[Yup, first boys’ game.  It’s always something.   But we’ve had a pretty good season so far considering we lost 4 senior starters off last year’s state tournament team.  We’re now 12 – 7 overall, 9 – 4 in the conference, good for 3rd place.]

[Lot of seniors on this team too.  That’s the thing about high school sports, seems like a brand new team every year.]

[The New Voice, Dave McClurg (DMac) with Old Voice 2, Bob Cunniff.  They were originally scheduled to cover the girls’ hockey game at Pequot Lakes, but that game, the last regular season game, was weathered out and will not be made up.]

[National Anthem formation.]

[Team intros began with Kris Setterstrom (3), 6′ senior guard.]

[Joe Gorghuber (5), 6’3″ senior center, starter on last year’s state tourney team.]

[Ben Corson (13), 6’2″ senior guard.]

[Travis Krueger (25), 6’1″ senior forward, key 6th man last year.]

[Jaran Roste (31), 6’2″ sophomore guard.]

[And Gorghuber takes the opening face-off . . . errrr, tip.]

[Number 10 for the Sabres, Kyle Och, a 6’4″ senior guard (thus taller than any of our starters), who it seemed totally swished every 3-pointer he took in the game.]

[Roste played the top of our switching zone – didn’t seem like a pure 1-3-1?]

[We’d try to double team at every opportunity.]

[Did Jaran get the steal here?     ]

[Gorghuber goes for the block.  The Sabres were taller and had better shooters.  So, how did we win?  Volume!]

[One of the two key sequences in the game.  When the Cards put Tyler Owen (35), 6’5″ senior forward, into the game, he immediately took it over.  I think he made his first 6 shots, with a variety of spin moves in the lane and showing a deft touch inside.]

[Roste with the ball, Owen looking for ye olde pic-and-roll.]

[Roste to Courson.  The Sabres defended our 3-point shooting well.  We didn’t get many chances.]

[Brayden Amundson (23), 6’2″ junior guard, possibly better known as Richie and Marlene’s grandson.]

[Grant Toivonen (1), 5’10” senior guard, as Owen moves to cut off the drive to the basket.]

[Will it?]

[Owen and Toivonen seem to be a matched set on defense.]

[Roste had a lot of free throws.  A gifted player, also the quarterback on the football team, he finds a way to get into the lane and draw fouls.  As his game matures, he’ll be able to find the dump off underneath to the likes of Gorghuber and Owen.]

[At the half . . . pretty even game as it would continue to be.]

[Didn’t shoot many photos in the the 2nd half – just watched the game.  Here Alec Wensman (55), 6’6″ junior forward joins the fray.  Noticing Kruger in the photo, he was the key sequence in the 2nd half.  I think at one time the Cards got down by 5.  Krueger hit two key 3-pointers to get our mojo back.  I don’t know if we had more than one other 3-pointer the whole game?]

[Wensman gets a freebie . . . ]

[Then Setterstrom.  I understand this has been a bug-a-boo all year.  In fact, we only made 12 out of 31 the previous game (yet still won?).  In this game we were 14 – 23, which drew kudos from the broadcast team.  That’s still only 60%, so it’s an area where we have to improve – it’s crucial once sections start.]

It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it.  ~  Steven Wright

Up next:  Girl/boy basketball doubleheader.