Photo Gallery: Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Owatonna
The Raiders didn’t panic and put together a seven-game winning streak to reach the boys’ basketball state tournament.
On Thursday at Target Center, the Raiders put together comebacks in each half and then held on for a 52-51 victory over Owatonna in the Class 4A quarterfinals.
“We’ve been in so many games like this,” Raiders guard Tre Holloman said. “We stayed poised. We believe in our coaches and in our teammates.”
The Raiders, who led by seven points early in the second half, were trailing 51-49 with 20 seconds remaining before Adam Tauer’s three-point field goal gave them a lead.
Owatonna missed two field goal attempts in the final five seconds. A three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.
“I’m proud of them,” Raiders coach Jerry Kline said. “They have been tested in a lot of close games and we’ve lost some of them. I’m proud of them for staying with it.”
The Raiders fell behind 11-2 in the game’s first five minutes, but responded with a 15-4 run to take a 17-15 lead.
The Raiders, who trailed by two at halftime, started the second half with a 13-4 run to open a 38-31 lead.
The Huskies used a 17-6 run to take a 48-44 with 3½ minutes remaining. A three-point play by Holloman got the Raiders with one and a basket by the Raiders’ Brandon Melchior tied the game with 40 seconds left.
Holloman scored 17 points and Donavhan Cain 15 to lead the Raiders.
Evan Dushek scored 17 and Tyrel Creger 16 to pace the Huskies (27-3).
“It just came down to making one more play,” Owatonna coach Josh Williams said.