Cass Lake-Bena advances knocking off Clearbrook-Gonvick

Cass Lake-Bena did not play a perfect game in its East Sub-Section 8A opener at the BSU gym Thursday but the top-seeded Panthers did enough things right to advance to Saturday’s sub-section semifinals with an 89-58 win over No. 8 seed Clearbrook-Gonvick.

“We played well on and off,” said CL-B coach Brian Michaelson. “We start firing on all cylinders and then we have fouled plugs.

“At times we were careless with the ball but defensively I was happy with the way we played. Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give our performance a 9.”

Cass Lake-Bena never trailed Thursday and Cody Wind’s inside bucket combined with Caleb Fisher’s fast-break hoop and free throw to give the Panthers a 7-2 advantage three minutes into the action.

Following Weston Bakke’s 3-pointer CL-B scored seven consecutive points to take command at 14-5.

Fisher began the spurt with a basket from the paint. Wind followed with a rebound bucket and A.J. Johnson capped the flurry with a free throw and a move along the baseline.

By intermission the Panthers were comfortably ahead 43-22 and the Bears never drew within 19 points the rest of the way.

Cass Lake-Bena will take a 24-3 record into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. sub-section semifinal at the REA in Thief River Falls against Blackduck which defeated Kelliher-Northome 73-62 Thursday at BSU.

Trey Volk scored 36 points to power the Drakes to their win. Dominic Anderson and Brad Kusper each contributed 15.

Saturday’s 5:15 p.m. sub-section semifinal at the REA will match Fosston against Red Lake. Thursday at Bemidji High School Fosston, the second seed, edged No. 7 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 61-53 in double overtime.

Red Lake, the third seed, advanced with a 95-86 victory over No. 6 Mahnomen.

The sub-section championship game will be 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at the REA. The 8A title will be decided 7 p.m. March 16, also at the REA.

Clearbrook-Gonvick (58)

Bakke 20, Dickey 3, Hetland 8, Mack 2, Beaulieu 15, Dorn 2, Bodensteiner 3, Barrett 4, Pletschett 1. Totals: 21, 10-17, 58.

Cass Lake-Bena (89)

Fisher 14, Swanholm 4, Laduke 8, Johnson 15, Collins 5, Moe 9, Brunelle 10, Ellis 18, Wind 6. Totals: 36, 8-15, 89

3-point FG: C-G 10, CL-B 5

Halftime: CL-B 43, C-G 22

Blackduck (73)

Volk 36, Anderson 15, Kusper 15, Fraley 2, Fenske 2, Krabbenhoft 3.

Kelliher-Northome (62)

Shaughnessy 5, Williams 18, Pink 2, Anderson 4, Olafson 2, Rahier 9, Jorgenson 2, Schn eider 5, Schuh 15