ROCORI ends Detroit Lakes Boys Basketball Season in 8AAA Quarterfinals

PHOTO: Tami Sweep

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes Lakers boys basketball team couldn’t contain the dynamic play of two ROCORI Spartan guards as they lost in the opening round of the Section 8AAA tournament 69-63 at the Lakeshirts Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. Junior Jack Spanier (25) and sophomore Jack Boos (24) combined for 49 of ROCORI’s 69 points.

The Lakers jumped out to an early lead on Tuesday, leading 13-8, but Spanier led ROCORI on a 15-4 Rocori run. The Laker deficit reached 12 points, but a 7-0 run and a Nate Cihak three got the Lakers within five, 37-32, at the half.

The Lakres scored the first bucket of the second half to get within three, and took the lead back late midway through the second half 53-32 after a Christian Solberg steal led to a Mason Carrier layup on the other end. ROCORI answered back with a 5-0 run and didn’t relinquish the lead.

Mason Carrier led the Lakers with 20 points. Nate Cihak scored 16 and Chris Breeden added 10.

The playoff loss was the final high school game for six Laker seniors: Detroit Lakes says goodbye to six seniors, including three starters. During Maass’ transition year, Cihak, Breeden,  Solberg, Caeden Yliniemi, Nate Mohr, and Carson Rogstad.

“These seniors have meant so much to our team,” head coach Brett Maass told Charlie Newland on Coffee With The Coaches last Saturday. “You saw it during pre-game warmups (against Crosby-Ironton). An underclassman had the opportunity to pick a senior and tell them how much they’ve meant to them, to the program, to the culture of Detroit Lakes basketball. And I told them in the locker room before the game: yeah, you guys are good basketball players but you’re even better teammates. That’s what you’re going to remember the most. Cihak is a good basketball player, but he’s an even better kid. That’s what Mason and Ethan (Carrier) and Devon (Berg) and Brandton (Marsh) are going to remember the most.”

The Spartans advance to the Section 8AAA Semifinals this Friday night against top-seeded Alexandria, who took care of business against #8 Little Falls 76-53. #2 St. Cloud Tech beat #7 St. Cloud Apollo 63-42. Tech will face #3 Sauk Rapids-Rice, who survived #6 Willmar 46-45.

SCORING:

ROCORI 37 32 – 69

DL 32 31 – 62

ROCORI – Spanier 25, Boos 24, Loesch 13, Pedroza 4, Tylutki 1, Anderson 2

DL – M. Carrier 20, Cihak 16, Breeden 10, Marsh 8, Berg 4, E. Carrier 2, Quam 2, Solberg 1