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The Cubs boys jumped out to a strong start in their final regular-season road game versus the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons, shooting 7 of 16 from three-point range to take a 48-37 halftime lead.
In a second half full of runs, the Cubs couldn’t hang on. Leading by one in the closing seconds, the Cubs gave up a Falcons’ three-pointer with four seconds left. Now trailing by two, the Cubs got off a shot before time expired, but they fell short in an 85-83 conference loss Tuesday, Feb. 25.
“At the three-minute mark we … melted down and proceeded to have three turnovers, poor blockouts, and poor interior defense,” Cubs head coach Jay Klein said via email, “which eventually led to our fifth straight loss.”
With that 11-point halftime lead, the Cubs allowed the Falcons to start that second half on a 9-0 run, cutting the Cubs’ lead to two.
The Cubs responded to build their lead back to 13, at 64-51. The Falcons then proceeded to go on a 14-5 spurt to cut the Cubs’ edge back to four, at 69-65. The game remained close from that point, setting the stage for the late-game dramatics.
Owen Mortenson led the Cubs with 21 points, along with four rebounds and six assists. Carl Knaus posted 20 points, Bryant Knaus 18 points along with five rebounds and three assists, Andray Stang 12 points along with five assists, and Jed Spaulding seven points along with eight rebounds to also pace the Cubs.
St. John’s Prep
In the midst of a season-high five-game losing streak, the Cubs’ final regular-season game – versus the St. John’s Prep Johnnies – remained close in the opening 10 minutes. By the final buzzer, every Cubs player had hit the court, and the team ended that streak in an 84-59 home win Friday, Feb. 28.
After those opening 10 minutes, the Cubs built their lead to double digits, 38-28, at halftime. The team grew its lead to 28, at 69-41, at one point in the second half.
“In the second half, we were able to get the ball inside a lot more,” coach Klein said via email. “… I was able to freely sub, and everyone was able to play in our last regular-season game.”
Jed Spaulding led the Cubs with a double-double performance of 17 points and 12 rebounds, along with three steals and three assists. Bryant Knaus posted 14 points, Carl Knaus 13 points along with five rebounds and four assists, Owen Mortenson 10 points along with four steals and six assists, and Andray Stang nine points to also pace the Cubs.
The Cubs ended the regular season with a 16-10 overall record and a 10-4 record in the Central Minnesota Conference, tied for second with Paynesville and behind first-place Holdingford.
Next action
Earning the tenth seed in the Section 6AA boys’ basketball tournament, the Cubs will open on the road versus seventh-seeded Spectrum at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6. With a win, the Cubs would advance to the section quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8, from St. John’s University. A win in this game would advance the Cubs to the section semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, also from St. John’s University.