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TWIN CITIES — Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Blake Christianson knocked down a 3-point field goal from the left wing during Saturday’s Minnesota State High School League Class A boys basketball consolation championship.
That 3-ball with nine seconds remaining deadlocked the score at 62-all.
On Heritage Christian Academy’s subsequent possession, the Knights’ Drew Werkman was called for foul on Abu Tarawallie, who made one of two free throws at the 0:02 mark of the second half.
That one Tarawallie make was enough to give the Eagles a 63-62 victory over the Knights at the Gangelhoff Center on the Concordia University campus.
R-T-R finished the season with a 24-9 record, set to lose Blake Christianson, Colby Frahm, Andrew Meyers, Benjamin Guida, Carson Gylling, Isaac Norgaard and Werkman due to graduation.
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Chase Christianson (32) center attempts a shot while Logan Ruotsalainen (left) and Noah Asuma (5) play defense for Cherry during a Class A first-round state boys basketball tournament game on Thursday, March 21, at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Tigers eventually won the whole kibble while the Knights placed sixth last Saturday. (Contributed photo by Jake McNeill, Marshall Independent)
Although the Knights didn’t win, this year’s state tournament helped cement R-T-R as one of the state’s legacy program as a four-time state champion (including 2018 and 2023), two-time runner-up and a pair of sixth-place finishes.
“It was a great accomplishment to be able to compete on the last day of the season for the third year in a row,” RTR head coach Daren Gravley said. “The guys sacrificed and worked hard to give themselves a chance to be in that position again.”
Werkman closed his stellar scholastic career with a game-high 26-point performance on 12 field goals and one made free throw. He also pulled down seven rebounds and swiped a pair of steals.
Chase Christianson and Blake Christianson contributed 14 points and 11 points, respectively. Chase grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
The R-T-R/Heritage Christian game was taut from start to finish, an exciting contest that had bleary-eyed fans at the edge of their seat in the early morning window.
R-T-R’s biggest lead was with 2:20 remaining in the first half, 27-19, after Werkman canned a 12-foot jump hot inside the pain off a feed from Blake Christianson. The Knights went on a 7-0 run during the opening half.
Heritage Christian (Maple Grove) had a four-point lead at 53-49 with 6:31 left in the second half after Tarawallie scored on a putback basket. The Eagles’ second-half success featured a 10-0 run early on in the salvo.
Tarawallie paced the Eagles (23-8) with 19 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, while teammate Josh Sokeye contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, a team-best four assists and three steals.
The Knights attempted 27 3-pointers to Heritage Christian’s 11. The game was played at a scorching fast pace, with the teams combining for 20 turnovers and 18 personal fouls.
Gravley said the Knights simply missed too many free throws, which was a factor in the loss.
With the win, longtime Heritage Christian coach Tim Herman earned his 300th career victory.
Heritage Christian Academy’s Tim Herman earned his 300th career coaching victory in last Saturday’s 63-62 win over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton at the Gangelhoff Center on the Concordia University campus in St. Paul. (Contributed photo)
The consolation championship pitted teams that won their semifinal games from Friday.
R-T-R knocked off Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey for the second time this season, and this outcome wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the regular-season contest since the Knights blasted the Wolverines, 83-65. Meanwhile, Heritage Christian topped Goodhue, 68-54.
Other games
In the win over MLA-C, Werkman netted a game-high 26 points on 11 field goals, including four 3-pointers, plus 16 rebounds for a double-double. Gylling was next with 17 points and four assists. Chase Christianson had 16 points and Blake Christianson 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.
For the Wolverines, dynamic senior shooting guard Carter Olson reached a milestone, scoring his 1,000th career point.
R-T-R randomly drew top-seeded Cherry in the opening round, a team the Knights defeated by four during the 2023 state event. This year’s outcome was significantly different with the Tigers winning 78-46.
“Cherry is the best team in Class A this season, which they proved by winning the championship,” Gravley said. “They are very quick, pass and share the ball extremely well, and play high pressure defense.”
Blake Christianson scored a team-high 15 points and dished off four assists. Chase Christianson also tallied double-digit points with 11. Werkman was held to seven points, but he corralled 11 boards. Cherry forced R-T-R into a season-high 19 turnovers.
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Blake Christianson (3) dribbles the ball up court and runs the Knights’ offense during a Class A first-round game on Thursday, March 21, at The Target Center in Minneapolis. (Contributed photo by Jake McNeill, Marshall Independent)