Jaguars stung in closing minute (*VIDEOS)

Note: this blog post was updated late Wednesday night with added video and an area scoreboard...

With just 35 seconds to go, the Upsala Cardinals scored the go-ahead basket via a low-percentage corner three-pointer and held on for a 54-53 win against our B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team tonight. It was a tough, tough loss to swallow. After holding a 28-20 halftime lead, the Jaguars saw the Cardinals whittle away at the deficit. With 5:44 remaining, the Jaguars led 49-40. They went stone cold for the remainder of the game, and a last-second shot for the win rimmed out. Then, with 0.1 seconds on the clock, two B-B-E free throws danced around the rim as heartbreak fell on the home team.

The game's final 2 minutes were wild. Upsala used an 11-0 scoring run to gain a 51-49 lead, with a shot in the paint putting them in front with 1:52 left. Nearly a minute went by before either team scored. With 1 minute to go, Bree Thieschafer scored for a tie game. With 32 seconds left, Upsala senior guard Hailie Luedtke launched a successful three-pointer in the left corner for a 54-51 lead. The Jaguars attempted to set up a couple different three-point shots, but they settled for a paint rebound putback by Kacey Fischer with 12 seconds left to cut it to 54-53. On Upsala's inbounds pass, the Jaguars got the needed turnover, but things did not work out in their favor in the closing seconds.

*Here's a short video clip that shows when Upsala scored the go-ahead basket in the final minute:


The girls' basketball team (12-7) has just one day to lick their wounds. A huge, huge Central Minnesota Conference game is on deck with a trip to Holdingford this Thursday night. The Huskers are 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the CMC. In the past 2 weeks, Holdingford was tagged with two CMC losses: 56-52 at Kimball on January 16 and 63-42 at Royalton last Friday, January 24. On December 20 in Belgrade, the Huskers defeated the Jaguars 57-51. In the CMC, the Jaguars sit just a half-game ahead of Holdingford with a 6-2 record.

Here's a video from the first half of the game:


Also...the Thursday night boys' basketball game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. Please spread the word!

In boys' basketball action tonight...
At Kimball tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team gave a terrific effort against first-place Kimball Area. Early in the second half, with under 16 minutes left, the Jaguars trailed the Cubs 37-27. They went into halftime down 35-22. Final: Kimball Area 61, B-B-E 49.

The Cubs, who entered tonight's game in a three-way tie for first place in the CMC, are 9-5 overall (7-1 CMC). Next: the boys' basketball team (3-14, 2-6) has a big home game on Thursday this week against Eden Valley-Watkins (5-11, 3-4).

Video will be added here on Wednesday morning. It's time to get the newspaper ready for press! Good night.

Central MN Conference boys' basketball scores on January 28:
Paynesville Area 67, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 40

Central MN Conference girls' basketball scores on January 28:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 85, Maple Lake 57
Holdingford 77, Paynesville Area 52
Royalton 58, Eden Valley-Watkins 53

Area girls' basketball scores on January 28:
Willmar 61, Sauk Rapids-Rice 19
Minnewaska Area 76, BOLD 53
New London-Spicer 85, Watertown-Mayer 59
Albany 71, Eden Valley-Watkins 46
Melrose Area 63, Benson 45
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 54, Montevideo 45
Royalton 61, Foley 46
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 91, Dawson-Boyd 47
Holdingford 55, Osakis 40
Hancock 70, Battle Lake 35
Sauk Centre 62, West Central Area 55
Braham 73, Swanville 40
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 52, Henning 44
Central MN Christian 80, MACCRAY 55

Area boys' basketball scores on January 28:
Watertown-Mayer 67, New London-Spicer 53
Montevideo 79, West Central Area 60
Parkers Prairie 49, Brandon-Evansville 47
Rothsay 65, Battle Lake 45
BOLD 73, Yellow Medicine East 41
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 67, Hancock 61
Mora 76, Sauk Centre 75
Border West 76, Breckenridge 55
Browerville 77, Wadena-Deer Creek 55
Underwood 71, Ashby 62