Cloquet Boys Fall To St. Paul Humbolt

Chris Shevich-NSO

For Additional Photo Click Here To View Our Photo Gallery

Dec 29

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

The Cloquet Lumberjacks boys basketball team fell Tuesday night to the St. Paul Humboldt Hawks 72-59. The Hawks used their quickness to overcome the Lumberjacks huge height advantage, cruising to the thirteen point win in the opening round of the 2009 Wood City Classic holiday tournament.

The Lumberjacks and Hawks came out trading baskets early in the first half. However, the Hawks made some adjustments and used their swiftness to create open looks.
The Hawks also changed it up from fast paced transitions to a slow game, always utilizing quick passing and ball movement to keep the Jacks chasing them.

The Hawks took a seven point lead (31-24) at the halftime break. Cloquet came out strong in the second half and stole the Hawks’ lead. However, St. Paul came back and shut the Jacks down for the final ten minutes of the second half, rolling them to the win.

Bryale Winters lit it up from the outside as he finished with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. Julian Luster finished with 13, while Keith Larocque added 12 points in the Hawks win. St. Paul Humboldt improves to 4-3 on the season and will face Duluth Central on Wednesday in the second day of the Wood City Classic.

RaRa Jones paced the Lumberjacks with 19 points, Tim Defoe had 14, and Chad Calcaterra finished with 11 as the Lumberjacks fall to 4-3 on the season. Cloquet will face the Blake Bears in the final game of the 2009 Wood City Classic Wednesday night.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com