Osseo wins conference showdown

By Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune, 03/23/11, 6:30PM CDT

Orioles defeat Maple Grove 72-60 to advance to Class 4A semis

Osseo's Joey Sonnenfeld fought for a loose ball with Maple Grove defender James Morris during second half action. Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune

Osseo knew its semifinal opponent about as well as one team can know another.

The Orioles had defeated Maple Grove, their Northwest Suburban Conference rivals, twice during the regular season.

So it was a confident group of Orioles that dispatched Maple Grove 74-60. Point guard Terez VanPelt scored 28 points, and Joey Sonnenfeld added 20 points for Osseo.

“That played a huge role for us,” Osseo coach Tim Theisen said. “We were confident. Maple Grove is a good team, but I think we’re a better team.”

That was obvious from the outset. Osseo (28-2) took a quick 6-0 lead, let Maple Grove (18-11) rally to take the lead at 7-6, then pulled away from the Crimson, continuously maintaining a lead that fluctuated between seven and 15 points for the rest of the game.

“I don’t think the jitters affected us,” VanPelt said. “We knew what we had to do to win the game.”