Contrary to what most fans and media wanted to believe, Apple Valley wasn’t about to take Blaine lightly.

Sure, on paper it looked like a mismatch. Apple Valley, with its roster loaded with Division I-caliber players; Blaine, its 10 losses by far the most of any team in the Class 4A field.

“Hey, they were good enough to make the state tournament,” Apple Valley center Brock Bertram said. “We’re not going look past anyone.”

They didn’t, routing the Bengals 77-57 and setting up a semifinals rematch against Hopkins, the only team to defeat Apple Valley this season. Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points for Apple Valley and Cameron Kirksey posted a double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“It was good team win for us,” Apple Valley coach Zach Goring said. “In the first half, we played such good defense and that set the tone.”

That defense led to a series of fast-break baskets en route to a 50-25 halftime lead. They built that lead to 32 points, 62-30, early in the second half before Goring sat his starters. All 17 players who dressed for Apple Valley (29-1) played in the game.

“All those kids can say they played in a state tournament, which is really cool,” Goring said.

Blaine coach Mark Arzdorf knew his team was grossly overmatched, but said the Bengals always believed they could win.

“There’s not a lot of room for error against a team like this,” Arzdorf said. “But it’s important for your team to believe as well. Our kids are competitors. They wanted to get to [play] Thursday. That was the goal, but the better team won.”

First report

The only surprise in Apple Valley’s 77-57 victory over Blaine Wednesday in the Class 4A quarterfinals may have been the final score.

No one in Target Center really expected Blaine to give the No. 3-seeded Eagles a close game, and it wasn’t. Apple Valley’s first half was an exercise in fast break execution as the Eagles ran out to a 50-25 lead.

They extended that lead to more than 30 points in the second half before coach Zach Goring sat his starters for the rest of the game, resting them before Thursday’s highly anticipated semifinals matchup against Hopkins.

Blaine, also substuting freely in the second half, cut the deficit to 20 points in the game’s latter stages, its smallest deficit since midway through the first half.

Check back later for more on the game.