FIELD TWP- The North Woods boys basketball team turned Friday’s home game against Carlton-Wrenshall into a rout by halftime, throttling the Raptors 47-17 in the first stanza and coasting to an 80-48 win.
When North Woods guard Aidan Hartway dropped in a free throw at the 14:35 mark of the first half, the game was close, the Grizzlies leading 6-4. What happened from there was nothing short of a nightmare for the hapless Raptors, as the Grizzlies savagely controlled both ends of the court during a 28-3 run over the next 10 minutes, getting big plays up and down the lineup. That was more than enough to seal the outcome before halftime, with the Grizzlies leading by 30 at the break, 47-17. While the Raptors played better in the second half as the Grizzlies substituted freely, they couldn’t make a dent in the huge North Woods lead, and North Woods won by 32.
North Woods was solid in every aspect of the game, hitting 44 percent of their shots from the field and 75 percent at the free throw line. They dominated the glass, pulling down 49 rebounds to only 18 for the Raptors. The defense forced 20 turnovers that the Grizzlies turned into 29 points.
Talen Jarshaw topped the scoring column for North Woods, hitting 18 points with a pair of treys. Hot on his heels were Louie Panichi and Kalvyn Benner, each with 17 points. In total, nine Grizzlies scored in the game.
Nashwauk-Keewatin
The Grizzlies went on the road on Tuesday to take on Nashwauk-Keewatin, and again made a strong first half run to take control. From a 7-4 advantage North Woods went on a 15-5 run with treys by Panichi, Benner, and Jarshaw to go up 22-9. Aidan Hartway and TaySean Boshey-Wilkerson joined the three-ball barrage as the Grizzlies pushed the lead to 31-12 with just under five minutes left in the half. But the Spartans wouldn’t go as easily as the Raptors, rallying to within 12 by the break, 38-26.
The Spartans had early success working the ball down low in the second half and cut into the Grizzlies lead even more, pulling to within four at 45-41 with 13:46 left on the clock. But a basket by Jarshaw and a pair of free throws and a basket by Scott Morrison gave North Woods a ten-point cushion at 51-41. A step-back Panichi triple put North Woods up 61-50, but the Spartans had one more surge left, closing to within three at 65-62 with 1:54 remaining. But seconds later Benner shoved a dagger in the heart of the N-K rally with a rainbow triple and followed up with a pair of free throws as the Grizzlies held their opponents scoreless the rest of the way to claim a 73-62 win.