MORRIS -- Montevideo and Benson, the top two seeds, respectively, in Section 3AA-North, will meet for the third time this season in Saturday's final after each won semifinal games Thursday.
The Thunder Hawks flew by Yellow Medicine East in a high-scoring affair, 89-77, while the Braves made a six-point halftime lead stick and beat MACCRAY 68-62.
Montevideo (22-3) edged Benson (20-4) by two points in both meetings this year, 74-72 on Jan. 13 in Benson and 59-57 on Feb. 17 in Montevideo. The game is schedule for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall.
No report on the Montevideo vs. Yellow Medicine East game was available at press time.
Benson's Daniel Fragodt led all scorers with 28 points. He scored 16 of those points after the Braves went into halftime with a 37-31 lead. Otherwise, the teams were nearly even in free-throws made, rebounds and fouls.
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Jesse Holm added 12 points and nine rebounds, Tyler Guest scored 11 points and Joey Fragodt recorded 11 points and nine assists for the Braves.
Matt Condon provided a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolverines (16-9). Justin Koenen added 13 points and Zach Thissen 10.
Benson 68, MACCRAY 62
MACCRAY (16-9) 31 31 -- 62
Benson (20-4) 37 31 -- 68
MACCRAY - 20-42 FG (5-15 3 pt); 17-22 FT; 24 rebounds; 18 fouls ... Scoring: Ryan Aeikens 3, Zach Thissen 10, Ben Perry 7, Justin Koenen 13, Andrew Meyer 7, Matt Leese 2, Cody Haas 3, Matt Condon 17 ... 3-point shots: Aeikens 1, Koenen 2, Haas 1, Condon 1 ... Rebound leader: Condon 10, Meyer 5 ... Assist leader: Condon 3, Meyer 3 ... Steal leader: Koenen 4
BENSON - 26-56 FG (1-9 3 pt); 15-23 FT; 28 rebounds; 19 fouls ... Scoring: Tyler Guest 11, Brett Collins 2, Daniel Fragodt 28, Aaron Hagen 4, Joey Fragodt 11, Jesse Holm 12 ... 3-point shots: D. Fragodt 1 ... Rebound leader: Holm 9, D. Fragodt 6 ... Assist leader: J. Fragodt 9 ... Steal leader: D. Fragodt 4
Section 5A-South KMS 55, Wheaton/HN 50
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Sam Kavanagh collected a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go along with his five blocks to help No. 2 seed Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg move into the sub-section semifinals. KMS takes on unbeaten Osakis Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Minnewaska Area High School.
Jared Johnson led the Fighting Saints (16-10) with 16 points while Jason Fernholz trailed with 12. Paul Beckman amassed 10 points and five points.
Wheaton/HN (15-10) 25 25 -- 50
KMS (16-10) 34 21 -- 55
WHEATON/HERMAN-NORCROSS - 19 FG (6 3 pt); 3-5 FT; rebounds not available; 19 fouls ... Scoring: Klugman 11, Kratch 14, Armstrong 7, Wilson 2, Nelsen 7, Harpet 3, Raguse 6 ... 3-point shots: Klugman 3, Kratch 3
KERKHOVEN-MURDOCK-SUNBURG - 24-49 FG (1-3 3 pt); 6-21 FT; 37 rebounds; 9 fouls ... Scoring: Brant Beckman 2, Paul Beckman 10, Jason Fernholz 12, Nate Schlagel 2, Jared Johnson 16, Sam Kavanagh 11, Doug Peterson 2 ... 3-point shots: Johnson 1 ... Rebound leaders: Kavanagh 10, Fernholz 8 ... Assist leader: P. Beckman 5 ... Steal leader: Johnson 3 ... Blocks: Kavanagh 5
Section 5AA-North Maple Lake 79, BBE 75
(Overtime) -- Jordan Weller took the ball the length of the court with five seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
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The Jaguars (8-19) missed a go-ahead layup, then fouled Maple Lake, which made two free throws, to set up Weller's shot.
BBE played the overtime without leading scorer and rebounder Darren Braegelman, who battled foul trouble the entire game and fouled out with three minutes left in regulation. He still finished with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Andy Hadley led the Jaguars with 18 points and Jordan Weller added 17.
BBE (8-19) 32 32 9 -- 75
Maple Lake (14-13) 40 24 15 -- 79
BELGRADE-BROOTEN-ELROSA - 30-68 FG (4-16 3 pt); 11-17 FT; 33 rebounds; 23 fouls ... Scoring: Andy Hadley 18, Jordan Weller 17, Darren Braegelman 15, Matt McCleary 7, Josh Roelike 7, Michael Rodgers 6, Isaac Anderson 3, Dusty Gruber 2 ... 3-point shots: Weller 2, McCleary 1, Roelike 1 ... Rebound leader: Braegelman 12 ... Assist leader: Rodgers 6 ... Steal leader: Hadley 2 .... Blocks: Anderson 4
MAPLE LAKE - 27-62 FG (7-24 3 pt); 18-26 FT; 37 rebounds; 16 fouls ... Scoring: Jade Kotilla 18, Travis Nordling 16, Hunter Coughlin 14, Zach Nordling 9, Seth Peterson 12, Jared Holt 6, Nick Hudek 4 ... 3-point shots: Kotilla 5, Coughlin 1, Z. Nordling 1 ... Rebound leader: Peterson 8 ... Assist, steal leaders not available.
Paynesville 65, HLWW 54
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No. 6 seed Paynesville (7-15) pulled off the upset for the right to face No. 2 Eden Valley-Watkins in the sub-section semifinals Saturday at 7:45 p.m. at the Dassel-Cokato High School.
Cory Nietfeld led the attack for the Bulldogs with 30 points. Aaron Braun followed with 10 points and Paynesville fended off seven 3-pointers from No. 3 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (15-13).
Paynesville (7-15) 29 36 -- 65
Howard Lake-WW (15-13) 23 31 -- 54
PAYNESVILLE - 25 FG (3 3 pt); 12-21 FT; rebounds not available; 16 fouls ... Scoring: Trent Hanson 5, Aaron Braun 10, Mark Andrie 4, Derek Stanger 4, Cory Nietfeld 30, Nathan Nietfeld 4, Ben Moser 8 ... 3-point shots: Hanson 1, C. Nietfeld 1, Moser 1 ... Rebound, assist and steal leaders not available
HOWARD LAKE-WAVERLY-WINSTED - 21 FG (7 3 pt); 3-8 FT; rebounds not available; 24 fouls ... Scoring: Josh Remer 17, Ryan Streich 3, Jared Glessing 6, Sean Clark 4, Tim Zander 10, Brian Pettit 12, Joe Borders 2 ... 3-point shots: Remer 3, Pettit 2, Streitch 1, Zander 1
Section 6AA-North Minnewaska 73, Pillager 60
Five players scored in double-figures for the Lakers (15-10), led by Jordan Holte's 17 points. He also added 12 rebounds for a double-double and had nine assists.
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Scott Faehnrich netted 16 points, Jon Hoffmann had 14, Jordan Johnsrud 12 and Derrek Hyland 10. Hoffmann made four of Minnewaska's seven three-pointers.
Pillager (19-7) 26 34 -- 60
Minnewaska (15-10) 42 31 -- 73
PILLAGER - 24-56 FG (6-15 3 pt); 6-11 FT; 22 rebounds; 16 fouls ... Scoring: Jon Stoll 20 ... 3-point shots: not available ... Rebound, assist and steal leaders are not available
MINNEWASKA - 29-46 FG (7-10 3 pt); 8-14 FT; 24 rebounds; 12 fouls ... Scoring: Derrek Hyland 10, Jon Hoffmann 14, Jordan Holte 17, Jordan Johnsrud 12, Scott Faehnrich 16, Brady Weisfennig 2, John Davis 2 ... 3-point shots: Hyland 1, Hoffmann 4, Holte 1, Faehnrich 1 ... Rebound leader: Holte 12 ... Assist leader: Holte 9, Hyland 5 ... Steal leader: Faehnrich 4
