In a game dominated by second-half momentum swings, Springfield ruined Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s undefeated season and took home the school’s first Class A boys basketball championship with the 70-58 victory at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Class A Finals: Springfield Spoils Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Undefeated Season For First Title
Neither team gained an advantage early in the battle of schools looking for their first state titles as Springfield (26-3) clung to a 27-26 lead over Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (32-1) at the half. That was unfamiliar territory for a B-B-E, a team whose win margin was 25 points per contest entering the title game.
A 6-0 run early in the second half gave Springfield a 33-26 lead and forced a B-B-E timeout.
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, a school located an hour west of St. Cloud, responded with a 10-0 run, forcing another timeout, this time from the Springfield sideline.
Springfield, from the southwestern part of the state, responded with an 8-0 run to take a 41-36 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining and never looked back.
B-B-E could not overcome its shooting struggles, missing its first 15 3-point attempts and finishing just 2-of-27 for the game from three.
Senior guard Jesse Kieper led the way for Springfield with 25 points.
For Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, senior guard Kevin Kuefler scored 20 points and had 20 rebounds. He was held to six points in the decisive second half.
See More:
