On Friday night, Maple Grove was unable to do what 20 teams also couldn’t do this season: beat Osseo.

The Orioles, ranked No.2 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, clinched an undefeated regular season with a 67-49 road victory over the Crimson.

Osseo was outside the top-20 rankings coming into the season, but coach Tim Theisen said determination and grit powered his team.   

“No one saw this coming. We have a special group of athletes, there’s no super stars," Theisen said. "This is one of the deepest teams I’ve had, where any one of our kids can be a leading scorer. Great group of guys."

In the win, the Orioles showed the true depth of the Northwest Suburban Conference's highest scoring squad, which averages 84.7 points per game.

Four of the five Osseo starters scored in double figures, with senior guards Damario Armstrong and Allen Anderson each posting 14 points. Senior guard Dontae Jones and senior forward Kameron Bettie added 12 points apiece.

In their first matchup with Maple Grove on Jan. 15, the Orioles (26-0, 17-0) squeaked out a 78-75 victory. In that contest, junior forward John Bezdicek scored 17 points, Anderson had 16 and Armstrong shoveled in 14.

“The more you win, the bigger target is on your back, so we couldn’t get complacent," Armstrong said. "We have to come out every game the same and put our best foot forward every game."

As the first half ended, the Crimson (20-4, 16-3) only trailed by three, but with the help of a stubborn defense and a strong offensive output from multiple players, the Orioles outscored their league rival 31-19 in the second half.      

“We knew that Maple Grove was going to make a great run, they’re a great team, well coached. But we take pride in our defense,” Theisen said. “We held Maple Grove 20 points below (its) average. That’s something we’ll go celebrate tonight.”

The Crimson's all-time leading scorer, junior Brad Davison, recorded a game-high 20 points, but he was the lone scorer in double figures, as senior guard Taron Pickford scored nine and Missouri commit Reed Nikko tallied eight points.

But Osseo didn't leave the game unscathed. At the 12:45 mark of the second half, Theisen’s son, Zach (the team’s leading scorer) landed awkwardly as he tried to grab a loose ball. He was on the floor for a few minutes and eventually had to be carried off. Theisen said he didn’t know the status of his son and the magnitude of the injury after the game.

This is the second consecutive season that a team from the Northwest Suburban Conference secured an undefeated regular season. Champlin Park averaged  87.3 points per game while dialing up a 26-0 record last year. The Rebels eventually lost 67-64 to Apple Valley in the state championship game.  

Even with the highest-scoring offense in the league and an undefeated schedule, Theisen knows his squad has to keep an underdog mentality into the section playoffs if they want to be successful.   

“We got to continue to think that we're not the best team, and these seniors have humbled us,” Theisen said. “We got to continue to be the hunter and not be the hunted.”

Armstrong knows the team needs to stay motivated to keep the undefeated season alive.

“We can’t stay complacent, we got to stay hungry...we know what our goal is and what we're trying to achieve, so I feel like we can do a good job of that,” Armstrong said.

Next week, Class 4A, Section 5 teams get their shot to end Osseo’s unbeaten season, but if the Orioles stay hungry, there’s a slim chance that’ll happen.

Osseo clinched its first-ever undefeated regular season with a 67-49 victory over Maple Grove Friday night at Maple Grove High School.

Senior guards Damario Armstrong and Allen Anderson led the Orioles, ranked No.2 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, with 14 points apiece.

Senior forward Kameron Bettie and senior guard Dontae Jones each chipped in 12 points, while junior forward Matt Bezdicek chalked up eight.

The No. 4-4A Crimson held their own in the first half, just trailing by three at the break, but the strong defensive play by the Orioles was just too much.

Maple Grove’s all-time leading scorer, junior guard Brad Davison, was also Friday night’s leader with a game-high 20 points. Senior guard Taron Pickford scored nine, while Missouri commit Reed Nikko recorded eight.

Both teams will compete in their respective section tournaments, with Maple Grove's (20-4, 16-3) Section 8 starting on February 23 and Osseo’s (26-0, 18-0) Section 5 starting on the 25th.   

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