It is cliche, but it rings true tonight: this game was not for the faint of heart.
Against a team that boasts some of Class 1A's best guard play and passing game, the underdog B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team faced every possible punch that No. 3-ranked (Minnesota Basketball News) West Central Area had for them. For 36 minutes, the Jaguars did not budge one inch as warriors through a neck-and-neck contest. After the Knights led by as many as 9 points and the Jaguars as many as 4 points, top-seeded WCA prevailed by a 71-68 score to move within one win of the state tournament.
**Here's a video from before the game and ending after tip-off:
The Jaguars started out red hot as Luke Illies hit a shot near the rim on an inbounds pass just 14 seconds after tip-off. Luke Dingmann then hit a cleanup shot with just under 1 minute played, and Illies scored on a coast-to-coast layup for a 6-0 lead with 16:50 left. The Knights got on the scoreboard with a layup 14 seconds later, but a cleanup shot 16 seconds after that bucket by Kaden DeRoo put the Jaguars in front 8-2.
Across the next 4 1/2 minutes of play, the Knights went on a 7-0 run. They took their first lead of the game with 11:43 left on a three-pointer by Cam Anderson. Just before that shot, the Jaguars were dealt a huge blow when junior guard Hayden Sobiech went down with a knee injury. He was taken from the gym by two trainers to receive medical care and only able to return to the gym with the use of crutches.
Multiple lead changes and ties followed, and DeRoo's 12-footer with 4:48 left gave the Jaguars a 20-19 lead. WCA scored 5 straight points before Illies scored with 2:46 left. The Knights then expanded a 24-22 lead to 29-22 with 91 seconds to go.
At halftime, WCA held a 33-25 lead. B-B-E was led by 10 points from Luke Illies and seven from Kaden DeRoo.
WCA got to the foul line just 15 seconds into the second half and made one of two shots to make it a 34-25 lead. Josh Walstrom knocked down two huge three-pointers across a two-minute span, and with 15:33 left his triple brought the Jaguars to a 37-33 deficit. Later, with 11:42 left, Illies scored on a coast-to-coast layup to bring them within one, down 44-43. Dingmann's pullup three-pointer with 11:11 to go gave the Jaguars their first lead of the second half at 46-44. Five lead changes followed across the next four minutes, with WCA taking a 54-53 lead on a paint shot with 7:55 left. Dingmann tied the game at 59-59 with a five-footer in the lane, and he put the Jaguars in front 62-59 with a three-pointer with 4:52 left.
With 4:05 to go in the game, sophomore reserve Taylor Pieper knocked down a left corner three-pointer for a 65-61 lead. Scoring was difficult from that point on. Out of a timeout, the Knights scored on an alley-oop pass to the rim with 3:57 left. A three-pointer with 3 minutes to go lifted the Knights on top 66-65.
WCA (26-3) has now won 16 straight contests. To say that WCA is stacked goes without saying: they returned four starters from last year's team. Senior sharpshooter Cam Anderson missed most of his junior season with an injury after he was an All-Pheasant Conference player during his sophomore season. Just how good is their guard play? It was good enough that they were able to win the rugged West Central Conference despite being outsized on most nights in the league. Overall, WCA's lineup features six seniors.
Both teams drained nine three-pointers, but ultimately, a 5-for-11 performance at the free throw line led to B-B-E's demise. Both teams had three players in double figures. Scoring for the Jaguars: Luke Dingmann 19, Kaden DeRoo 18, Luke Illies 15, Josh Walstrom 8, Taylor Pieper 6, Lance Radermacher 2.
A big factor in how the game stayed close was B-B-E's large advantage on the boards: 32 rebounds compared to 23 by the Knights. For WCA's semifinal win against Border West, they out-rebounded the Buccaneers 39-25.
B-B-E finishes 20-9 in their seventh straight appearance in a sub-section championship game. I'm back home now in the living room easy chair, taking a breather! We have had another outstanding winter sports season in Jaguar Country. I could not be prouder!!! In B-B-E boys' basketball history, the Jaguars have played in 20 sub-section championship games starting in 1992. The very first season of Jaguar basketball was 1988-1989.
In the Sub-Section 6A-North championship, No. 12-ranked Ada-Borup West stopped No. 4-ranked Henning 69-55 to advance to the section finals.
Area boys' basketball playoff scores on March 13:
Mountain Iron-Buhl 79, Carlton/Wrenshall 70
Albany 87, Spectrum 64
East Central 64, Upsala 56
Nevis 79, Browerville 55
Annandale 61, Osakia 50
