Redwood Valley advances

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

MANKATO -- Making the state tournament without making it to the semifinals kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You don't get to play on television; you don't get to stay in the motel, and you don't get to go to the Twin Cities.

Five times in the last eight years, the Redwood Valley Cardinals had made it this far. Four times previously, this was as far as the Cardinals got.

Now the Cardinals are going somewhere they've never been -- the state tournament's Final Four. Propelled by a smothering defense in the second half, RVHS rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Buccaneers 51-43 Tuesday night in the Class 2A boys state quarterfinals at the Taylor Center.

"We've been this far five out of eight years," RVHS coach Todd Iverson said. "It's fun to finally get over the bad hump, to finally get to the real show."

RVHS will meet Lewiston-Altura in the Class 2A semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Lewiston-Altura eliminated Holy Angels 70-61, also Tuesday night.

With WEM (26-5) leading 30-20 at halftime, it appeared this game would be another in the long line of state quarterfinal disappointments for RVHS (21-6). Offensively, the Cardinals were struggling, hitting only 25.9 percent from the field.

RVHS didn't improve much offensively in the second half. The Cardinals were just 7-for-19 (36.8 percent) from the field in the final two quarters and shot only 30.4 percent for the game.

But what a difference defensively. The Cardinals found life on the defensive side of the court and held the Bucs to only four field goals and just 13 points in the second half.

"We've been in this situation throughout the year, we knew we had to come back," RVHS senior center Aaron Busack said. "We didn't want the season to be over. We want to practice tomorrow. We knew what we had to do win this game and that was play hard defense. We shut them down. That's why we won."

Iverson said despite a poor first half the Cardinals were not hanging their heads in the locker room at halftime. In fact, they were confident.

"I just told the kids at half that we were playing passively, that we were playing scared," Iverson said. "I said, 'Guys, this is supposed to be fun, and you guys don't look like you're having any fun out there. This is not Redwood Valley basketball.' I told them we played a poor half and we were only down 10, so we were right there, we were right in it."

While the Cardinals' offense wasn't the most productive, even in the second half, they made the most of the production they got. Aaron Busack, who led RVHS with 13 points, and first cousin Jason Busack, who finished with 12 points, combined for 17 of the Cardinals' second-half points.

"We knew we just weren't hitting in the first half, we had to come out and play Redwood Valley basketball," Jason Busack said. "I just felt like I didn't come out in the first half, so I figured I'd come out and try to lead the team and get things going."

Jason Busack was 3-for-3 from the field in the third quarter. It was those three baskets that got the Cardinals back into the game.

The last of the three was a layup off a steal that pulled RVHS to within four at 30-26 with 5:56 in the third quarter. John Kunelius got the one and only field goal for WEM in the third quarter with 5:02 left to give the Bucs a six-point advantage, but the momentum was clearly in the hands of the Cardinals.

Kunelius, after scoring 15 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, found the well dry in the final two quarters. Kunelius was only 1-for-4 from the field in the third quarter.

Senior center Lance Warner, who scored 28 points in the Bucs' Section 2-2A final win over Minnesota Valley Lutheran Friday, was constantly harassed by Aaron Busack and the Cardinals, and never was a factor. He was only 3-for-9 from the field Tuesday night and scored just six points. Warner was just 1-for-2 from the field in the second half.

"He's a good player," Aaron Busack said. "But we played tough defense on him and everybody that comes on our court. No one is going to have an easy game against us, no matter how good they are. We're going to make them work for their points."

The Cardinals closed out the third quarter with an 8-1 run for a 36-33 lead going into the fourth quarter. WEM got to within one at 36-35 but sophomore Travis Fluck hit a 3 from the right corner to put RVHS up by four with 56 seconds gone in the final quarter.

The Bucs stayed within reach and were only down 44-41 with 1:13 in the game. But errant 3-point attempts by Kunelius and Cody Wagner, and two costly turnovers, including an offensive foul by Kunelius that ended his night, ended WEM's season.

"In the second half, we started to take things away," Iverson said. "And maybe they went a little bit passive, too. Sometimes, when you get a lead you try to protect it, and you become complacent. We just attacked."

WEM (26-5): Roemhildt 0-3 0-0 0, J.Kunelius 6-14 7-9 21, Rupe 1-7 4-4 7, Warner 3-9 0-0 6, Bri.Vollbrecht 2-8 0-0 4, Wagner 1-3 0-0 3, Bre.Vollbrecht 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 13-45 13-15 43.

RVHS (21-6): J.Busack 4-7 4-6 12, Yrjo 1-8 3-5 6, Norberg 1-7 2-4 4, Karsky 0-1 0-0 0, A.Busack 3-10 7-11 13, Madson 3-3 1-2 10, Fluck 2-7 1-1 6, Arnett 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 14-46 18-29 51.

WEM 14 16 3 10--43

RVHS 13 7 16 15--51

3--Point Goals--WEM 4-21 (J.Kunelius 2-9, Wagner 1-3, Rupe 1-7, Bri.Vollbrecht 0-2), RVHS 5-15 (Madson 3-3, Fluck 1-4, Yrjo 1-7, J.Busack 0-1). Fouled Out--J.Kunelius, Warner. Rebounds--WEM 31 (Warner 9), RVHS 31 (A.Busack 7). Assists--WEM 10 (Rupe 3, Bri.Vollbrecht 3), RVHS 6 (J.Busack 3). Total Fouls--WEM 23, RVHS 15. Turnovers--WEM 11, RVHS 6.