Browerville’s Desperation Turns Into Barnum’s Dispair

Wes Vork-NSO

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Mar 16, 2012

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

CROSBY- Friday night in Crosby Minnesota, basketball fans were treated a game of high school basketball right out of the old annals of high school basketball. The Barnum Bombers, who had fallen 17 points behind at one point, came back strong and took the lead, built it to six points with :55 seconds remaining only to see their state tournament hopes dashed as a desperation 3-point shot hit the rim, the backboard, the rim again, and finally fell through the basket as the Bombers fell to Browerville by one point, 75-74.

The Browerville Tigers started fast on Friday evening in the Section 7A finals at Crosby-Ironton High School by using a strong inside game featuring Seth Christenson, a 6’5 senior post. Christenson used his size to help build an early 12 point 16-4 lead. Barnum fought back, cutting the lead down to five points at 23-18; but the Tigers finished the first half strong and went into the locker room at halftime leading 32-20.

Barnum scored the first four points of the second half only to see the Tigers roll off a huge run against the Bombers. The Tigers rolled out to a 49-32 lead with 12:26 remaining in the second half and it felt like the Bombers might be dead in the water.

The only thing was, no one told the Bombers or Rodney Mullen Jr. Mullen went on a 3-point barrage which helped lead the Bombers 31-14 run as Barnum tied the score at 63-63. Mullen gave Barnum their first lead of the game when he drained yet another 3-point basket with 1:58 remaining in the game. Barnum would build the lead to as many as six with clutch free throw shooting by Daniel Warpuala, who he hit six straight free throws.

With :42 seconds remaining and Barnum leading by six, a hard foul by the Tigers created a gash over the eyes of Warpula which left Warpula unable to play the rest of the contest. The free throws that had to be shot by another player both missed and the Tigers were still alive. Mitch Heid drove the floor and hit a 3-pointer, cutting the lead to three points. Following another foul by the Tigers, Barnum connected on 1-2 free throws and led by four points 73-69 with: 31 seconds remaining. Heid then drove the floor, stopped, leaned into a Barnum player and drew contact to draw the foul, which resulted in three free throws in which Heid connected on all three.

With the lead now down to one point, it again was a Tigers foul and when Barnum made 1-2 from the line. With the two point lead and the stage set, a 3-pointer would win the game for Browerville; and that’s what happened as with 1.6 seconds that desperation 3-pointer fell through the rim and the Barnum hopes of a state tournament appearance were dashed in a blink of an eye.

Barnum had on chance to inbound the ball but a batted inbounds pass ended the Bombers season as they finish the season with a heartbreaking loss and a overall record of 24-6 overall.

Barnum was led by senior forward Jacob Naslund, who finished with 20 points. Mullen added 19 points, while Brandon Newman added 13. Daniel Warpula finished with 8, Bobby Minkkinen, Jaxson Turner, and Samuel Anderson all had 4 points and Branden King finished with 2 points for Barnum.

The Tigers were led by Christenson who finished with 26 points, Mitch Heid added 21, and Kyle Petermeier finished with 14. Browerville improves to 27-2 and advances to the state basketball tournament next week in Minneapolis.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com