Westbrook-Walnut Grove guard Ethan Mischke (5) and North Woods guard TJ Chiabotti (24) scrambled for the ball after Mischke knocked it from Chiabotti in the second half. Photo: Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com
It took a half, but North Woods’ state tournament experience finally came to the forefront.
The No. 6-ranked Grizzlies used a 16-7 run to start the second half and propel them to a 56-39 victory over Westbrook-Walnut Grove in the Class 1A quarterfinals Thursday at Williams Arena.
North Woods, located in Cook, is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state tournament.
“We needed to show them that we’ve been here before,” said North Woods junior forward Trevor Morrison, who had a double-double (20 points and 10 rebounds) and scored six of the Grizzles’ first eight points of the second half. “We didn’t start very well (22-19 lead at halftime), but we survived and advanced.”
Freshman guard TJ Chiabotti added 11 points while senior guard Cade Goggleye had 10 points and five assists for the Grizzlies (28-2).