Dylan Fox scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the first half in leading Warroad to a 68-34 victory over the Park Rapids boys basketball team in a Section 8AA North playoff game at Warroad on Thursday, March 18.
Fox’s five inside baskets gave Warroad a 16-4 lead before a pair of 3-pointers by Evan Grover and 3-pointers by Fox and Kyle Kvarnlov gave the Warriors a 44-18 advantage at the half. Nick Michaelson had three baskets and a 3-pointer for Park Rapids in the first half.
Grover added 16 points as the No. 2-seeded Warriors improved to 16-2.
Michaelson finished with 11 points and Logan Jackson added 10 points as the No. 7-seeded Panthers closed the season with a 5-12 record.
In the other Section 8AA North playoff games on March 18, No. 1 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton defeated No. 8 Roseau 66-45, No. 6 East Grand Forks upset No. 3 Thief River Falls 69-61 and No. 4 Hawley eliminated No. 5 Bagley 53-48.
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In the South, No. 1 Fergus Falls ousted No. 8 Staples-Motley 76-47, No. 2 Perham defeated No. 7 Wadena-Deer Creek 59-30, No. 3 Breckenridge topped No. 6 Frazee 79-63 and No. 4 Barnesville eliminated No. 5 Pelican Rapids 72-60.
The section quarterfinals on Saturday (March 20) saw Barnesville upset D-G-F 59-56, Perham eliminate East Grand Forks 61-43, Fergus Falls take out Hawley 66-36 and Warroad defeat Breckenridge 62-58.
The semifinals will be played on Wednesday (March 24) with the championship game set for Friday (March 26).
PARK RAPIDS: Michaelson 11, Jackson 10, Larson 6, Yliniemi 3, Olson 2, Hartig 1, Morris 1.
WARROAD: Fox 24, Grover 16, Thompson 7, Laznicka 6, Kvarnlov 5, Spenst 5, Rose 3, Davis 2.
Halftime: Warroad 44, Park Rapids 18.
Michaelson leads way
Michaelson’s double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds, along with four steals and four blocked shots, led the Panthers in a 64-50 Mid-State Conference loss to Aitkin in the regular-season finale at the Area High School gym on March 11.
