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The Chisago Lakes Wildcats boys’ basketball team entertained its arch rival, the North Branch Vikings, last Friday night. The result was a low-scoring, physical battle and a Chisago Lakes 39-38 victory.

Blame it on global warming, a full moon, Friday the 13th or a Chisago Lakes defense that gave up very few good looks. Whatever the reason, North Branch went zero for six in the first two and a half minutes, had one point after four and a half minutes and didn’t make a field goal until Jake Chambers scored with 11:45 remaining in the half.

Meanwhile, Wildcat Andy Olness scored the first five points of the game, 6’7” Wildcat center Trevor Johnson made his presence felt inside and Chisago took a 9-3 lead when Chris Golv answered the lone Viking field goal at the 11:39 mark.

For the next eight minutes, the Wildcat defense continued to frustrate the Viking offense. Chisago wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard either, but two Taylor Jones threes in a 30 second span gave the home team a 23-7 lead with 3:03 left in the first period.

Chris Golv scored the only Chisago points in the last minutes while Chambers and Nick Perrin provided an offensive spurt for North Branch. When the horn sounded, the Wildcats held a 25-14 advantage.

The start of the second half offered little for Viking fans. In the first 4:30 Johnson, Golv and Johnson, again, scored for the Wildcats. At that point, Chisago led 31-14 and was getting most of the rebounds and loose balls.

In the next eight minutes, North Branch grabbed the momentum and outscored Chisago 16-4, as Matt Warren scored six and Perrin five. Meanwhile, only Zach Sill managed to score for the Wildcats. Johnson left the game after a technical foul and his absence opened the lane for higher percentage shots by North Branch.

After a second technical was assessed to the Wildcats with 5:30 left. Perrin dropped both the charity tosses and the scoreboard read Home 35, Visitor 30.

After a Viking timeout, Perrin hit Chambers cutting to the basket. Chambers converted to cut the lead to three with four minutes remaining. Warren was fouled 15 seconds later and made one of two to cut the lead to two. The Wildcats failed to score and a Chambers drive with 3:03 to go created the first tie of the game.

At the 2:45 mark, North Branch took its first lead (35-37) when Warren scored following another steal.

Wildcat coach Herb Jangor called a timeout to map a strategy to stop the Viking surge. His plan must have worked as a Sill drive gave Chisago its first points in almost five minutes and a 37-37 tie with less than two minutes left.

North Branch regained the lead at 1:24 when Travis Peterson hit one of two free throws. With 26 seconds on the clock, Jones hit what turned out to be the winning bucket to give his Wildcats a 39-38 edge.

Neither team was able to score after that and the Chisago win left it 2-2 and North Branch 3-1 in the North Suburban Conference.

Scoring Summary

Chisago Lakes 25 14 39

North Branch 14 24 38

Chisago Lakes

Tyler Bouwens............. 3

Andy Olness................ 6

Blane Maher................ 2

Justin Rivard............... 2

Taylor Jones................ 8

Zach Sill..................... 4

Trevor Johnson........... 8

Chris Golv.................. 6

Total.............. 39

North Branch

Travis Peterson......... 1

Jake Kovarik............. 2

Matt Warren.............. 9

Nick Perrin............... 9

Jake Chambers......... 14

David Bennett.......... 3

Total............ 38

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