Boys Basketball: Redwood Valley outlasts BOLD
Tribune Staff Report
GRANITE FALLS -- Michael Busack cut loose for 30 points spurring the Redwood Valley Cardinals to a 58-42 victory over the BOLD Warriors on Thursday in the Section 3AA North semifinals before a huge crowd in the YME H.S. gym.
Busack, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, has been unstoppable all winter. Kyle Athmann, shorter by a half-foot, was on him like glue but Busack proved so quick and fluid that he had little trouble getting his season average and then some.
He made 11 of 21 shots, including a breakaway dunk. The Cardinals are now 25-1.
Athmann bobbed around the peremeter of the Cardinals' defense to sink 5 three-pointers and score 23 points. But there was a big gap after that with Zach Remillard scoring 6 points and Jake Marcus 5.
Redwood, rated No. 6, led 34-18 at intermission.
"We could have shot better," said BOLD's first-year head coach Jon Hamre, who played for nearby RCW and was head coach at Sleepy Eye Public the previous two seasons. "We got it down to 7 points in the second half and had the ball, but we missed a couple of good looks and then they came down and cored and started a run."
Alex Koster added 10 points and Steve Runkel 8 for the Cards. Busack grabbed 12 rebounds and wide-bodied 6-3 center Beau Stough 11 more.
Tyler Rock and Athmann combined for 13 rebounds.
The Warriors finish 14-11.
Redwood Valley plays Montevideo at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday in the North final at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.
Red. Valley 58, BOLD 42
BOLD (14-11) 18 24-- 42
Redwood Valley (25-1) 34 24 -- 58
BOLD - 17-49 FG (6-19 3-pt); 2-5 FT; 28 rebounds; 15 fouls ... Scoring: Zach Remillard 6, Kyle Athmann 23, Jake Marcus 5, Tyler Rock 2, Tyler Slagter 2, Mike Schulte 4... 3-point shots: Athmann 5, Marcus 1 ... Rebound leaders: Rock 7, K. Athmann 6 ... Assist leaders: Rock 2 ... Steal leaders: Marcus 2, Slagter 2, K. Athmann 2
REDWOOD VALLEY - 21 FG (6 3-pt); 10-17 FT; 30 rebounds; 8 fouls ... Scoring: Michael Busack 30, Alec Koster 10, Steve Runkel 8, Adam Hengel 4, Beau Stough 6... 3-point shots: Busack 3, Koster 1, Runkel 2 ... Rebound leaders: Busack 12, Stough 11
