Quantcast
skip navigation

Rushford-Peterson wins battle

By Star Tribune, 03/22/12, 8:00PM CDT

Share

The Trojans overcame a slow start to defeat Prairie Seeds in a back-and-forth game.

Trailing by 12 points in the first half, No. 3-seeded Rushford-Peterson came back to defeat Prairie Seeds Academy  Thursday in a back-and-forth game in the Class 1A state quarterfinals at Williams Arena.

“We came out a little slow,” said senior forward Nick Thompson of Rushford-Peterson. “We knew they were going to give pressure on us and press a little, but we stuck with it and came out in the second half and put them away.”

Prairie Seeds, making its first trip to state, had no answer for Thompson, who had a game-high 34 points, hit five three-pointers and went 13-16 at the line.

Rushford head coach Thomas Vix said Thompson “had just a tremendous senior year, and he did it again tonight.’’ The coach called him “probably the best shooter I’ve ever coached.”

Prairie Seeds’ physical presence resulted in a 21-14 rebound advantage going into the break. The Lycans went on a 26-8 run to extend their largest lead to 12 points.

The Trojans ended the half on 9-0 run, cutting Prairie Seeds’ lead to three.

Both teams came out firing in the second half before Thompson’s steal at the 10:47 mark led to a layup while drawing a foul. That gave Rushford a 44-41 advantage and the lead for good.

Freshman Cole Kingsley scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half to help Rushford-Peterson advance.

-- Calvin Swanson, Star Tribune

 

Three Stars

Nick Thompson, Rushford-Peterson
Thompson led all players with 34 points Thursday evening at Williams Arena. Nick had 13 at the break and carried his team through the second half after they were trailing by 3.  Thompson found his touch in the second half shooting 3-for-4 from behind the arc and 13-for-16 from the line. He was undoubtedly the best player in the gym and has led his team to the Class 1A semifinals Friday. 

Cole Kingsley, Rushford-Peterson
Cole broke out in the second half scoring all but one of his 11. Kingsley found his touch and was perfect from the field. Cole drove hard to the basket to earn the difficult points for his team in the second half. Speed was a key to the Trojan offense and Cole had that in spades. Cole played an impressive 20 minutes and will look to continue his success tomorrow at the Target Center.  

Trent Vix, Rushford-Peterson
Vix was a threat from behind the arc all game long and that led way to his 13 points. His ball control was second to none Thursday as he ran the offense with confidence. Vix, like Thompson, played the whole game and showed strong defensive play as the Trojans held off any attempt of a late surge by Prairie Seeds Academy. His quick feet were of benefit to all his teammates Thursday.  

-- Ryan Brodd, MN Basketball Hub

Related Stories