It came down to the final 10 seconds of the game to determine the winner in the non-conference matchup between Big Lake, ranked No. 9 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, and Class 4A Blaine. The Hornets (7-1) had the final chance, but couldn't sink a half-court shot as time expired, giving the host Bengals (5-2, 1-1) the 56-55 victory Tuesday night at Blaine High School.

The score was tied six times over the course of the game, with neither team able to really pull away. If one team sank a big 3-pointer, there was usually a quick answer on the other side of the floor.

“Every possession seemed to get bigger and bigger as the second half went along,” said Blaine coach Mark Arzdorf.   

The Bengals took a 55-53 lead with 1:10 to go that they wouldn’t relinquish. Blaine controlled the ball for most of the final minute, but it took a block from senior forward Kurtis Weigand with 9.6 seconds left to keep the Hornets from tying the game. 

“It was mostly just not turning the ball over,” Weigand said, who scored a team-high 15 points for the Bengals. 

Senior Jackson Odegard's free throw pushed the lead to 56-53 with 8.3 ticks on the clock. It was a key shot, especially since Blaine made just 6 of 18 free throws for the game.

“I’d say we stayed pretty well composed, although we could have made a few more free throws,” Weigand said. The Bengals missed three of four fouls shots in the final 10 seconds. 

With the score 56-53 and 8.3 seconds left, Hornets senior guard Tanner Teige quickly drove down the court for a layup and foul with 3.2 seconds left. 

“We had a guy sitting in the corner, but they played that,” said Hornets coach Kyle Johnson. “So [Teige] thought he could get all the way to the rim instead, which happened to work out, and he’s about an 80 percent free-throw shooter.” 

But Johnson couldn’t convert the free throw that would have tied the game at 56. 

“Usually he makes that,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, tonight wasn’t our night.” 

Hornets senior guard Austin Miller scored a game-high 16 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 1 second left before the half to give his team a 36-35 advantage going into the break. 

The game ended the 7-game winning streak for the Hornets but was the third victory in a row for the Bengals. Arzdorf credited the opponents with playing harder than Blaine for stretches.

“The ball bounced our way at the end, could’ve easily gone the other way,” Arzdorf said. 

Game-ending scenarios are something players can learn a lot from in order to improve, he said, noting that the Bengals could have executed better on plays like not fouling Teige while up by three points. 

“It’s good for kids to get put into that situation,” Arzdorf said.

It came down to the final 10 seconds of the game to determine the winner in the non-conference matchup between Big Lake, ranked No. 9 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, and Class 4A Blaine. The Hornets (7-1) had the final chance, but couldn't sink a half-court shot as time expired, giving the host Bengals (5-2, 1-1) the 56-55 victory Tuesday night at Blaine High School.

Blaine took a 55-53 lead with 1:10 to go that the Bengals refused to relinquish. Kurtis Weigand blocked a Big Lake shot with 9.6 seconds left and Jackson Odegard made a free throw to push the lead to 56-53 with 8.3 ticks on the clock. 

The Hornets' Tanner Teige responded by driving down the court and right to the hoop for a lay-up and a foul with 3.2 seconds left. However, Teige missed the game-tying free throw and the game would eventually end 56-55. 

Austin Miller scored a game-high 16 points for Big Lake, including a clutch 3-pointer with 1 second left before the half to give his team a 36-35 advantage going into the break. 

Weigand scored a team-high 15 points for Blaine while senior center Timothy Leo scored 11 points in the win.