WILLMAR -- A strong defense in the second half helped the Willmar boys basketball team pull away from Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop in the first round of the Bremer Bank Holiday Classic Wednesday.
The Cardinals held the Thunderbirds to 24 points in the final 18 minutes and advanced to today's championship game with an 8-3-54 victory. Willmar (5-0) will play New London-Spicer, which beat Dassel-Cokato 85-59, at approximately 7:45 p.m. GFW and Dassel-Cokato play at 6 p.m.
Willmar got its points in bunches throughout most of the first half.
Mike Dunham had seven of the Cardinals' first 11 points, then Casey Sussenguth and Taylor Filipek added a total of eight points for a 17-9 advantage.
The Cardinals had a lead as big as 14 points, but GFW went on a 12-3 run to close within five at 35-30. Sussenguth recorded the last four points of the half for a 39-30 lead.
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The lead hovered between nine and 11 points for the first seven minutes of the second half. But Willmar's rebounding muscle began to wear the Thunderbirds down. The Cardinals finished with a 38-23 advantage on the boards and Sussenguth led all players with 19.
Willmar kept adding to its lead, even when coach Steve Grove emptied his bench. The Cardinals scored 10 of the last 11 points, including four each from Sussenguth and Ryan Filipek.
Sussenguth scored 18 points, one of three Cardinals in double digits. Taylor Filipek added 16 points and six rebounds, and Jordan Smith followed with 14 points.
Sam Van Hon led the Thunderbirds with 15 points, Quin Pomplun had 13 and Reed Sallstrom 11.
Willmar 83, GFW 54
GFW (x-x, x-x) 30 24 -- 54
Willmar (5-0) 39 44 -- 83
GIBBON-FAIRFAX-WINTHROP - 21-53 FG (5-13 3-pt); 7-10 FT; 23 rebounds; 7 fouls ... Scoring: Cody Berger 3, David Deming 2, Sam Van Hon 15, Jay Rogotzke 4, Alex Busch 6, Reed Sallstrom 11, Quin Pomplun 13 ... 3-point shots: Berger 1, Van Hon 3, Pomplun 1 ... Rebound, assist, steal leaders not available
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WILLMAR - 35-59 FG (5-13 3-pt); 8-9 FT; 38 rebounds; 12 fouls ... Scoring: Adam Lindblad 7, Zachary Coquyt 3, Jordan Smith 14, Casey Sussenguth 18, Mike Dunham 9, Isaiah Streed 4, Taylor Filipek 16, Ryan DeGree 8, Ryan Filipek 4 ... 3-point shots: Lindblad 1, Smith 2, Dunham 1, T.Filipek 1 ... Rebound leaders: Sussenguth 19, T.Filipek 6 ... Assist leaders: Smith 2, Dunham 2, Streed 2 ... Steal leaders: Dunham 2 ... Blocks: T.Filipek 3, Sussenguth 2, DeGree 2
