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Chisago Lakes Boys

The fourth-seeded Chisago Lakes boys basketball team opened the Section 7AAA tournament with an impressive performance, rolling past fifth-seeded Hermantown 83-69 before seeing its postseason run end against top-seeded Grand Rapids in the semifinals on Friday, March 6.

Against the Hawks, the Wildcats used a balanced scoring attack and a big night from Joe Couwenhoven to take control early and keep Hermantown at arm’s length throughout the second half.

Couwenhoven poured in a game-high 39 points to lead Chisago Lakes, repeatedly finding space to score and setting the tone for the Wildcats’ offense. Cohen Underhill added 25 points, giving the Wildcats a powerful one-two punch that Hermantown struggled to contain. Colton Betts chipped in 12 points in the winning effort.

Chisago Lakes then faced a tough challenge against top-seeded Grand Rapids in the semifinals Friday night. The Thunderhawks controlled the tempo from the opening tip and pulled away for a 76-42 victory.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats finished their section run with a playoff win and another strong performance from Couwenhoven and Underhill in their penultimate game.

North Branch Boys

North Branch, who finished the season 2-25, also fell victim to the Thunderhawks, but their loss was in the first round. The Vikings fell 75-39 to end their season on a sour note in the opening round of the playoffs.

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