BRAINERD — Leading 51-40, the Brainerd Warriors looked to pull off the upset on the Moorhead Spuds in a Section 8-4A game Saturday, Jan. 24.
The Spuds responded with a 13-0 run to take the lead and control for a 92-82 win over the Warriors.
Moorhead sophomore Romeo Kormah led all scorers with 30 points. David Mack added 21 points and fueled the 13-0 run for the Spuds.
The Spuds extended their lead to double digits at 80-70 to make it a 21-point turnaround from early in the second half.
“In the second half, we had some untimely turnovers that were a big difference and not being able to secure every defensive rebound,” Warriors’ head coach Charlie Schoeck said. “Moorhead likes to get out in transition and get second-chance points. We weren’t good enough on the glass and taking care of the ball.”
Brainerd led 44-40 at halftime and a quick 7-0 run gave the Warriors their largest lead of 11.
Aiden Gilbert led the Warriors with 21 points. Grant Johnson sank six 3-pointers to score 20 points.
Luke Merseth did not miss a shot in the second half and finished with 15 points. Brady Oseland came off the bench and scored 12.
“I really like how Brady has come along,” Schoeck said. “He’s a competitor and I think that’s the first thing you see when you watch him play. He’s grown comfortable on the offensive end and is rounding out his game.”
Brainerd shot 42.9% from 3-point and 51.7% from the field. The ball movement and offense were positive signs for Schoeck.
“We were getting into the paint and looking for our teammates,” Schoeck said. “It was good to see some shots fall tonight. I think we were ready to play and it’s been a work in progress to find a rhythm.”
Moorhead shot poorly from 3-point at 20%, but shot 55.7% from the field. Four of the five Spuds starters finished in double figures. Trey Feeney added 15 points and Austin Dryburgh added 10 points.
The Warriors hope to break a seven-game losing streak Monday, Jan. 26, at Sauk Rapids.
“Our goal is to get better every game and be peaking by March,” Schoeck said.
Gage Bakke 2, David Mack 21, Romeo Kormah 30, Jett Feeney 15, Austin Drybaugh 10, Yuot Yuot 2, Edmund Wotoe 4, Dalton Jones 5, Micah Zimmerman 3. FG 39-70 (55.7%), FT 10-14 (71.4%). 3-point 4-20 (20%).
Grant Johnson 20, Aiden Gilbert 21, Preston Bernander 7, Brady Oseland 12, Dewayne Sims 8, Luke Merseth 15. FG 30-58 (51.7%), FT 10-11 (90.9%). 3-point 12-28 (42.9%). Overall: 4-9. Next: at Sauk Rapids 7:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26.
Started at the Dispatch in June of 2019.