MVL thumps Fairmont

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers scored 27 points in both the second and third quarters and four Chargers hit double figures in an 86-54 thumping of Fairmont Saturday night in West Sub-Section 2AA action.

Bryant Polzin led MVL with 15 points with both Aaron Madson and Jake Firle hitting 12. Shawn Black came off of the bench to toss in 11.

Jeff Dolan led the Chargers with six assists. Josh Dettman and Madson each had four assists with Jason Lohmiller and Andrew Beilke each handing off three assists.

Mike Laue led Fairmont with 14 points as the Cardinals end their season at 6-16.

MVL, now 23-2, will meet Maple River, a 64-53 winner over LCWM Saturday, on Thursday, March 7 at 5 p.m. at Mankato West.

"Our kids were really focused on this game," said Charger coach Craig Morgan. "They wanted to get out and get a good start on the second season and the kids really did that with their defense -- they proved that they can play."

The Cardinals, who never led in the game, hung with the top-seeded Chargers for the first eight minutes, trailing by a 9-6 margin before Jake Firle converted a basket off a pass from Aaron Madson, with Madson then draining a three pointer -- the first of three in the game for the 6-foot senior -- for a 14-6 MVL advantage and an eventual 16-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But it was a quarter that didn't please Morgan, despite the lead and forcing seven Cardinal turnovers.

"I thought that it was a sluggish quarter for us," he said. "We were not in to much of a flow -- I was concerned about that and maybe it is due to the layoff that we had."

Fairmont pulled closer at 16-12 on a Nate Klutz basket to open the second quarter.

Perhaps it was that which got the Chargers rolling.

MVL answered with a 7-0 run sparked by Andrew Beilke's trey, a Jake Beilke rebound basket and Bryant Polzin's hoop off a Fairmont turnover.

In a matter of 34 seconds, MVL turned a close game into a rout with a 23-12 lead with 6:48 left in the first half.

Fairmont tried to stay in the game with free throws and a Mike Laue basket to cut the lead to 27-20 before the Chargers ran off nine straight points for a comfortable 36-20 lead with less than a minute left in the half.

A Polzin basket, two Firle deuces and Madson's second 3-ball of the evening provided the momentum.

"Once we got into the flow of things, they went better," said Morgan. "We did a little more pressing and that caused turnovers -- I told the kids before the game that the three keys to this game would be defense, rebounds and passing. If we can move the ball around and distribute to one another it makes for a better game."

MVL carried a 43-24 lead int halftime as Shawn Black canned a deuce and Dettman hit a trey with :02 left in the half.

The Chargers kept up the pressure on Fairmont with nine players getting into the scorebook.

A steal and basket by Shawn Black began a 13-0 spurt by the Chargers. Firle, Madson, Bryant Polzin, Black and Madson all scored as the Chargers held a 63-30 lead with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

That lead would reach 78-41 on a Bryant Polzin basket midway through the final quarter as Morgan pulled starters and top reserves at that time.

"We were happy that we did not have that big lead and then play down -- we have had that problem at times this year," Morgan said. "We get that lead and then relax. But with our quality depth, we have guys who give quality time off of the bench. No one cares who scores the points."

FAIRMONT 10-14-13-17=54

MVL 16-27-27-16=86

FAIRMONT (54): Laue 14, Luedtke 10, Klutz 9,J. Clements 5, Hanson 4, Nelson 4, Z, Clements 2, Schmitdke 2, Rosen 2, McFarland 1, Sternke 1.

MVL (86): B. Polzin 15, Madson 12, Firle 12, Black 11, J. Beilke 9, Lohmiller 8, Struck 6, A. Beilke 5, Ben Polzin 4, Dettman 4.