue Alliance with Willmar and Loretto. This moved them up to 51st place overall. In B-B-E's final qualification match, their Red Alliance with New London-Spicer and Delano lost a tough, close battle by a 44-39 score. They were confident of being in the running for getting selected to a playoff alliance, but that last loss took them out of the running. The region competition for the 2024 season has officially concluded. Five hugely valuable seniors graduate off the team: Davin Preble, Owen Paulson, Odin Jensen, Aiden Johnson and Jeffrey Cihlar.
Officially, the season record was 2-7, and they ended in 53rd place out of 56 teams.
**********
Halftime: the boys' basketball team is ahead 35 to 24 at halftime against the Chargers in their playoff game this afternoon.
I am still making my way back to Fargo. The game is on both local radio stations.
**With 3:23 to go, the Jaguars are ahead 66-58.
