Nate Albers kept Mounds View's season alive this past Thursday, hitting a game-tying three-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to force overtime and help the Mustangs pull out a victory over Centennial in the Class 4A, Section 5 quarterfinals.

On Monday, the senior guard continued his late-game heroics, hitting a go-ahead three-pointer with about 2:45 remaining as the Mustangs defeated Champlin Park 61-58 in the section semifinals.

Albers scored a game-high 24 points and senior guard Zeke Thompson added 20, helping the third-seeded Mustangs (22-6) upset the second-seeded Rebels (21-7) at Champlin Park High School.

"I feel so good right now," Albers said, moments after his Mounds View schoolmates stormed the court. "It’s probably one of the better wins we’ve ever had. I’m pretty excited for all our guys."

Junior guard McKinley Wright led Champlin Park with 19 points, the majority coming late in the second half as the Rebels rallied from a 10-point deficit. Junior forward Theo John added 16, including two free throws that tied the game at 54 with 2:51 to play.

Mounds View entered the game aware of Champlin Park's size advantage, in large part because of the 6-foot-9 John. The Mustangs slowed the game into a half-court offensive affair, finding high-percentage looks in the paint through patient passing.

Albers led the way in the first half with 17 points, including back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Mustangs a 29-24 lead. He was quieter on offense for the majority of the second half, but Mounds View stretched its lead to 10 with patient offense.

Wright took over midway through the second half, scoring nine points as the Rebels tied the game with a 14-4 run. That's when Albers made his only three-pointer of the second half, pumping his fist after putting Mounds View ahead 57-54.

"We hadn’t scored for a while, so I knew we needed some baskets," he said. "It felt good just to take the lead again."

Mounds View clinched the game with four free throws in the final minute, including two by Thompson with 6.5 seconds remaining. Wright had a chance to tie the game but couldn't convert his last-second three-point attempt.

Albers, who has more than 1,000 career points, was eighth in the state in scoring during the regular season, averaging 24.8 points per game. He had averaged just over 13 points per game last season and was forced into a leading role after Ryan Kaczynski graduated.

"He’s a kid that’s had a dream," Mounds View coach Dave Leiser said. "He spent time in the gym when nobody else was around. ... He wanted to help this team get to the state tournament, and we’re one game away."

For Champlin Park, the loss ended its bid for a second straight state-tournament appearance. The Rebels graduated three of their top-scoring guards from last year's team, including Star Tribune Metro Player of the year JT Gibson.

The Rebels, ranked ninth in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, will graduate just one starter this year.

"This’ll burn in their minds and in their hearts and motivate them in the offseason," coach Mark Tuchscherer said. "Our boys will be hungry."


Zeke Thompson scored 20 points for Mounds View, including two late free throws that helped seal the victory. Photo by Cheryl Myers

First Report

Senior Nate Albers scored 24 points as Mounds View defeated Champlin Park 61-58 Monday in the Class 4A, Section 5 semifinals at Champlin Park High School.

Zeke Thompson added 20 points and made two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining to all but seal the upset victory for the third-seeded Mustangs (22-6).

McKinley Wright led the second-seeded Rebels (21-7) with 19 points, including 14 in the second half, while 6-foot-9 forward Theo John added 16.

Albers scored 17 points in the first half and nailed back-to-back three-pointers just before halftime to give Mounds View a 29-24 lead. His only three-pointer of the second half put the Mustangs ahead 57-54 with about 2:45 remaining in the game.

The hot-shooting performance came after Albers hit a game-tying three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation of Mounds View's 69-67 overtime victory against sixth-seeded Centennial in the quarterfinals on Feb. 25.

The Mustangs face top-seeded and undefeated Osseo (28-0) at Rogers High School in the section championship on March 4. 

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