Hillcrest jumped out to a 13-5 lead, led by some early defensive stops and transition opportunities.  The Comets were able to hold that lead and take the 10 point advantage into the locker room at the half. 

“In the second half, I liked our resolve to commit to the opportunities at the rim,” added Coach Garvin.  “Luke Christensen (18 points, 7 rebounds) and Ethan Swedberg (12 points, 9 rebounds) continued to find ways to get touches in the paint, but also the patience to know when it wasn’t there.  Preston Berge (4 points, 11 rebounds) played a huge role for us in the second half, defending all areas of the floor and securing rebounds.  Noah Bjorndahl stepped into some vital minutes that gave us a lift in terms of energy and posture.  He was very valuable on both ends of the floor.”

Garvin continued, “After holding a 46-34 lead, Underwood crept back into it, cutting the lead to 46-43.  We were able to extend the lead to 50-43 with 3 minutes remaining off of a couple of hustle plays from Ethan, Preston and Lincoln Nash and close it out with some free throws down the stretch.”

Noah Brumfield (13 points, 5 rebounds) joined Christensen and Swedberg in double figures.  Nash added 6 points and 4 assists for the Comets.

“It was a slugfest tonight,” concluded Garvin.  “Not a lot of rhythm to this game.  Lots of rebounds to be had.  I was proud of our resilience on the defensive end.  When things aren’t clicking, I’m thankful that our boys continued to play hard and did not let our offensive inconsistencies dictate our defensive commitment.  Gabe Swedenburg and Lincoln Nash did a great job on the perimeter throughout the game.”

Drew Evavold led Underwood with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, while Hudson Risbrudt added 14 points, 5 assists and 4 steals.

“I’m extremely proud of our effort tonight,” said Underwood Head Coach Kellen Shebeck. “Defensively, the guys came to play. We struggled at times to rebound, which is going to happen with the extreme size difference between the two teams. Our communication and help defense took a step forward, which was great to see.  We had our worst shooting night of the season, yet we’re still in the game from beginning to end. Credit the Hillcrest defense for affecting those shots. It was a fun game to be a part of.”

Hillcrest (9-2, 6-0 LEC) will play at Battle Lake on Thursday and will face Brandon-Evansville at 12:45pm Saturday at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Underwood (7-6, 4-4 LEC) has road games at Ashby next Tuesday and at Sebeka next Thursday, before returning home for their third game of the week on Friday against Border West.