Quarterfinal loss is learning experience for Southland boys basketball in first state berth
Mar. 26—MINNEAPOLIS — In the postgame press conference, Southland head coach Scott Koenigs and three of his top starters stood before members of the media with their heads held high. In their first-ever state tournament appearance, the No.
4-seeded Rebels came up short against No. 5 Hills-Beaver Creek 72-69 in the Class 1A state quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon at Target Center. Despite the loss, their message was clear.
"We'll be back. " The showdown between the Rebels and Patriots was everything you'd expect from a No. 4 vs.
No. 5 matchup. Six-foot-1 junior guard Tate Goergen put the Rebels on the board first with a breakaway dunk and the Patriots followed it up with a second-chance tip-in layup by senior guard Micah Bush a couple plays later.
In the end, there were 13 lead changes and nine ties. Things were knotted up at 37 apiece at halftime and after the break, the Patriots went on an 8-0 scoring run to set the tone for the final 18 minutes. The Patriots were up by 11 points, their largest lead of the game, with 8:14 remaining.
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