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Orono downs Heights for 3A championship

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 03/26/11, 8:00PM CDT

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Spartans hold off a late charge to win 85-76


Jordan Smith, who had 21 points in Orono's Class 3A championship victory, drives to the basket. /Marlin Levison, Star Tribune

Orono, the No. 3 seed in the Class 3A boys’ basketball tournament bracket, and No. 4 Columbia Heights were an unlikely pairing in Saturday’s championship game at Target Center.

So it only figured that foul trouble would make unwilling spectators out of each team’s leading scorer — the Spartans’ Jordan Smith and the Hylanders’ Zach Lofton — for lengthy periods of time and force less heralded starters to become stars.

Ultimately, Orono’s ensemble cast won out, leading the Spartans to an 85-76 victory and their first state basketball title ever.

“We know that when one of our players goes out we have another one right there to pick up the slack,” Orono forward Jeremy Borg said.

Brady Wohler scored a team-high 23 points with Borg (19) and Erik Peterson (11) scoring their tournament highs in points. Smith finished 21 points despite picking up three fouls in the first half and missing seven minutes of action.

Smith left the game with Orono holding a 17-14 lead. The Spartans (27-4) maintained a 34-32 advantage at halftime thanks to their transition game. They beat Columbia Heights — who lost Lofton for the final five minutes of the first half with foul trouble — up the floor for several layups.

“We’re not deep,” Hylanders coach Willie Braziel said. “It’s the first time a team has run the floor on us.”

Battling back behind Jordan Mills, Ben Glover and Lofton — each player scored 10 points or more in the second half — Columbia Heights (25-7) tied the score 47-47 when foul trouble again hurt Lofton.

He picked up two fouls in less than one minute and went to the bench with four with 11:54 remaining. Aware of the opportunity presented them, the Spartans eventually pounced.

Wohler scored four points and Chase Myhran followed with a lay-in and three-pointer to help break open a tight game with a 10-0 run. By the time Lofton checked back in with 5:41 remaining, Orono had built a 70-57 lead.

Re-energized by Lofton’s return, the Hylanders battled back. His three-point play with 3:52 remaining cut Orono’s lead to 70-66. But the Spartans weathered the storm and emerged with a 77-70 lead with 1:26 to play. Lofton finished with 19 points.

The emotional Lofton left the floor immediately after the game. He returned with assistant coach Zeb Howell for the postgame medal presentation. But Minnesota State High School League officials removed Lofton from the Class 3A all-tournament team for his actions.

“I don’t know why he did it,” Braziel said. “You can’t write the choice words I have for him doing so.”

State Tournament Leaders