Jaguars are conference champions! Yes, that just happened! (VIDEOS)

With the chips down, trailing 46-34 with over 11 minutes in the game, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team turned the tide and chipped away at the double-digit deficit. Nearly 8 minutes later, an underhanded layup shot by Kacey Fischer under the basket tied it at 53-53. From that point on, it was a barn burner and a one-possession game down to the final buzzer. Final score: B-B-E 60, Kimball 57!

With the win, the Jaguars claimed sole possession of the Central Minnesota Conference title. It's their first title since the COVID season in 2020-2021. It's also just the second girls' basketball conference title in school history. The former school districts of Brooten and Belgrade each won multiple girls' basketball conference titles between 1973-74 and the 1987-88 seasons. (Something I hope to spell out completely in next week's newspaper.)

This was a thoroughly exciting night where the C-squad prevailed 25-24, and the JV team defeated their Kimball counterparts by a wide margin.

Next: the Jaguars (18-8) take it to the next part of the season when they host a Sub-Section 5A-East quarterfinal game next Thursday in Belgrade. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. Please spread the word!

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


Kimball Area led 34-31 at halftime after the Jaguars previously led 22-9. The video above features action taking place soon after B-B-E built the 22-9 lead.

This video begins with about 4:45 to go before halftime:


The Cubs tied the game at 26-26 on two bonus free throws with 3:40 left. Teagan Dingmann answered for B-B-E with a three-pointer 20 seconds later.

How the first half played out tonight:
For the second straight night against a conference opponent, the Jaguars got off to a good start. Kacey Fischer got two free throws one minute after tip-off. Kimball junior guard Hope Kuechle cashed a three-pointer to gain their first lead of the night. It was short-lived, as 90 seconds later, Teagan Dingmann drained two free throws for the second lead change of the night. Thirty seconds after that, she scored on a floater in the lane. On the next possession, Kimball junior forward Mazie Jurek scored her first basket of the game.

The Jaguars took control and dominated for the next 4 minutes of the game. Back-to-back three-pointers by Tiffany Dingmann and Kacey Fischer made it 12-5 with 13:40 left, and Kimball head coach Jeremy Kuechle called his first timeout. B-B-E kept the pressure up, and back-to-back cleanup shots in the paint by Kacey Fischer extended the lead to 18-7. Jurek scored a minute later, but Reese Kampsen hit a three with 10:15 left for a 22-9 score.

With 9:35 on the clock, Jurek cashed a three-pointer as momentum shifted to the Cubs. Just over a minute later, Kuechle's layup cut it to 22-14. Jurek later scored back-to-back paint shots to cut it to 23-18. On the next possession, Teagan Dingmann scored her second three of the game. Across the last 6 minutes of the first half, however, the Cubs outscored the Jaguars 16-5.

Halftime: Kimball 34, B-B-E 31. After being out-hustled in the opening minutes of the game, the Cubs took heed from timeout talks from Coach Kuechle to match B-B-E's physical presence. The Cubs got to loose balls quicker and were winning the battle on the boards as the first half closed out.

How the second half played out...
While it was her first basket of the night, it was a big one when Kimball junior guard Claire Maus hit a three-pointer in the opening seconds of the second half. It fueled a 12-4 run for the Cubs. Kimball senior forward Brooklyn Molitor earned a three-point play that gave Kimball a 46-34 lead with 11:15 to go.

Macey Roering's three-pointer with 10:50 to go marked the beginning of B-B-E's epic comeback. With 8:24 left, Coach Kristina Anderson called a full timeout. On the ensuing inbounds play, Teagan Dingmann scored on a deep three-point shot that made it a 46-42 deficit while capping an 8-0 run.

With 6:35 left, Kacey Fischer scored on the right block for a 50-46 deficit. A shot by Reese Kampsen and then a three-pointer by Roering made it a 51-51 tie game with 4:30 left.

In the closing minute, trailed 56-55, Teagan Dingmann got free deep in the left corner and connected for her fourth three-pointer of the game with 29 seconds left with the assist credited to Roering. Kimball junior guard Claire Rasset launched a three-pointer with 7 seconds to go, but it glanced off the rim. Kacey Fischer snared the biggest defensive rebound of the game, and she was promptly fouled. She salted the lead by going 2-for-2 on bonus free throws with 4.1 seconds left for the game's final score.

Here's a video featuring the last 38 seconds of the game:


More to come here after 11 p.m. Also, hats off to the 4th and 5th grade students who peformed the National Anthem prior to tip-off tonight. Over this weekend, I hope to get the video of their performance online.

Area girls' basketball scores on February 20:
Pequot Lakes 72, Royalton 47
Mayer Lutheran 85, Cass Lake-Bena 42
Milaca 70, Holdingford 50
Brandon-Evansville 67, Swanville 53
Sauk Centre 43, Melrose Area 28