Boys basketball: Blackjacks fall in section title game
MARSHALL — A solid Dawson-Boyd season came to an end in the Section 3A championship game for a second straight year.
Southwest Minnesota Christian for a second year ousted the Blackjacks in the section title game, 57-48, on Thursday at Southwest Minnesota State.
Dawson-Boyd trailed the Eagles in the second half and were within four points with 45 seconds remaining, but SWMC was able to hold off the Blackjacks down the stretch.
Leighton Sampson 16 points and Eric Talsma recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Eagles, who open the Class A state tournament Thursday at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.
The Eagles, who are 27-1 and have won 23 straight games, were the No. 3-ranked team in Class A this season. They lost to BBE in last season’s Class A state championship game.
Dawson-Boyd, the No. 8-team this year, finished the season 22-6.
The Blackjacks lost to the Eagles 73-55 in last year’s section final and they fell to SWMC 72-51 in the second game this season, also at Southwest Minnesota State.
Dawson-Boyd’s Michael Lee had 14 points and 9 rebounds and Joey Lee scored a team-high 15 points and had 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.
Nathaniel Huot hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
SW Minn. Christian 57, Dawson-Boyd 48
SW Minn. Christian (27-1) 24 33 — 57
Dawson-Boyd (22-6) 21 27 — 48
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA CHRISTIAN – 20-55 FG (4-20 3-pt); 13-21 FT; 24 rebounds; 12 fouls … Scoring: Clayton Huiskens 6, Nate Pfeile 12, Klint Knutson 10, Dominic Nibbelink 2, Eric Talsma 11, Leighton Sampson 16 … 3-point shots: Pfeifle 2, Huisken 1, Knutson 1 … Rebound leaders: Talsma 12, Pfeifle 5, Sampson 5 … Assist leaders: Knutson 5 … Steal leaders: Pfeifle 3, Knutson 3
DAWSON-BOYD – 17-52 FG (4-22 3-pt); 10-14 FT; 23 rebounds; 14 fouls … Scoring: Nathaniel Huot 11, Jess Hansen 2, Joey Lee 15, Kyler Collins 6, Michael Lee 14 … 3-point shots: Huot 2, Collins 1, M.Lee 1 … Rebound leaders: M.Lee 9, Huot 6, J.Lee 4 … Assist leaders: J.Lee 4, M.Lee 3 … Steal leaders: J.Lee 4
