Eastview and Osseo started out as a slow grind.  The Lightning didn’t drop in a bucket for five game minutes but while they were in a drought they still managed to hold Osseo to only four points.  With a jam packed crowd squeezing into their seats the energy level was at a feverish pitch so naturally their came a point of a letdown in intensity. 

When the teams settled in and lost a little bit of that fire the offense took over.  Bucknell signed Ben Oberfeld found his way to the rim scoring on two hardcuts, a post-up, and a dumpoff.  The big man was able to create shots within the offense to get his team going and then two Mark Dwyer jumpers helped bring Eastview within four at 25-21.  Osseo built their lead on good halves from seniors Bridge Tusler and Malik Wilson who each opened the game with three field goals

In a game where buckets were hard to come by it was Tusler willing to do the work to build Osseo’s lead.  He attacked baseline and bounced back inside with a spinning reverse.  That was followed by the 5-foot-11 guard scoring a putback over the backside Eastview defenders for a 38-29 lead.  To keep the game close Tusler’s tough guy counter was Oberfeld elbowing his way through the masses to sneak in a put back to keep his team within eight points.  Moments later Oberfeld outfought Osseo for position and a lob bucket to make the score 38-33.

Ryan Lockard scored a tough bucket on the attack with just over a minute to go and at that point the Lightning were down five points. Eastview’s attack and aggressive defense thought it then forced a bad pass but Wheeler Baker made an incredible catch on the side line and then doubled his efforts getting to the bucket and scoring a contested finger roll.  The lead was back to seven and Eastview had to foul the rest of the way.  Their efforts weren’t successful and Osseo won 50-40.

Score by half: Osseo 25-25--50, Eastview 21-19--40

Eastview – Mark Dwyer 5, Joe Schlosser 3, Ryan Lockard 10, TJ Sinn 2, Dar Nwaudo 4, Ben Oberfeld 16

Osseo – Tyrin Vann 2, Wheeler Baker 11, Harrison Lucas 35, Matt Miedtke 2, Rakeem Felder 6, Bridge Tusler 16, Ian Theissen 2, Malik Wilson 9