Hoop dreams

Ken Johnston

Rainy River High School’s Junior Boys basketball team secured a playoff position at the NORWOSSA championships when they defeated the Red Lake Rams last Thursday.
It was probably the lowest scoring first half of just about any basketball game anywhere. It was only 2-2 after the first quarter. There was no score until nearly halfway through the first quarter. The Owls scored first at the 4:30 mark and the Rams tied it with about a minute left.
In the second quarter it was equally tight with the Owls leading 6-3 at the half.
The third quarter saw the Rams score 35 seconds in to come within one of the Owls. But they answered back 15 secs. later with a two pointer to lead 8-5.
It would be another four minutes before any would score and it was the Rams making it 8-7.
At 2:07 Peter Leininger scored 2 for the Owls. He was followed by Timo Brielmann at 1:35 who nailed two and then about a minute later drew a foul and connected from the line with a single to widen the Owls’ lead 13-7.
With 8 secs. left Leininger drew a foul and scored one to make it 14-7. The Rams beat the bell with two more to end the quarter 14-9.
In the fourth the Rams scored two only 19 seconds in. Beginning at the 6:35 mark Josh Wilson scored two and then did it twice more within the next minute to put six notches on the board and give Rainy a 19-11 lead.
However, over the next two minutes the Rams cranked things up a notch scoring six points to the Owls’ three. It was 22-19 with 2:30 left in the game.
At 2:19 Pete Leininger scored two more making it 24-19.
From there the Owls did not look back scoring seven more points to the Rams’ four. Final score was 31-23.
The other court teams had to wait until yesterday’s on the road play to find out if they made the playoffs (Results were not available at press time).
NORWOSSA’s will be held later this week.