LONG PRAIRIE – Alec Aho scored 23 points as the Menahga boys basketball team led the entire game in a 62-48 victory over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle on Friday, Feb. 4.
Aho hit a pair of 3-pointers, put back two rebounds, converted a three-point play, and had two other baskets as the Braves led 36-26 at the half. Connor Korvela had three baskets while Ryan Tolkkinen and Bodie Bertunnen hit 3-pointers in the first half.
Two layups by Aho, a layup by Nick Wurdock and a jumper by Tolkkinen pushed Menahga’s lead to 48-31. LP-GE cut the deficit to 50-44 before layups by Wurdock and Brayden Aho, a jumper by Korvela, and 3-pointers by Wurdock and Korvela closed out the win.
Korvela chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals while Alec Aho had eight rebounds and Wurdock had six assists and three steals as Menahga improved to 9-9.
Korbin Lowe’s 16 points and 13 rebounds led LP-GE, which fell to 3-15.
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MENAHGA: Tolkkinen 2 2-2 7, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Korvela 7 0-1 15, Wurdock 4 0-0 9, A. Aho 9 3-3 23, Howard 0 0-0 0, Berttunen 1 0-0 3, B. Aho 1 3-4 5, Usher 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 for 54 (FG), 8 for 10 (FT).
LONG PRAIRIE-GREY EAGLE: Orozco 2 0-0 4, Urman 0 3-4 3, Maldonado 2 0-0 4, Malik 2 1-1 5, Larson 3 0-0 8, Lowe 7 0-0 16, Steinmetz 2 1-3 5, Liebsch 1 1-2 3. Totals: 19 for 53 (FG), 6 for 11 (FT).
Halftime: Menahga 36, LP-GE 26. Three-pointers: Tolkkinen 1, Korvela 1, Wurdock 1, A. Aho 2, Berttunen 1, Larson 2, Lowe 2. Team fouls: Menahga 9, LP-GE 13. Rebounds: Menahga 31 (Korvela 8, A. Aho 8, Wurdock 5, Berttunen 4, Tolkkinen 3, B. Aho 2, Usher 1). Assists: Menahga 12 (Wurdock 6, Berttunen 2, Tolkkinen 1, Korvela 1, B. Aho 1, A. Aho 1). Steals: Menahga 10 (Korvela 4, Wurdock 3, A. Aho 2, Berttunen 1). Blocked shots: Menahga 2 (Wurdock 1, A. Aho 1). Turnovers: Menahga 12, LP-GE 13.
Pirates avenge loss
MENAHGA – Brandon Greenwaldt’s 27 points and 19 rebounds powered Verndale to a 59-46 Park Region Conference win over the Braves on Thursday, Feb. 3.
The Pirates, who lost to Menahga 62-44 on Dec. 17, led 35-20 at the half to split the season series.
Three baskets by Alec Aho, a three-point play and jumper by Christian Johnson, and a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper by Korvela paced the Braves in the first half.
A three-point play by Wurdock to open the second half made it 35-23, but Verndale responded by extending the advantage to 50-31. Wurdock turned two steals into layups, Tolkkinen and Brayden Aho scored off steals, and Berttunen hit a 3-pointer for Menahga down the stretch.
Wurdock’s 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals led the Braves. Korvela also scored 10 points and Tolkkinen hauled down seven rebounds as Menahga dropped to 5-5 in the conference.
Hunter Umland (12) and Ben Brownlow (11) also scored in double figures as the Pirates improved to 6-4 in the conference and 8-8 overall.
