ELEVATION — Blue Earth Area guard Austin Skaden (22) elevates over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown defenders Jasper Morris and Talen Taylor (12) during nonconference regular-season basketball action Thursday night in Blue Earth. Blue Earth Area went on to post a 71-41 triumph over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown. (Photo by Kevin Mertens/Faribault County Register)

BLUE EARTH — The Blue Earth Area Bucs boys basketball team hosted the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Buccaneers in its regular-season finale on Thursday night, winning a 71-41 nonconference decision in Blue Earth.

No. 4-seeded Blue Earth Area (14-8) opens the Section 2AA, South Sub-Section quarterfinals by playing host to the No. 5-seeded St. Clair Cyclones (12-13) at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

If Blue Earth Area wins, it plays the winner of the No. 1-seeded Maple River vs. No. 8-seeded Medford game at 6 p.m. next Thursday night at Mankato East High School.

Blue Earth Area, starting its five seniors, got off to a fast start by leading 7-0 and 13-3, respectively, midway through the first half.

“Our five seniors started tonight and got us off to a fast start,” Blue Earth Area head coach Colby Swanson said. “We forced some early turnovers that allowed us to get some easy baskets. That helped us increase our first-half lead.”

Seniors Jack Norman, Abram Kokos, Austin Skaden, Ashton Lloyd and Nick Barke started the game and finished the first half strong.

Norman hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to extend Blue Earth Area’s lead to 16 points, 35-19, at intermission.

The Bucs connected for 13 3-pointers in the game, using the trifecta to extend their lead in the second half.

Junior Max Loge’s steal and layup made it a 51-28 midway through the second half and eventually BEA doubled up WEM, 60-30, a few minutes later.

Norman scored all of his 11 points in the first half and grabbed six of his team-leading seven rebounds in the first half to go with distributing two assists and blocking one shot.

Lloyd and Skaden each scored 15 points to lead Blue Earth Area’s winning performance, with Lloyd also pulling down five rebounds.

Barker scored nine points for Blue Earth Area, followed by six points apiece for Kokos and sophomore Jacob Grandgenett, 5 points for freshman William Bromeland and 4 points for Loge.

Loge finished with six rebounds, while Barke had five for BEA.

BEA outrebounded WEM 38-21 thanks to its size advantage, but did not attempt a free throw, while WEM took only three foul shots and made one.

Freshman Talen Taylor scored 12 points and senior Gabe Androli had six rebounds to lead Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.

Junior Jasper Morris chipped in with nine points for WEM, which finished its regular season at 4-20.

WEM, the No. 6 seed, travels to the No. 3-seeded Waseca Bluejays in its first-round Section 2AA, South Sub-Section at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Waseca–WEM winner faces either the No. 2-seeded Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial or No. 7-seed New Richland Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.

WEM 19-22–41

BEA 35-36–71

Fouled out: None. Rebounds: WEM 21(Gabe Androli 6, Morris 5), BEA 38 (Norman 7, Loge 6). Assists: WEM 11 (Gabe Androli and Gavin Brown with 3 apiece), BEA 14 (Norman, Lloyd, Kokos, Skaden, Loge and Barker with 2 apiece).