Jaguars outgun Knights cagers, 85-80
NORTHROP — Ironically, Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain head coach Brian Borkenhagen slightly underestimated his Jaguar basketball lineup’s point-producing potential on Monday night.
Post player Zayne Engel poured in a game-best 31 points and small forward Derek Shoen delivered 26 points, including an 8-for-8 performance from the free throw line during the final minute and a half, to power the Jaguars to an 85-80 nonconference triumph over the Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Knights in Northrop.
“Most coaches and players don’t like playing games on Mondays after having a day off on Sunday, so I was hoping to score around 70 points tonight,” said Borkenhagen, whose lineup connected on 31 of 64 field goals and 18 of 26 free throws on the back-and-forth contest. “I was happy with the execution of our offense, except when we kept shooting … and not making … 3-pointers in the first half.”
Ironically, after Shoen and Mason Maloney combined for all the points behind the Jaguars’ game-opening 11-0 scoring surge, Nick Labat and Nathan Schroepfer utilized the 3-point arc to eventually help Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s knot the game at 28-all with 1:35 remaining before intermission.
Labat and Schroepfer accounted equally for all four of the Knights’ trifectas via 18 attempts during the game’s initial 18 minutes, while the Jaguars sank only 2 of 13 behind the bonus line prior to halftime.
“We need to pound the ball inside, and then that opens up the perimeter for us,” said Borkenhagen, whose lineup made 3 of 4 shots behind the 3-point arc during the second half to help pace an overall 18-for-27 shooting performance for a blistering 67 percent. “Once we finally worked the ball into Zayne, Mason and Derek, good things started happening.
“I’m glad we shot well down the stretch and hit our free throws during the last minute and a half to hold on for the win.”
Trailing 31-30 at halftime, Engel and Shoen combined forces to produce 40 of the Jaguars’ 55 points during the final 18 minutes of regulation.
The Knights, however, kept within striking distance throughout the second segment by dialing long distance as Cole Owens snapped the nets for four 3-pointers, while teammates Alex Woitas and Labat dropped home two treys apiece. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s made 9 of 22 from behind the arc in the final 18 minutes to finish the game at 13-for-40 overall.
Engel, who produced a game-best double-double performance of 31 points and 11 rebounds, hit a baseline leaner to extend the Jaguars’ lead to 73-64 with 2:45 remaining in the game.
Owens, who collected 19 points to complement a co-game-best eight assists and five steals, had other ideas as the Knights’ sharpshooter drilled back-to-back 3s to narrow the gap to 73-70 with 2:19 to go.
Shoen, who neared triple-double territory by garnering eight rebounds and dishing out a co-game-high eight assists to go with his 26-point effort, found Engel in the low post again, but Woitas countered with a trey to whittle the gap to 75-73.
Shoen then displayed his free throw shooting prowess by draining all eight of his attempts from the line during the last 1:30 to help fend off the Knights’ late heroics.
Maloney delivered 15 points to the Jaguars’ winning ways, while Woitas topped the Knights with 20 points to complement seven boards. Labat finished with 14 points for Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, while Collin Ludewig came off the bench to net a double-double of 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain (15-11) awaits the outcome of Wednesday’s seeding meeting for the upcoming Section 2A, South Sub-Section playoffs.
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (8-13) travels to New Ulm Cathedral tonight.
St. Mary’s 31-49–80
TMLGHEC 30-55–85
TMLGHEC (85)
Engel 12-19 7-9 31, Wille 1-1 0-0 3, Maloney 7-14 1-2 15, Shoen 8-16 8-9 26, Balcom 1-2 1-2 4, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Greier 2-7 0-0 5, Z. Wolter 0-2 0-0 0, Schrunk 0-2 0-0 0, Olson 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 31-64 18-26 85.
ST. MARY’S (80)
Woitas 9-16 0-0 20, Wait 2-3 0-2 4, Owens 7-15 1-2 19, Schroepfer 4-13 2-3 13, Labat 4-14 2-2 14, Ludewig 4-5 2-4 10, Currans 0-5 0-0 0, Meyer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-72 7-13 80.
3-pointers: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 13-40 (Labat 4-14, Owens 4-10, Schroepfer 3-8, Woitas 2-4, Currans 0-3, Meyer 0-1); TMLGHEC 5-17 (Shoen 2-6, Wille 1-1, Balcom 1-2, Greier 1-4, Schrunk 0-2, Z. Wolter 0-1, Martin 0-1). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: TMLGHEC 40 (Engel 11, Shoen 8); St. Mary’s 34 (Ludewig 10). Assists: St. Mary’s 19 (Owens 8, Labat 4); TMLGHE 13 (Shoen 8). Steals: TMLGHEC 7 (Shoen 5); St. Mary’s 7 (Owens 5).
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