Panthers win, Bears fall

By Anthony Gray

Pioneer Sports Writer

      PARK RAPIDS – Sometimes a play can be drawn up to get the ball into the hands of a team’s best player during critical situations. Other times great players make great plays.

      Byron Ninham’s rebound basket as the final buzzer sounded gave the Cass Lake-Bena boys basketball team a 58-56 win over Park Christian Friday in the Section 6A championship game

      “I saw it come off the rim and then just let it go with a second to go on the clock,” Byron Ninham said. “I knew it was in time because I didn’t hear the buzzer until after. I knew ... I just knew it was good.”

      Immediately following the game-winning shot one referee signaled no good, but following a brief conference between the officials, the call was reversed, giving the Panthers their first trip to the state tournament since 2001 and third in school history.

      Cass Lake-Bena will play St. Agnes at 6 p.m. at the Target Center Wednesday in the first round of the state tournament.

      “All five guys and our whole bench support is so important and very significant,” CL-B head coach Dan Ninham said. “It was a total team effort.”

      CL-B senior Bill Brown also made a great play when it counted. With 1:38 left in the game Brown nailed a fade-away 3-pointer to give his team a 56-53 lead.

      The Falcons then had two chances to tie the game. Sam Twedt fired off a 3 with 1:01 remaining, but it was off the mark. However, David Leedahl got the rebound and called a timeout.

      Park Christian ran 30 seconds off the clock before they found senior Grand Gunhus wide open for a baseline 3. The shot was off and rebounded by CL-B’s Kevin Muller, who passed it up the court where the Panthers called a timeout with 25 seconds left.

      Muller was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play but missed the front end of a one and one, giving the Falcons another chance.

      This time Twedt’s 3 was on the mark, tying the game at 56-56 with 10 seconds remaining.

      “We had a timeout left but I liked the flow of the game,” Dan Ninham said. “We don’t have a set play for something like that but you get the ball in the right people’s hands and good things happen.”

      The ball ended up in the hands of Muller, who just two games ago hit a game-winning 3-pointer versus Hill City as time expired.

      Muller’s 3 from the left wing didn’t fall this time but Byron Ninham was there for the game-winning put back.

      “I saw that two guys jumped out on Kevin and thought if by chance he doesn’t hit it I have to go in and get that rebound,” Byron Ninham said.

      No. 3 Park Christian ended the season 25-4.

      “The last basket was, I guess, a great way for them to finish and for us we thought we had made the play to go into overtime,” Park Christian coach Randy Schauer said.

      Both teams shared the lead in the first half. The Falcons took the early lead and held on until the Panthers went on top 15-13 with two minutes left in the first quarter on a Ninham jumper.

      Park Christian regained the lead early in the second quarter when Matt Nygard hit a jumper two minutes in.

      David Chessmore’s layup at 3:30 tied the game and Brady Fairbanks gave CL-B the lead moments later off a PCHS turnover.

      The Panthers built a 31-26 lead at 1:25 on a Ninham jumper but a Gunhus 3 at the buzzer pulled the Falcons to within 31-29 at the half.

      CL-B scored the first seven points of the second half for a 38-29 lead but back-to-back 3s by Gunhus and Twedt quickly pulled Park Christian to within 38-35 at the midway point.

      Brown put the Panthers on top 44-35 at 2:42 but the Falcons closed the third with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 46-46 heading into the fourth.

      The lead reached no greater than two points either way in the fourth until Brown’s fade-away 3.

      Gunhus and Brown shared scoring honors with each netting 21 points. Ninham added 18 in the win.

      Park Christian’s other offensive weapon Austin Pennick, who sat much of the first half in foul trouble, ended with nine points.

      The Falcons couldn’t solve CL-B’s defense as the Panthers’ zone trap and help defense stepped up all night.

      “They gave us a lot of pressure and we just didn’t make enough baskets at the end,” Schauer said.

Park Christian 16 13 17 10 – 56

Cass Lake-Bena 19 12 15 12 – 58

Park Christian: Billy Hall 4, Austin Pennick 9, Nate Leedahl 5, Matt Nygard 8, Sam Twedt 6, Grant Gunhus 21, Dave Leedahl 3.

Cass Lake-Bena: Brady Fairbanks 6, Bill Brown 21, Anthony Robinson 2, Kevin Muller 7, Byron Ninham 18, Dave Chessmore 4.

MCC 78, C-G 60

      CROOKSTON - The Marshall County Central Nordics upset unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Clearbrook-Gonvick Friday night to win the Minnesota Section 8A high school boys basketball championship.

      The win sends MCC’s Nordics into next week’s state tournament in Minneapolis, while the Bears stay home following a record-setting season under coach Jeff Ostrom. The finished 28-1.

      The third-seeded Nordics controlled the game from the start, jumping out to a 19-13 lead after one quarter and increasing the advantage to nine points at halftime. The Bears had no answers for Marshall County Central, being out-scored in all four quarters.

      Andrew Johnson led the winners with 22 points. Dustin Monsebroten added 21 and Jay Maurstad and Tyler Blazejewski each had 14. The Nordics made a sizzling 30 of 43 shots from the field, while C-G made only 23 of 62.

MCC 19 17 16 26 -78

Clearbrook-Gonvick 13 14 13 20 -60

MCC (78) Brons 0-0 2-2 1 2; Monsebroten 6-9 8-13 2 21; Maurstad 5-9 3-6 1 14; Peterson 0-0 0-0 0 0; Johnson 10-13 2-7 2 22; Kragness 0-0 0-0 0 0; Wagner 0-0 0-0 0 0; Blazejewski 7-10 0-0 2 14; Haven 2-2 0-0 1 4; Steinhauer 0-0 0 0 0 0; Totals: 30-43 16-30 10 78

CLEARBROOK-GONVICK (60) Stebe 3-8 1-2 1 9; Goudge 4-13 1-2 3 11; Berg 4-11 0-0 2 9; Eck 2-3 0-0 3 5; Bjerke 1-3 0-0 0 2; Horn 0-0 0-0 0 0; Crane 3-6 2-2 5 9; Beckstrand 0-0 0-0 0 0 ; Dorman 1-2 0-0 1 2; Johnson 4-10 2-2 4 11; Westrom 0-0 0-0 0 0; Totals: 23-62 6-8 24 60

Three point field goals; MCC 2-6 (Monsebroten, Maurstad); C-G 8-24 (Stebe, Goudge 2, Berg, Eck, Crane, Johnson)

Shooting percentage: MCC 68.8; Clearbrook-Gonvick 37.1

Rebounds, MCC 38 (Peterson 12); C-G 19 (Johnson 7)

Turnovers: MCC 19, C-G 12

Attendance 2,700