Orono defended its home court by defending on its home court. The Spartans (16-5, 4-2) held visiting Marshall (19-2, 12-0) to a season-low 45 points in a 57-45 win on Saturday afternoon in Long Lake. Orono’s defense limited the Tigers to just 18 points in the second half.

The loss was only Marshall’s second on the season, and the first of 2017.

Trailing the entire first period, the Spartans roared out of the halftime break on a 17-7 run to take a lead they never relinquished. It was a balanced scoring attack for Orono, with five different players scoring between five and nine points. Junior Max Bjorklund led the way with 20 points in the winning effort.

“I thought Max [Bjorklund] did a great job of scoring and getting to the basket for us. We had consistency. I think we had eight or nine different guys score. Griffen Sage came off the bench and hit big shots. I thought Jack Anderson and Noel Mshihiri really rebounded the ball well. Obviously, Jarvis [Thomas] is a presence they have to account for. He changes a lot of shots,” said Orono head coach Barry Wohler after the game.

The Spartans, who are ranked No. 5 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, were feeling confident entering the game after beating No. 9-4A New Prague 54-45 the night before. Still, for a team that averages nearly 76 points per game, scoring 57 is usually not enough to guarantee a win. Scoring is sexy, but Orono’s defense is what won them this contest.

“We stayed aggressive defensively. We were able to get transition baskets. Our defense has really picked up the last two games. We played New Prague, who’s ranked in 4A, and held them to 45 last night. Then, Marshall was ranked No. 2 in 3A [and] we held them to 45,” said Wohler.

Orono has been scuffling recently, posting a 4-4 record in their last eight games, but wins on Friday and Saturday might give the Spartans the push they need to streak toward the end of the regular season and into the postseason.

“We’ve played two of the top teams in the state, no matter what class, back-to-back and won. If we wanted to make a statement, this was the way to do it. We want to carry that momentum going into the end of the year and the playoffs,” Wohler said.

The No. 2-3A Marshall defense did its part to stifle Orono’s biggest and brightest player, holding junior forward Jarvis Thomas, who has received offers from top NCAA programs such as Arizona State, Iowa State, and Marquette, to just five points and six rebounds. Despite the relatively sparse box score, Thomas didn’t seem phased.

“It’s not even my stage,” he said. “We’re a unit, a team. Any given night, anyone can be our leading scorer and they always know when to step up. Everybody steps up.”

The halftime break seemed to be a catalyst for Orono. The defense was locked in, forcing numerous turnovers, including six steals, while the offensive kicked on immediately after the break. Bjorklund scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half.

Despite the loss, Marshall will have can take some positives going forward. The Tigers outrebounded Orono 28-22 and out-assisted the Spartans 15-8. Plus, head coach Travis Carroll was impressed with how his team defended Thomas.

“Jarvis is a great player. I thought our guys did a good job of defending him inside the paint. But, obviously, there were other areas defensively we could have been much better at,” said Carroll.

Senior Mitchell Sueker, who will be playing Division II basketball next season at South Dakota School of Mines, led Marshall with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Senior Weston Baker McGrath, also D-II bound to Nebraska-Kearney, was a major presence down low, scoring 11 points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking four shots. Reece Winkelman, a South Dakota State football commit, posted eight points and eight boards.

As the regular season winds down, both Marshall and Orono have proven themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Saturday’s game was a preview of what could potentially be a thrilling matchup in the state playoffs next month.

Both teams play again on Tuesday. Marshall will travel to New Ulm while Orono will hit the road to take on Holy Family. 

Max Bjorklund scored 20 points to lead Orono past Marshall 57-45 in Long Lake on Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans (16-5, 4-2) trailed for nearly the entire first half, trailing 27-23 at the break, before coming alive offensively in the second and outscoring the Tigers 34-18 in the game’s final 18 minutes.

In an electric atmosphere, Orono kept calm. The Spartans' defenders tuned out the raucous crowd and locked down during the second half.

Defense was dominant for both squads, each of which averages over 70 points per game. Marshall’s 45 points were 12 fewer than its next lowest total on the season.

With the win, Orono, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, dealt the No. 2-3A Tigers just their second loss on the season, and their first in 2017.

Griffen Sage drained a pair of threes off the bench, scoring eight points and providing a spark for an Orono team that featured a balanced scoring attack aside from Bjorklund's outburst. Five Spartans finished with between five and nine points.

Mitchell Sueker led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points. Weston Baker McGrath added 11 points, five rebounds and four blocks in the loss.

Only four games remain on Marshall’s schedule. The Tigers (19-2, 12-0) will take the court again on Tuesday when they travel to New Ulm. Orono, meanwhile, will play Holy Family on the road, also on Tuesday.