H-E-A-R-T: Knights dig deep to advance to MSHSL boys’ state basketball tournament with 71-69 victory over Vikings in Section 3A championship


The Russell-Tyler-Ruthton boys’ basketball coaches and their bench rise at the final horn in celebration of the Knights’ 71-69 victory over Minneota in the Section 3A championship game Thursday evening at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Pipestone Publishing photo by Kevin Kyle

The Knights had their share of miscues. They also had their share of doubt. But in the end, the Knights also had hearts big enough to overcome each adverse impediment standing in the way of reaching their goal of qualifying for the MSHSL boys’ state basketball tournament for the first time in 13 years.

Coming back from a 14-point deficit (50-36) with 13 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the Section 3A championship game Thursday night at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton advanced to the MSHSL Class A tournament with a 71-69 victory over the Minneota Vikings.

“That was just heart; we talked about locating shooters, and they (Vikings) were still able to hit shots, but this group showed a lot of heart tonight,” said R-T-R head coach Ted Kern, whose Knights not only qualified for the March 22-24 Class A tournament in Minneapolis with the victory but also exacted revenge on the Vikings for their lone loss of the season. “We definitely did leave some points out there in the first half and allowed too many easy points in transition. They kinda beat us at our own game in the first half, but we scratched and clawed our way to a lead and, eventually, closed it out.”

Trailing by 11 points (40-29) at halftime, the Knights weren’t able to turn the tide immediately. Although junior guard Cooper Hansen and twin brother Carter Hansen managed to wrap a two-point field goal and a trey, respectively, around a Thomas Hennen’s fifth three-pointer of the game, the Vikings remained sharp in their offensive set. Jacob Hennen (10 points) and Nolan Boerboom (nine points) mimicked the Hansens’ aforementioned production, and the Vikings had a 48-34 lead with 14:32 to play.

While the Knights’ road back into the tilt certainly was paved with moxie, that path also required plenty of cognition and discourse.

“We weren’t communicating that much; in the second half we started communicating more and got everybody more involved,” said senior post Westin Kirk (eight rebounds, block), who posted 11 of his 17 points in the second half. “Everyone was more active and energetic, and it showed. We worked harder than we did in the first half, and we got more rebounds and more hustle-type plays like that.”

R-T-R junior guard Cooper Hansen is fouled by the Vikings as he goes up for a shot in the second half of Thursday night’s game. Hansen finished with a team-high 20 points in helping the Knights earn a Class A state tournament berth. Pipestone Publishing photo by Kevin Kyle

Kirk and Thomas Hennen traded points on the combatants’ ensuing possessions and with a few ticks more than 14 minutes on the game clock remaining, the Knights made their charge.

“It definitely seemed like there was a lid on that basket in the first half, but we went into the locker room and said, ‘this isn’t over yet, we have another 18 minutes to play,’” said Cooper Hansen, who paced the Knights with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block. “It was going to take one possession at a time, one stop at a time, and that was our mindset coming out of the locker room.”

And remembering why they were there didn’t hurt matters either.

“It was not looking good in the first half, and there was plenty of doubt, but I’ve never heard such a good halftime talk,” said senior guard Garrett Kern, who finished with 15 points and a block. “It was just play! ‘Go have fun because it may be your last, and you don’t ever know when you’re going to have another chance to do this. So, have fun and play!’”

If going to the ‘hole’ is part of the fun of basketball then the Knights thoroughly enjoyed themselves over the subsequent seven minutes. At nearly every opportunity, guards and posts alike headed to the rim with reckless abandon – either scoring or going to the foul line for a pair of freebies.

“We realized setting a middle screen would make it difficult on them, and they had a hard time communicating that and hedging off of that,” Kirk said. “We got our point guards some easy layups there; that kick-started our offense, and it also gave us some confidence.”

“Each of our guys can drive as well as the next,” Cooper Hansen added. “It was great in that second half with our guys flying around and making plays with each other, driving and… dishing when it was there.”

Combined with the dribble-drive efforts of Carter Hansen (nine points, three rebounds, five assists, five steals), the trio of players collaborated for nine unanswered points – pulling R-T-R to within five points (50-45) with 11:19 remaining in the contest.

While the Knights were clicking well in their offensive sets, the R-T-R defense also regrouped – further back.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton senior guard Garrett Kern hits a runner in the second half of Thursday evening’s Section 3A boys’ basketball championship game at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Kern had 15 points and a block against the Minneota Vikings. Pipestone Publishing photo by Kevin Kyle

“We had to get a little less aggressive in our press or not extend it quite as far,” Coach Kern said. “That made a big difference in the second half because we weren’t extended midway into the back-court… trying to take care of things at the half (court). We were able to cause a little havoc there.”

Aided by Minneota sophomore forward Logan Sussner (11 points) having to sit out several possessions in foul trouble, the Knights could focus more attention on shutting down Thomas Hennen. Although the junior would finish with an impressive game-high 31 points, Hennen notched just one field goal and only nine of his total markers over the final 13 minutes of the game.

“We had to calm down, make them speed up and make them make mistakes, get the quick buckets in transition, play all-around good defense, and that’s what we did in that second half,” Garrett Kern said.

Jacob Hennen and Sussner, stepping back on the court after a lengthy respite, combined to quell the Knights’ first big hammer blow, but guard Jonah Johnson (13 points, five rebounds, two assists) sparked a second strike with 8:03 left to play. The senior’s slashing bucket was the first of four consecutive field goals ‘scratched’ out by the Knights, and Kirk’s run-ending three-pointer put R-T-R in front, 60-56, with less than six minutes remaining.

Although most of the Knights’ ensuing markers came from the free throw line, as they hit 9-of-10 down the stretch, R-T-R continued to reap the benefits of getting the basketball close to the rim.

“We talked about getting the ball inside and sharing,” Kern said. “We forced a lot of things with bad numbers, 1-on-2s and 1-on-3s in the first half, which is a reason why our shots weren’t falling. We did a much better job of running things in the second half.”

Although the Vikings would knot the score at 60-all on a medium-range jumper by Jacob Hennen with 3:12 to play, the Knights never trailed after snatching a 57-56 lead with 6:21 remaining in the contest.

Combined with Kirk’s missed ‘bunny,’ Thomas Hennen’s three-pointer with 95 seconds to go had the Vikings just a point down (66-65), but Cooper Hansen’s pickoff of a perimeter pass and ensuing pair of points from the foul line provided the Knights with the means to seal the victory that would send them to the state tournament for the first time since 2005.

“It’s amazing,” said Cooper Hansen, who quarterbacked the Knights to a Class 9-man state semifinal appearance in November (2017). “Football is one thing, and basketball is another thing, but it’s great to have another opportunity to play in a state tournament with this group.”

Undoubtedly the Knights’ previous competition experience at the state level served the team well Thursday night in Marshall.

“Absolutely,” Garrett Kern said. “Bringing all that game experience from the football field to the basketball court was phenomenal. I’m so glad they became leaders and stepped up to help us win this game.”

R-T-R senior Westin Kirk (42) stands Minneota’s Logan Sussner up and gets a hand to his shot in the second half of Thursday’s game in Marshall. Kirk finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Pipestone Publishing photo by Kevin Kyle

However, the excitement of a big-game atmosphere/competition might have had the Knights too pumped up to start the tilt as more than one player missed an easy shot or forced up an extremely difficult attempt.

“Oh yeah, with all those bunnies we missed in the first half, and all the quick shots we were forcing up, you could tell our hearts were pumping – exciting for sure,” Garrett Kern said. “The halftime talk was about slowing down, taking your time, not going 1-on-the-whole team in the paint, and getting quality shots like we normally do.”

Each of the R-T-R starters was negligent in either unnecessarily pushing the pace or throwing up an ill-advised shot in the opening stanza, allowing the Vikings to pick and choose how and when to attack the basket at the west end of SMSU’s R.A. Facility. Thomas Hennen and Sussner, in particular, took full advantage of R-T-R’s rush to action, tossing in treys and posting up for interior points seemingly at will.

Although the Knights managed to remain within striking distance, never down by more than 10 points over the initial 13 minutes of the half, the Vikings certainly had things going their way in finishing the half with an 11-point lead.

In hindsight, could it have been the Knights’ intention to give the Vikings a false sense of security? Was R-T-R simply sitting back?

“No, absolutely not,” Coach Kern said. “Minneota is way too good of a ball team to put yourself in that kind of situation often. We were fortunate to have been able to fight back from our first-half performance. We’ll certainly try not to do that again as we move forward.”

And moving forward means facing a Hinckley-Finlayson (26-4) team that is making its first-ever appearance in the boys’ state basketball tournament. Kern’s hope for his Knights is again spring boarding off the support of the R-T-R faithful and, hopefully, a better start to the tilt – tipping off at 1 p.m. Thursday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

“They (fans) were here with us tonight, and we’re all there (state),” he said. “That’s good enough for now, and we’ll worry about the rest tomorrow.”

R-T-R                           29 42 – 71

Minneota                      40 29 – 69