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DeLaSalle takes first step

By Star Tribune, 03/20/13, 1:15PM CDT

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Reid Travis-led Islanders defeat Sartell-St. Stephen to advance to the Class 3A semifinals.


Reid Travis of DeLaSalle dunked over Dylan Hollenkamp of Sartell during the Class 3A quarterfinals Wednesday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Photo: JERRY HOLT * jerry.holt@startribune.com

Using a wealth of talent and athletic ability, No. 1-ranked DeLaSalle (28-1) shook off some early shooting woes, wearing down pesky-if-overmatched Sartell for a 70-55 quarterfinal victory Wednesday at Williams Arena.

Sartell, looking far better than expected for a team with 12 losses, started strong, taking an 11-4 lead.
“Give all the credit to them,” DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson said. “They were well-drilled, well-prepared. They were ready to play.”

But DeLaSalle’s depth began to assert itself not long after falling behind.

First it was DeLaSalle’s muscular leader, junior center Reid Travis, taking control. Then mercurial sophomore guard Jarvis Johnson stepped up. Sophomore forward Sacar Anim had his moments, as did senior guard Trey Shepherd. And, needing a closer in the final minutes, junior forward James Lawson asserted himself.

“That’s the way it’s been all year,” Thorson said. “It’s more than just Reid. Everyone on this team can play. We have seven guys that will be playing in college.”

Travis, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, was the focus of much of the attention from Sartell’s defense, facing double and triple-teams on each possession. He scored the Islanders first eight points before his less-heralded teammates began chipping in baskets.

He made his presence known often, however, with three dunks among his game-high 23 points. He also grabbed 16 rebounds, eight on offense. Three other Islanders scored in double figures: Lawson had 14 points, 12 after halftime, while Johnson and Anim had 10 each.

“We knew they we deeper and more athletic than we are,” Sartell coach Dave Angell said. “We played about as well as we can play in our half-court defense. They got some baskets in transition and on the offensive boards and we couldn’t match that.”

Senior forward Parker Hagen led Sartell (17-13) with 19 points, making all nine of his field goal attempts.

JIM PAULSEN

3 Stars

1. Reid Travis, DeLaSalle
The big man was just too much to handle for Sartell. He was a dominant force inside for the Islanders and had one of the best dunks you'll ever see at the high school level. He recorded a double-double and finished the game with 23 points and 16 rebounds. 

2. Parker Hagen, Sartell-St. Stephen
Hagen was Sartell's answer to Travis for most of the night. He provided a steady presence on the inside and led the team with 19 points. He was also incredibly efficient shooting the ball, finishing 9-9 on field goals in the game. 

3. James Lawson, DeLaSalle
Lawson did much of the heavy lifting for the Islanders down stretch in the second half. He finished with 14 points and 12 of those points came in the second half. He put a punctuation mark on his strong performance with a nice dunk in the closing minutes of the game. 

-John Kelsey, MN Basketball Hub

 

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