The Osseo High School gym was rocking Friday night even before junior forward John Bezdicek stepped on the court prior to the Orioles' big Northwest Suburban Conference showdown with Maple Grove.

Already abuzz due to a close finish in the girls’ game (Osseo defeated Maple Grove 49-47) that preceded the boys' matchup, fans packed the stands nearly to capacity to witness Friday’s nightcap between rivals ranked in the top-5 in Class 4A and sporting undefeated league records.

“(The crowd) was almost overwhelming when I came jogging out to the court for warmups,” Bezdicek said. “It was a great feeling seeing so many people out there.”

But the Orioles, ranked No. 4 by Minnesota Basketball News, have hardly been overwhelmed much this season. Despite a string of recent tests against other Class 4A-ranked foes (No. 7 Robbinsdale Armstrong and No. 5 Champlin Park), Osseo has kept it record unblemished. 

The No. 3-4A Crimson were next in line for the Orioles, who rallied to defeat Maple Grove and improve to 15-0 overall and 9-0 in league play.

Big games don’t seem to impact Osseo too much, and a successful fall on the gridiron is one explanation for that, as the Orioles surprised many by winning the Class 6A football championship. Six football players help out on the hardwood - in more ways than one.

“They were underdogs in football and were down many times in the second half of football games,” Osseo coach Tim Theisen said. “There was no quit in those guys, and I think that attitude and determination has carried over to our team.”

Friday night was a bit different beast, though, as Maple Grove brought the talents of 6-foot-10 Reed Nikko (a Missouri commit) and point guard Brad Davison to the table along with an 8-0 conference record.

The Crimson took a 38-29 lead into halftime and pushed the advantage to 44-31 before the Orioles finally started to chip away. Bit by bit, Maple Grove’s lead shrunk until Damario Armstrong hit a pair of free throws with 5:38 left to give Osseo a 61-60 lead.

Back and forth the teams went over the remainder of the game, with the Orioles pulling out a 78-75 win.

With leading-scorer Zach Theisen held to just seven points and Osseo playing at a bit faster pace than normal, the Orioles overcame some adversity to grind another win. That’s where Bezdicek came up big, leading the team with 17 points, including three three-point baskets in the second half, all while coming off the bench.

He also hit the biggest shot of the night on his third three-pointer to put Osseo ahead 70-67.

“My team just kept passing me the ball and I just threw it up,” Bezdicek said. “I was open and I made it, and I was just so excited.”

As the season grows, and if the Orioles keep winning big games like they did Friday, the pressure will only increase for a team not only considered one of the state's best but undefeated as well.

“You’ve got to keep them focused, and you’ve got to rely on your senior leadership,” Theisen said. “Right now, I think those are two things that we have … we don’t want to take two steps forward and one step back, and that’s going to be the key, is keeping these guys focused.”

John Bezdicek scored 17 points to lead Osseo in a 78-75 comeback home victory over Maple Grove in a Northwest Suburban Conference battle Friday night.

Allan Anderson finished with 16 points and Damario Armstrong chipped in 14 as the Orioles (15-0, 9-0), ranked No. 4 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, erased a 38-29 halftime deficit to defeat the No. 3-4A Crimson (12-2, 8-1).

Maple Grove's Brad Davison scored a game- and season-high 35 points, including going 20-for-25 from the free-throw line. 

Spotlight Game Coverage