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GATOR BOYS BASKETBALL LOOKING TO BUILD CONFIDENCE Snow is on the ground. Not only does this mean that winter is here but so is another high school boys’ basketball season. The BGMR Boys Basketball Team began practice on Monday, November 23rd. With over 40 boys in grades 7-12 signed up for basketball quantity of players is not an issue. The coaching staff however will be looking to make that quantity into quality. The Gator Boys are coming off a surprising 15-12, 2010-2011 season. With only 1 senior on last years’ squad the Gators are hoping that experience and hard work will take them to the upper core of teams in Section 8A. The Gators however will sorely miss the services of graduated senior Nathan Stanelle. Stanelle had a remarkable senior campaign averaging more than 19 points and 6 rebounds per game. More importantly Stanelle provided leadership that will be tough to replace. Returning starters from last season’s team are Jacob Anderson, Nick Dostal, Jacquan Rhen, and Tanner Creviston. Also returning were key reserve players Nathan Hietala, Alex Rhen, Ryan Modahl and Trey Langaas. Here is a season preview of Gator players and the program: Senior players Anderson, Dostal, Modahl and Hietala will be counted on heavily to replace the loss of Stanelle. Anderson averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is a player who can shoot well from the outside and can go inside if he puts his mind to it. Dostal will be off to a slow start for the Gators as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in football. Dostal had an amazing summer and the Gators were really looking forward to his senior year. Dostal averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assist per game last season. Fortunately for the Gators they hope to get Dostal back by just after holiday break. Hietala is a streaky player who at times showed flashes of brilliance. He must gain confidence in himself and his teammates in order to even out his inconsistent play. If he does Hietala will be a player to watch out for. Modahl is a lunch bucket player. He doesn’t put up the big statistics but does the much needed dirty work and is an outstanding team player. Also working for playing time is senior Trey Langaas. Langaas plays good defense and has a motor that doesn’t quit. He will have to protect the ball on offense in order to get into the regular rotation. Returning juniors, Rhen, Creviston and Rhen will also be asked to step up their game compared to their sophomore year. Jacquan Rhen is a gifted athlete who averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds last season. Deciding how good he wants to become and working to become that good will be the focus for Jacquan. Creviston had a surprising sophomore year. He was one of the Gators best defensive players and was an ever present rebounder. Improving his offensive game and outside shooting will be a key for Creviston. Alex Rhen is another good athlete who needs to find out how good he can be. Rhen is a strong rebounder, and decent shot blocker. Offensively he has the tools but needs to refine his game. Other juniors searching for playing time will be Nick Wilson, Jacob Randall and Tyler Bentow. All 3 are great teammates but have small flaws to their game. If they worked on improving their flaws during the off season they all could see the varsity floor. The Gators may have a freshman who could see varsity playing time. Aaron Dostal had a nice summer and showed he has skills to play at the varsity level. Varsity action is a different level of play and one in which the Gator coaching staff doesn’t like to rush players so Dostal will really need to show that he can stand the physical and mental components of varsity play. The numbers in the program are good and because of this there will be vicious competition for playing time at all levels. This in turn should make for competitive and intense practices. The coaches know that this will only take place if the players allow it too and work for each second of playing time. Many in Gator Nation have been expecting big things from this years’ team. The coach staff and boys will do everything in their power not to disappoint. We hope that Gator Nation will be out in full force throughout the WHOLE season as the Gators have a tough schedule ahead of them. This will be a team to keep your eye on as they seem to be able to put the ball in the basket and they play well together. With the positive support of the Gator faithful this season will be successful no matter what the record turns out being. These young men will represent the school and communities well and will be a team that fans can be proud of. Section 8A should be a battle again. Several teams; such as Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Northern Freeze, Kittson County Central, Grygla-Goodridge, Cass Lake-Bean and Fertile Beltrami just to name a few have their eye on the prize and a trip to the state tournament. Set your watches as the Gators tip off the season on Friday December 2 when the Gators travel to Stephen to take on Stephen-Argyle. It will be a tough test but one in which the Gators are looking forward too. RELENTLESS GATORS FALL SHORT AGAINST STORM If the start of the 2011-2012 basketball season is any indication of things to come, Section 8A fans will be in for a treat. In the opening game for both the BGMR Gators and the Stephen-Argyle Storm the Storm were able to take advantage of some sloppy Gator play and managed to grind out a 56-45 victory over the visiting Gators. The start of the game was slow offensively for both teams and this would continue much of the night. The Storm defense started to create early havoc on the Gators and Stephen-Argyle raced to a 27-18 halftime lead. The Gators needed a huge effort from their bench just to stay in the game as Gator starters Jacquan Rhen and Tanner Creviston found themselves in early foul trouble. Coming out of halftime the Gators would let the Storm surge ahead by 14. The never say die Gators would fight back and cut the lead to 6 a couple times but could not get any closer. Whenever it looked as if the Gators would break through the Storm would hit a big shot or turn up the pressure defensively and the Gators were unable to answer. BGMR was lead by senior Jacob Anderson who poured in 16 points with 10 of them coming in the second half. Freshman Aaron Dostal had a nice game as he ended up with 9 points and 10 rebounds. No other Gator managed to make double figures and the Gators shot only 33 percent on the night. The Storm landed 3 individuals in double digit scoring. Brandy Swanson had 13, Blake Labine 12 and Luke Yutrzenka notched 10. BGMR will not have time to sulk. On Monday they travel to Northland Community and Technical College to take part in the NCTC Holiday Tournament. The Gators will face Fertile Beltrami at 3:00. The Falcons are a well coached team and beat the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies on Friday night. It should be a good match-up as these two teams have developed a little rivalry over the years. BGMR will need to shoot the ball better and keep key individuals on the playing floor if they hope to keep with the Falcons.GATORS LOSE IN OPENING ROUND The BGMR Boys Basketball Team got off to a slow start and despite a spirited second half in which the Gators took the lead BGMR was unable to hold on dropping a 58-50 decision to the Falcons from Fertile-Beltrami. Neither team was able to make a video on offensive execution in the first half, as sloppy play and turnovers prevailed. The Falcons did however take a commanding 20-14 lead into halftime. The Gators came out of halftime on a mission and were able to throw in 36 points in the second half. At one point the Gators had managed to build a three point lead but turnovers by the Gators and the Falcons ability to make free throws lead them to victory. On the night the Falcons were 23 for 29 from the charity stripe while the Gators were a shaky 11 for 21. BGMR did manage to land 3 players in double figures. Jacob Anderson poured in 15. Jacquan Rhen had a double/double with 12 points and 13 rebounds and Tanner Creviston dumped in 11. The Falcons were paced by 1,000 point scorer Tate Moser. Moser scored 23. Charlie Duckstad was the only other Falcon in double figures as he nailed 10. The Gators will now move to loser bracket play in the tournament. BGMR is set to take on the loser of the Stephen-Argyle and Red Lake County game. The game is on Tuesday at 4:45. BGMR will need to reduce the turnovers as they have been averaging 25 a game. If the Gators can manage to cut this in half they will give themselves a greater chance of bringing home a victory. GATOR BOYS PICK UP FIRST WIN OF THE YEAR The BGMR Boys Basketball Team picked up their first win of the year with a grueling 54-47 win over the Rebels from Red Lake County. In a game in which the Gators took a 12 point second half lead, the Rebels fought back to tie it, however the Gators jumped on the back of Jacquan Rhen to pull out the 7 point win. Rhen had a massive night as he collected 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Rhen just missed a triple double as he also collected 8 assists. Although no other Gator landed in double figures it was a balanced offensive effort. Tanner Creviston and Jacob Anderson had 8 each while Jacob Randall came of the bench and collected a quick 6 points. Ryan Modahl also turned in a 6 point effort. The Rebels had two individuals who had outstanding nights. Tyler Hurst poured in 21 and Matt Schinder had 18. Unfortunately for the Rebels those two were unable to lead them to victory. The victory sends the Gators into the consolation championship game. The Gators will take on an athletic Ada-Borup team. The Cougars are coming off an outstanding football season and their athleticism will be tough to match. BGMR however will have a good day of practice before Thursday’s 4:45 tip-off. Many Gator fans could get a good night of basketball action. They can catch the boys game at 4:45 and hurry back for the girls game as the girls team has their home opener against the Northern Freeze. GATORS LOSE CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Christmas is just around the corner and the BGMR Boys Basketball Team had some early holiday spirit as they gave away the ball a remarkable 37 times in a 60-38 loss to the Ada-Borup Cougars. The Gators jumped out to an early 7-2 lead and were playing good basketball for much of the first half. With the Gators leading 18-17 the Cougars turned up the pressure and the Gators wilted like a flower sprayed with round-up. The Cougars pressure lead to a 16-0 run to close out the half and the Cougars went into halftime with a 33-18 lead. BGMR came out fighting in the second half and eventually cut the Cougar lead to 11. The more dominate Cougars took control of the game at this point and cruised to the 22 point win. Jacob Anderson led the Gators in scoring with 15. No other Gator hit double figures but Tanner Creviston chipped in 8 and Jacquan Rhen continued his nice rebounding as he pulled down 9 rebounds. The Cougars landed 2 in double figures as Dan Atwood scored 15 and JD Kappes pitched in 12. BGMR will continue its road schedule when they travel to Clearbrook-Gonvik on Tuesday. It is a long trip but the Gators will be looking to come home with a win. BGMR opens its home season next Friday night when they take on the highly touted Bearcats from Kittson Central. Not only is this the first home game of the season the parents will be sponsoring a supper that night. The Gators hope to take care of business on Tuesday night and carry a little momentum in against a talented Kittson Central team.GATORS BRING HOME ROAD WIN The BGMR Gators Boys Basketball Team pushed their record to 2-3 with a 61-47 road win over the Clearbrook-Gonvig Bears. The Gators played their best team basketball of the year as they landed 3 individuals in double digit scoring and two others with 8 and 7 points. The Gator’s first half defense resembled the Grinch Who Stole Christmas as they limited the Bears to 14 points. Using their defense as a jump start the Gators went into halftime with a 29-14 lead. The second half saw the Gators come out a little flat and the Bears cut the Gator lead to seven. BGMR was able to answer and hit some key baskets down the stretch to bring home the win. Freshman Aaron Dostal had a huge game for the Gators. Dostal scored a career high 20 and pulled down 10 rebounds. Jacob Anderson also had a double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Nathan Hietala broke out of his mini slump and poured in 11. Jacquan Rhen scored 8 and Tanner Creviston 7. The Bears were led by Verdell Beaulieu who netted 14 and the lightening quick Weston Bakke had 12. The Gators will now shift their attention to their home opener on Friday night. It will be a tall order as an impressive Kittson Central team comes to town. The Bearcats are lead by all conference players Derek Coffield and Zach Rynning and are a team to watch in Section 8A. BGMR will need to take care of the ball better and will have to be at the top of their game in order to come away with a home victory. It will also be the first time this year that Gator Nation will be able to witness their team on its home court. Basketball parents will be serving a soup and sandwich supper before the game. Come on out and let the parents do the cooking and enjoy some great basketball action.Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winners will get a pair of Coach Kierah Kimbrough socks.)How many points did Coach Kimbrough have in her high school career?GATOR BOYS LOSE HOME OPENER The BGMR Gator Boys Basketball Team spent the first 30 minutes of a 36 minute game sleep walking and because of this, a talented Kittson Central Bearcat team jumped on the Gators and cruised to a 50-39 win. BGMR found themselves down by 20 at the 6:00 minute mark of the second half. At that time the Gators boys decided to play with a passion that eluded them for the first 30 minutes. BGMR cut the lead to 9 but time ran out on the Gators and thus gave the Bearcats the road win. BGMR was lead in scoring by Jacquan Rhen. Rhen needed 24 shots to net 13 points. Jacob Anderson also managed to land in double figures for the Gators as he pumped in 11. Nathan Hietala continued his sold play with 9 points. Defensively the Gators did a nice job limiting a solid Bearcat team to 50 points. Zach Rynning, who torched the Gators for 39 points in last years playoff game dumped in 15. Derek Coffield who has also hurt the Gators in the past netted 14. BGMR will complete its pre-holiday schedule on Tuesday when they go back out on the road traveling to Plummer to take on the Red Lake County Rebels. BGMR is hoping to go into the holiday break with a victory. It will not be an easy task as the Rebels have been playing better basketball as of late. The BGMR Boys Players would like to take this time to thank all parents who worked the successful supper before the Kittson Central game. A special thank you to Becky Dostal and Connie Creviston for heading up the work crew.GATORS CRUISE TO VICTORY The BGMR Gator Boys Basketball team went into the holiday break on a high note as the Gators defeated the Red Lake County Rebels 67-55. The Gators used solid ball movement and road the inside play of Ryan Modahl and energy provided by Jacquan Rhen to take a commanding 35-22 halftime lead. The Gators would stretch the lead to 20 later in the game but the relentless Rebels battled back and cut the final margin of victory to 12. Statistically Rhen provided a dominate performance for the Gators. Rhen finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 7 steals just missing a quadruple double. Jacob Anderson was the only other Gator to land in double digit scoring with 10. Five other Gators however had 6 or more points to lead the balanced attack. The Rebels were led in scoring by Tyler Hurst who poured in 18 and Brandon Eckstein who netted 15. The Gators will now take a week off for the holidays. They will return to practice on Tuesday and will have 3 practices before their next game. The Gators will cross the border for their next game when they travel to Northern Cass to take on the Jaguars. This will be a bit of a homecoming for Coach Christian as he graduated from Cass Valley North which has since combined with Dakota High School to form Northern Cass. It should be a great game against two similar opponents. The Gators are hoping that a lot of Gator Nation can cross the border and show their support as the Jaguar house is a tough place to pick up a win. Game time is 4:30 for the C squad with J.V. at 6:00 and varsity to follow. The Gator Boys Basketball Program would also like to take this time to wish Gator Nation a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope you have a happy and safe holiday season.GATORS WIN BORDER BATTLE The trip into North Dakota proved to be a good one for the BGMR Gators Boys Basketball Team as the Gators held off the Northern Cass Jaguars for a 55-46 victory. The Jaguars came out firing on all cylinders and made their first 4 three point shots. The Gators however showed poise and played well together as the Gators pounded the Jaguars inside with one easy basket after another. The Gators would manage to take a 1 point lead into halftime. The Jaguars came out of halftime on a mission and would build a six point lead. BGMR again kept again their poise and continued their outstanding movement on offense. The Gators would not only catch up to the Jaguars but took a commanding lead late in the fourth quarter. As the Jaguars were still relying on the outside shot the Gators continued to get inside the paint thus building their margin of victory to 9 points. Jacquan Rhen and Nathan Hietala continued their stellar play. Rhen notched another double/double with 17 points and 11 assists. Rhen also pulled down 8 rebounds. Hietala threw in 12 points and Creviston picked up 9. The Jaguars were led in scoring by Colton Hill who had 17 including 5 three pointers. Cody Springer was the only other Jaguar to notch double figures as he had 11. The Gators will now start off the New Year when they travel to Warren to take on the Ponies from Warren-Alvarado-Oslo. Tuesday night’s game will pit two evenly matched teams against each other. The Gators hope to continue to improve and that improvement will be needed against a physically strong Pony team. The Gators continue their road trip with a game at Baudette on Friday. Home games are just around the corner for the Gators so we hope that Gator Nation is ready to catch this team not only at home but on the road.GATORS DROP TOUGH ONE TO PONIES The BGMR Gators and Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies have developed quite a rivalry over the past five years with several games coming down to the final possession. Tuesday night’s match-up was no different as the Ponies battled from behind and hit a shot at the buzzer to send the Gators to a 55-54 defeat. The Gators were not playing their best ball from the get go but did manage to take an 8 point halftime lead. The Gators would later push that lead to 12 and had several possessions to increase the lead even more but BGMR failed to capitalize and in the end the pesky Ponies made the Gators pay. The wheels on the Gator train began to slowly fall off at the five minute mark. At that time the Gators had a 12 point lead and the ball. The Ponies however chipped away and cut the lead to 5 with just over two minutes to play. BGMR helped the Ponies in the final 2 minutes as the Gators missed a 2 shot free throw and 3 front end of bonus free throws. Going 0-5 from the free throw line would single doom for any team and ultimately doomed the Gators. Clinging to a 1 point lead with just over 10 seconds to go the Gators had to rely on their defense as the Ponies had the ball. BGMR did an outstanding job forcing the ball out of bounce under the basket with 3 seconds left. BGMR again did an outstanding job but Pony big man Zach Riopellle hit a tough shot to send the home team Ponies into a frenzy. Offensively the Gators had solid nights from Jacob Anderson who had 17 points and Jacquan Rhen who had 15 points and 9 rebounds. The Ponies got 19 points from Jayvon O’Quin and 11 points, including the game winner from Riopelle. Despite the heart breaking loss in which the Gators gave a lot of possessions away BGMR will now need to focus its attention to Friday’s game at Lake of the Woods. The long trip to Baudette can be a tough one and the hungry Bears usually play hard. BGMR will need to come ready to play or the Bears will be looking for the upset.GATOR BOYS SHAKE OFF SLUGGISH START AND COME HOME WITH A VICTORY Playing the first half as if they were reliving their elementary years the Gator Boys Basketball Team shook off a horrible first half and came home with a 59-32 victory over the Lake of the Woods Bears. The Bears would dominate much of the first half and build their lead to 7 with about 4 minutes to go in the half. The lead could have been much more but fortunately for the Gators the Bears missed several easy shots. The Gators would begin to catch their stride at the 4 minute mark and went into halftime with a 5 point lead. The Gators came out on a mission in the second half and began to play basketball the way they are capable. Using full court pressure defense and strong inside play the Gators would tear away from the Bears and ran away with the 27 point margin of victory. Jacquan Rhen had a solid offensive game for BGMR. Rhen had 20 points and dished out 5 assists. Jacob Anderson notched a double/double with 14 points and 11rebounds. Although no other Gator was in double figures scoring BGMR was balanced and had 8 players score on the night. The Bears were led in scoring by Aaron O’Connell who dumped in 11. BGMR will have 1 more road game before they finally get some home cooking. Tuesday night the Gators travel to Newfolden to take on a talented Freeze team. The Freeze are in the upper tier of teams in the section and BGMR will need to continue to improve to have a chance. BGMR hopes to finish off this road stretch, in which they have played 10 of their first 11 games on the road, with a win. Gator Nation will need to make the short trip to Newfolden to help the Gators as they take on the rival Freeze team.FREEZE TIE UP AND MAN HANDLE GATORS The Northern Freeze crushed the BGMR Gators 66-40 in high school basketball action on Tuesday night. The Freeze jumped on the Gators early and didn’t let up as the Gators couldn’t get anything going against the solid Freeze team. The Freeze ran to a 39-17 halftime lead and beat the Gators like a rented mule for much of the first half. Although the Gators played with a little bit more passion in the second half the 22 point halftime deficit was too much to overcome. BGMR did not have a single individual with double digit scoring. Jacob Anderson did lead the Gators with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Jacquan Rhen also tore down 9 rebounds. The Freeze were led by Nick Olson who dominated the Gators for 29 points with most of them coming from inside and Olson also notched a double/double with 13 rebounds.. Beau Bothum dumped in 12 points for the Freeze. The Gators will return home on Friday night when they take on the Warroad Warriors. This will mark only the second home game of the season for the Gators but is the start of a two week 6 game home stand. Warroad is led by Ross Merriman and the Gators will be looking for revenge as Merriman sank the Gators last year with a last second game winning shot at The Swamp. Friday night also marks Parents Nights. The Gator players will honor their parents for the support the parents continue to provide. With it being parent’s night the Gator players should have a little more incentive to play well and play hard. Gator Nation will also be able to help fill The Swamp for this special night. Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Kierah Kimbrough autographed socks. We did not have a winner last game.)How many points did Coach Kimbrough have in her high school career?WARRIORS UNDO GATORS A sizable Parent’s Night crowd at the Swamp got their monies worth as the Warroad Warriors outlasted the BGMR Gators in high school boys’ basketball action by a 77-68 final score. The Gators had no answer for the guard play of Ross Merriman and Alan Peterson and the three point shooting of Kruzer Lunos as the three combined for 60 of the 77 Warrior points. Merriman’s dribble penetration killed the Gators and BGMR’s unwillingness to step in and take a charge on the hard drives by Merriman proved to be costly. BGMR also struggled with their defensive rebounding as the Warriors picked up 19 offensive boards. The Gators had a nice night from Jacquan Rhen who had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Nick Dostal who has been slowed by a broken leg suffered if football saw extensive playing time and poured in 18 points. Although Dostal is nowhere near being 100% his outside shooting was needed by the Gators. Jacob Anderson also hit double digit in scoring with 13 points. The Gators also did a nice job of taking care of the basketball as they had only 10 turnovers. The Gator boys will now shift their attention to a busy week. BGMR will face the rival Roseau Rams on Monday night. The Rams have been struggling of late but when these two teams get together is almost always a barn burner. On Tuesday night the Storm from Stephen-Argyle come to town. The Gators will be looking to avenge an opening season loss to the Storm. The Swamp will be rocking for back to back games on Monday and Tuesday. The Gator boys will need Gator Nation in full as the Gators look to continue their improved play which will hopefully translate into some much needed wins. The Gator Basketball Program would like to take like to thank Shellie Kern and Tammy Novacek for all the work they did setting up and running parents night. Also a special thank you to Coach Dahl and his wife Stacy for hosting the Parent Night get together.Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Brad Dahl autographed socks.Monday trivia question: Since the Gator basketball program was established what boy’s player has been the only freshman to record a double/double in a game? (This person had double digits in scoring and rebounding.) GATORS LASSO RAMS The BGMR Gators Boy’s Basketball Team got back on the winning track with a 68-57 victory over a scrappy Roseau Ram team. Using outstanding ball movement, tough defense and sound shooting the Gators took control of the game early. The Gators stretched their first half lead to 15 and it looked like this one might be a blowout. The Rams however fought back and the Gators went into a lapse and managed only a 35-28 halftime lead. The second half saw the Gators build a 21 point lead but again the never say die Rams managed to cut the lead to 8. BGMR hit some key shots down the stretch to bring home the 11 point victory. BGMR managed to land 3 players in double figures scoring. Jacob Anderson paced the Gators with 19 points. Alex Rhen had his most solid game of the year as he scored 15 and Jacquan Rhen netted 13 along with 8 rebounds. Roseau was led in scoring by John Haman who dumped in 14. Garrett Iverson and Jacob Eaton scored 10 apiece. The win pushed the Gators record to 6-7. BGMR will have a quick turnaround as a well rested Stephen-Argyle Storm team comes to the Swamp. BGMR will need to handle the relentless pressure of the Storm or it will be a long night. The Gators know however if they play the way they are capable a victory is within their grasp. Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Kent Christian autographed socks.Tuesday trivia question: What colleges did Coach Christian, Coach Dahl and Coach Kimbrough graduate from? LATE GATOR CHARGE FALL SHORT The BGMR Gator Boy’s Basketball team got off to a slow start against a solid Stephen-Argyle team and despite some late game heroics the Gators fell to the Storm 61-54. BGMR struggled offensively in the first half against a tough Storm defense and the Storm road the hot shooting of Owen Ellefson and Daniel Haugen to take a commanding 28-15 halftime lead. Much of the second half had the teams trading baskets. The Storm did eventually open their lead to 18 when the Gators started to heat up offensively. The Gators Nick Dostal caught fire and buried 5 three’s in the second half which would eventually pull the Gators to within 3 with just over a minute to play. With the ball and down by 3 the Gators turned the ball over and were forced to foul for the rest of the game to try and get back into it. Unfortunately for the Gators the Storm were flawless from the line down the stretch and the Storm left the Swamp with a 7 point win and 2 game series sweep over the Gators. Several Gators showed the heart that it takes to win ball games. Scoring wise the Gators were led by Dostal who had 15 and Jacob Anderson played is best/toughest game of the year netting 11 hard earned points. The Storm were led by super sub Ellefson who had 17. Jared Rivard and Daniel Haugen chipped in 11 each. The Gators will now have 2 days of practice before they take on the Bears from Lake of the Woods on Friday night. It is a girls and guys double header and a chance for Gator fans to see both varsity teams in action. The Gators handled the Bears just over a week ago so Coach Bob Laine and the Bears will be coming to the Swamp with revenge on their mind.We did not have a winner for last night’s trivia questions so we will keep it the same. Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Kent Christian autographed socks.Tuesday trivia question: What colleges did Coach Christian, Coach Dahl and Coach Kimbrough graduate from?GATORS SWEEP BEARS The BGMR Gator basketball program had a successful night against the Lake of the Woods Bears as the Gators swept the Bears in all games played. With the varsity girls getting an exciting and much needed win the pressure was on the Gator boys to get the sweep. Although the Gators showed some huge flaws in their game BGMR was able to bring home a 71-51 home court victory. On a night in which the Gators started the five seniors on their team BGMR came out and established tempo and tough defense. The Gators were able to cruise into halftime with a 40-23 lead. During the second half BGMR again showed signs of being a brilliant team but also showed signs of horrible play. The never say die Bears were able to cut the Gator lead to 8 before BGMR realized that they needed to wake up and play basketball. The Gators did wake up late in the game and were able to bring home the 20 point victory. Offensively the Gators got another solid night from Jacquan Rhen. Rhen managed to pour in 21 points and pull down 12 rebounds. Nick Dostal continued his improved play with 12 points and Jacob Anderson brought his lunch bucket and poured in 10 hard fought points. The Bears were able to land one player in double figures scoring. Bryan Hasbargen torched the Gators for 20 points. The Gator s will continue with the long home stand on Monday night. The Panthers from Cass Lake-Bena make the long trip to the Swamp. Cass Lake is again considered one of the top contenders in Section 8A basketball so BGMR will need to be more consistent with their game. These two teams have become quite the rivals and Monday night should be a barn burner at The Swamp. We did not have a winner for Friday night’s trivia questions so we will keep it the same. Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Kent Christian autographed socks.Tuesday trivia question: What colleges did Coach Christian, Coach Dahl and Coach Kimbrough graduate from?GATOR RALLY FALLS SHORT Taking basketball back 60 years in the first half the BGMR Boys Basketball Team dug themselves’ too deep of a hole and were unable to finish off an unthinkable comeback as the Gators fell to the Cass Lake-Bena Panthers 76-61. Playing the first half like the where engine oil on a -60 degree day the Gators managed to do little right as they fell down to a talented Panther team 49-22 at the break. BGMR regrouped and after some outstanding defensive play and hot shooting by Nick Dostal the Gators had managed to cut the Panther lead to 8 with just over 3 minutes to play. With the Swamp rocking the Gators got a couple of defensive stops but were unable to convert. The Panthers hit their free throws down the stretch and pulled away with the 15 point margin of victory. Offensively the Gators were led by Dostal who had 23 as he went 7 for 15 from behind the 3 point line. Jacquan Rhen added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jacob Anderson and Tanner Creviston poured in 9 points each. The Panthers had four in double figures. Josh LaDuke had 16, Dakotah Brunelle had 15, Cody Wind poured in 13 and Caleb Fisher netted 12. The Gators will need to recover quickly from this lost. BGMR will finish their home stand with a Tuesday night match-up against the Sacred Heart Eagles. The Eagles have been struggling but have lost several close games. The challenge will be there for the Gators and how they respond to a tough loss will determine how well the game goes. The Swamp will need to be rocking to help pull the Gators over the hump and get back on the winning track.We did not have a winner for Monday night’s trivia questions so we will keep it the same. Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new pair of Coach Kent Christian autographed socks.Tuesday trivia question: What colleges did Coach Christian, Coach Dahl and Coach Kimbrough graduate from?GATORS PREVAIL OVER EAGLES Coming off a tough loss to Cass Lake-Bena the previous night the BGMR Gator boys basketball team was looking to get back in the win column against a stubborn Sacred Heart Eagle team. Contrary to the previous night the Gators played a strong first half and were able to build a 29-18 lead. The Gators would push that lead up to 18 early in the second half but a common theme for the 2011-2012 Gator Basketball Team would creep up on them. The Gators proceeded to let the Eagles claw their way back into the game cutting the Gator lead to as low as 7, and BGMR was forced to hold on for the victory. Jacquan Rhen again led the Gators with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Nick Dostal netted 14 and Jacob Anderson added 12. Tanner Creviston also rebounded well for the Gators as Creviston pulled down 9 rebounds. Zach Huot had a solid game for the Eagles as he had 17 points. Zak Kuznia also notched double figures with 10. After a tough stretch in which the Gators played 5 games in 8 days the Gators will now have some practice time until their next game. BGMR will be on the road next Thursday and Friday. Thursday the Gator s travel to Grygla and Friday BGMR makes the long track to Blackduck to take on the Drakes. The Gators will be using their upcoming practice time to try and become more consistent; with this will be a high emphasis on rebounding. BGMR is looking to hit their stride here in the next few weeks as they creep closer and closer to March Madness.CHARGERS TAKE CARE OF GATORS On a night in which the gym was as warm and humid as a mid-summer day near the equator the Grygla-Gatzke-Goodridge Chargers used a strong 5 minute spurt in the second half to overcome a relentless BGMR Gator team. The Chargers squeaked out a 54-49 victory. The warmth in the gym seemed to take its toll on both teams early as neither team could get into an offense rhythm. BGMR played outstanding defense and was able to go into halftime with a 20-17 lead. Both teams would battle back and forth in the second half. The Gators managed to take a 7 point lead but after a Charger timeout the Chargers proceeded to go on a 13-2 run and took a lead that they would not relinquish. Jaquan Rhen showed poise and leadership for the Gators as he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Jacob Anderson had a solid night recording a 15 point and 10 rebound double/double. Nathan Hietala and Alex Rhen also pulled down 6 rebounds apiece. The Chargers had a big effort from Daniel Polanski who threw in 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Tra Alderete also had a double/double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams played extremely hard. The Gators downfall was committing 22 turnovers and giving up 20 offensive rebounds. Both of these are correctable mistakes in which the Gators will work hard at getting squared away. The Gators will need to show the same effort tonight as they make the long track to Blackduck. The Drakes are a young team that is extremely talented. A solid effort will be needed by the Gators in order to come home with a victory and get back to their winning ways. GATORS HANDLE DRAKES Despite turning the ball over 26 times the BGMR Gator Boys Basketball team took the long road trip to Blackduck and came home with an impressive 70-54 victory on Friday night. The Gators blistered the nets shooting 56% from the field and played solid defense much of the night on a young but solid Drake team. Although the Gators opened up a big lead in the second half the Drakes managed to cut the lead to 8 with just over 10 minutes to play. BGMR however answered the call to pull away and take their season record to 9-10. Offensively the Gators were led by Nick Dostal who had 21 points. Jacquan Rhen added 20 points as those two individuals were the only Gators in double figures scoring. Blackduck was led by Trey Volk who poured in 22 and which also included the 1,000 point of his career. Dominic Anderson also reached double figures as he had 13. The Gators will have a quick turnaround as they now travel to Warroad on Monday night. The Warriors spanked the Gators earlier in the year and the Gators will be looking for a little revenge. It won’t come easy as the Warriors are having a nice season behind the leadership of guards Ross Merriman and Alan Peterson. The Gator s however seem to be getting better so the match-up in Warroad should be a good one.WARRIORS CRUISE PAST GATORS With Coach Christian doing his civic duty and serving on a jury the Coach Brad Dahl led Gators went into Warroad hoping for a little revenge. Unfortunately for Coach Dahl and the Gators the Warriors were clicking on all cylinders offensively and cruised past the Gators for a 72-56 win. With the Warriors hitting almost every shot they took the Warriors went into halftime with a 42-29 lead. Although the Gators would cut the lead to 8 in the second half Warroad managed to hit key baskets when they needed and pulled away with the 16 point margin of victory. Jacob Anderson had one of his more solid games of the year as Anderson poured in 21 points and had 7 rebounds. Jacquan Rhen continued his double/double quest as Rhen scored 12 points and racked up 11 rebounds. Nathan Hietala also had a solid game with 11 points. Warroad’s Ross Merriman and Alan Peterson were no match for the Gators as Peterson torched the Gators for 21 points and Merriman netted 19. Alex Sandahl also hit double figures as he had 11. The Gators seemed to be making strides forward and the Warroad loss was a bit of a step back. The Gators continue to struggle taking care of the basketball as the have averaged over 22 turnovers the past 2 games. In order for BGMR to be successful come the post season this most certainly will need to be corrected and will be as always an area of emphasis. BGMR schedule does not get any easier as a red hot Northern Freeze team comes to the Swamp tomorrow night. The Freeze gave the Gators a good old fashion whooping earlier in the year. The Gators will be happy to be back home after a 3 game road trip. The Gator parents are serving a Taco in a Bag supper before the game. Come on out and support the Gators boys as they start making their push to playoff time. Have a delicious Taco in a Bag and enjoy some great basketball action as these two rivals square off.FREEZE GET SEASON SERIES SWEEP OVER GATORS Using a decisive early second half run the Northern Freeze were able to hold on for a 69-64 victory over the BGMR Gators in high school boys’ basketball action. With the win the Freeze picked up the 2 game season series sweep over the Gators. The Freeze led by 3 at halftime and jumped their lead to as many as 11 points. The never say die Gators fought back but 3 points was as close as they would get and the Freeze brought home the victory. As has been the case in many of their losses poor rebounding and turnovers by the Gators spelled their doom. This has been an area of emphasis in practice but obviously even more attention will need to be paid to taking care of the ball and finishing their defensive possessions with a rebound. BGMR was led in scoring by Jacquan Rhen who poured in a career high 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Nick Dostal also had 15 points but struggled much of the night shooting the ball. No other Gator managed double digits in scoring. The Freeze were extremely balanced in scoring. Beau Bothum and Nick Olson had 17 each with Bothum also pulling down 13 rebounds. Kade Klasen poured in 15 and Dustin Dahl also managed 9. The Gators will have a chance to improve on their rebounding and taking care of the basketball and also will have a chance to break their 2 game losing streak when they take on an arch rival in the Roseau Rams. Going to the Rams den on a Tuesday night can be a tough experience but the Gators will hopefully be hungry enough for a win to overcome anything the Rams throw at them. The Gators boys program would also like to take this time to thank all those who supported the program by attending the Taco in a Bag supper. Also a big thank you to the parents who worked the supper. It was a huge success. GATORS END TWO GAME SKID The BGMR Gator Boys Basketball Team pushed their record to 10-12 with a hard fought 61-56 victory over a scrappy Roseau Ram team. The Gators used solid defense and good team basketball in the first half to open up a 34-26 halftime lead. The Gators had pushed the lead to as much as 13 in the first half but again had trouble putting away a team. The Rams and Gators exchanged baskets for much of the second half. The Rams did cut the Gator lead down to four with just under 45 seconds to play but BGMR managed to put the game away at the free throw line. Offensively the Gators were paced by Nick Dostal and Jacquan Rhen who had 15 points each. Rhen also notched another double/double with 13 rebounds. Although no other Gator managed to get into double digit scoring BGMR was extremely balanced. Jacob Anderson had 7 points which included a big three point shot when the Rams were making a run on the Gators. Tanner Creviston had one of his better games as he put in 6 points. Nathan Hietala and Alex Rhen also notched 6 apiece. The Rams got 13 points from Micah Vandewege and 10 points from Matt Huss. The Rams also were able to get to the free throw line 37 times making 24. After a day of practice the Gators will return to the Swamp on Thursday night when the Ponies from Warren-Alvarado-Oslo come to town. The Ponies and Gators have had nothing but exciting games the past few times they have met and Thursday night should not be an exception. BGMR is looking to crawl back closer to the .500 mark but the Pony team will present a big challenge. The home season is winding down for the Gators so come on out and catch this team as they will hopefully be hitting their tournament stride within the next couple of weeks.Thursday night trivia question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new powerade water bottle.QuestionWho currently leads the Gators in OFFENSIVE rebounds?GATORS BOYS MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW The BGMR Gators boys basketball team pushed their season record to 11-12 with a 61-51 win over the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies. The Gators started the game off well taking an earlier 13-8 lead. The Ponies however proceeded to go on an 18-6 run to end the half and went into halftime with a 26-19 lead. BGMR came out of halftime with more determination and fire and after 4 minutes of play in the second half tied the game. The Gators proceeded to build a lead and came away with the 10 point margin of victory. BGMR had a balanced night offensively. Nick Dostal poured in 16 and Nathan Hietala had a career high 16 points. Jacob Anderson and Tanner Creviston each had 10 points with Creviston also leading the team in rebounds with 8. Alex Rhen contributed 8 points. The Ponies, who were playing without standout Zak Riopelle, were led in scorning by Jayvon O’Quinn who had a double/double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Matt Bergh, Danny Schmidt and Greg Schanil each had 9 points. The Gators will now have a week off before they play their last regular season home game of the year. The Chargers from Grygla-Goodridge come to town next Friday. The Gators are going to have to overcome some late season adversity to achieve their goals but the team looks like they’re ready to make a push for the playoffs. Gator Nation will be needed next Friday as several seniors will be playing their last regular season game at the Swamp.Next Friday’s Trivia Question: (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game. Winner will get a new powerade water bottle. Coming into Friday’s game how many points have the seniors scored in their career combined? (Be within 100). CHARGERS NIP GATORS IN NAIL BITTER Whenever the Grygla-Goodridge Chargers and BGMR Gators get together in boys basketball action it is typically a defensive struggle with the winning team being the one that makes the most out of their offensive possessions. Friday nights game at The Swamp was no exception as the Chargers slipped by the Gators 46-45. Offensive points were at a premium in the first half. Neither team could find a rhythm offensively and both teams played outstanding defense as the Chargers went into halftime with a 18-15 lead. Both teams loosened up in the second half with the Chargers opening up a 7 point lead with just over 5 minutes to go. BGMR battled back and took a 1 point lead with just over 40 seconds to play. On the next possession Alex Rhen picked up a steal for the Gators and appeared to be going in for a lay-up but slipped. The Chargers regained possession and scored to take a 1 point lead. The Gators took a shot with just over seven seconds to play and missed. The Chargers gathered the rebound and BGMR fouled them immediately. Preston Swenson missed the front end of a 1 on 1 free throw and the Gators pushed the tempo. Unfortunately, the Gators turned the ball over and the Chargers hung on for the win. Offensively the Gators were led by Nick Dostal who had 16 points. Tanner Creviston chipped in 10. Nathan Hietala was the leading Gator rebounder with 8. The Chargers got a double/double from Swenson who had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Tra Aldrete dumped in 12 points. The Gators will need to recover from the tough loss in a hurry as they will be involved in the NCTC Super Saturday. BGMR is going to face Red Lake. The Warriors are a high octane team that uses trapping defenses and outside shooting to average over 75 points a game. It should be a high paced game and one in which the Gators need to play well in order to come out with a win.RED LAKE EMBARRASSES GATORS Playing the first half like they were stuck in mud or someone had ran over their dog the BGMR Gators were blown out early by the Red Lake Warriors as the Warriors picked up a decisive 84-63 win. The Gators were incredible in their sloppiness in the first half as they had 22 turnovers and did little to nothing right against an athletic Warrior team. The lone highlight of the first half was when the lower part of the Gator bench, which included much of the J.V. team, was inserted in the game and gave Gator Nation something to be proud of as they hustled and created some offensive opportunities. The Warriors did however go into halftime with a 39 to 19 lead. The Gator starters showed some life in the second half and quickly cut the 20 point halftime lead to 10. BGMR however ran out of energy and slipped back into some sloppy play as the Warriors picked up their full court defense. Red Lake controlled the tempo the rest of the way and went home with an 84-63 win. Offensively the Gators were led in scoring by Tanner Creviston who had a career high 19 points. Nathan Hietala had 11 points and Nick Dostal dumped in 9. Senior Trey Langaas also contributed a career high 8 points coming off the bench. Red Lake was paced by Brendan Beaulieu who poured in 26. Ryan Holthusen threw in 21 and Nick Roy had 16. Obviously the Gators are not looking like a team that can make a tournament run. They are hoping that Saturday’s lifeless effort was not a sign of things to come. BGMR will end their regular season on Monday night when they travel to Lancaster to take on the Kittson Central Bearcats. The Bearcats are currently the #1 ranked team in the subsection and pose an outstanding duo in Zach Rynning and Derek Coffield. The role players for the Bearcats are also impressive and feed off the dynamic duo. It will be another stiff challenge for the Gators and a good set up game for the upcoming subsection tournament.GATORS LOSE REGULAR SEASON FINALLE Going into Lancaster and facing what many people consider the #1 team in Section 8A the BGMR Gator Boys Basketball Team knew they would have to be on top of their game. The Gators however got off to another slow start and the Kittson Central Bearcats cruised to a 59-37 win. With the Gators showing much more effort and passion than they did on Saturday it looked like this game would be a fans delight. The Gators however had trouble against the stingy Bearcat defense and were eventually worn down by the talented Bearcats. Coming out of halftime trailing 36-17 BGMR did everything they could do mount a comeback. The Bearcats answered with timely possessions and solid offensive play which thwarted any Gator rally. BGMR did not have a player in double figures. Tanner Creviston continued his solid offense play with 9 points. Jacob Anderson also chipped in 8. Kittson Central was lead by Zach Rynning who had 17 points and Derek Coffield who netted 11. With the loss the Gators record for the regular season fell to 11-15. It is now playoff time and every team is 0-0. BGMR will be at home on Monday night for the opening round of the playoffs. It looks as though the game will be against Sacred Heart or Red Lake County. Either team will be a tough first round match-up. The Gators however have been waiting for this time of year and are ready to prove that they can make some noise in March. The team hopes that Gator Nation will be out in full as this veteran team tries to create some March memories. The boys basketball program would also like to take this time to congratulate the Gator Wrestling Team on their upcoming trip to the state tournament. Also congratulations to the individual wrestlers who qualified for state. It is time for the Gators to bring home a state championship! The boys program would also like to say good luck to the girls program who start playoffs on Tuesday night. The girls have worked extremely hard this year and will be a tough game for anyone they face. Good luck girls!GATOR SEASON COMES TO AN END The BGMR Gator Boys Basketball Season came to a screeching halt as the Rebels from Red Lake County rode their hot shooting to take home a 70-62 first round playoff win over the Gators. Both teams traded baskets early in the game but RLC caught fire from behind the 3 point line and began torching the Gators. The Rebels were an incredible 10 for 17 from behind the arc in the first half and open up a 47-38 halftime lead. Being down only 9 at halftime with the Rebels shooting the way they were the Gators felt comfortable that they would be able to mount a comeback. This however would look impossible as the Rebels continued to play well and opened up an 18 point second half lead. At a time when many teams would pack their bags and go home the Gators showed determination, and heart as they cranked up the defense and fought back cutting the Rebel lead to 9. At this point the Gators had several defensive stops but could not convert on the offense end. BGMR did however continue to battle and cut the Rebel lead to 3 with just over 90 seconds to play. RLC responded by hitting some key free throws down the stretch and the Gators were unable to finish off the historic comeback. Offensively the Gators were paced by Tanner Creviston who dumped in a career high 23. Nick Dostal netted 17 and Jacob Anderson poured in 13 with all of them coming in the first half. Alex Rhen, and Aaron Dostal had 7 rebounds to pace the Gators and Nathan Hietala had 6 boards. Red Lake County had a balanced attack led by Ben Hagl who scored 22. Tyler Hurst chipped in 14, Logan O’Neill and Matt Schindler each scored 11. With the loss the Gators finished their season at 11-16. Although it wasn’t the type of season the Gators had anticipated record wise the boys can hold their heads high in the way the competed during the tournament. Unfortunately BGMR will be losing a good group of seniors in Nick Dostal, Trey Langaas, Ryan Modahl, Jacob Anderson and Nathan Hietala. Each will be sorely missed as they have been outstanding role models for the program. The start of next season is only 8 month away and the younger Gators will hopefully be putting in lots of time so the Gators can rise to the top again. The boys basketball program would like to take this time to thank GATOR NATION for their outstanding support this season. The playoff game atmosphere at The Swamp was incredible and one in which the communities should be proud of. A special thank you to the basketball parents for their support this past season. Everything you do does not go unnoticed and makes for a great program. ................
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