Takeaways: Key free throws, momentum shifts help Sauk Rapids-Rice win opening game

Brian Mozey, St. Cloud Times
·7 min read

SAUK RAPIDS — The Sauk Rapids-Rice boys basketball team opened up its regular season with a home non-conference game against Big Lake.

This game was a chance to see rotations and find out what works and what needs to be worked on as the Storm prepare for conference opponents.

Sauk Rapids-Rice trailed for most of the game, but battled back when needed to win 76-70 in overtime and start the season 1-0.

Here's a few takeaways from Tuesday night's matchup between Sauk Rapids-Rice and Big Lake.

Fouls, fouls and more fouls

The referees' whistles worked Tuesday night as it seemed every possession had a whistle to start the game. Big Lake started off with six fouls in the first three minutes and Sauk Rapids-Rice tallied five fouls in the first five minutes.

Elijah Moilanen of Sauk Rapids controls the ball against Riley Siegreist of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Elijah Moilanen of Sauk Rapids controls the ball against Riley Siegreist of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

That continued in the first half with 18 fouls combined (nine and nine) in the first 7:30 minutes and the two teams were in the double bonus about halfway through the first half.

With so many fouls happening, it changed the game plan for Sauk Rapids-Rice. The Storm tend to be an aggressive team on defense and play physical. The team also likes to apply pressure in full court press and double teams.

Sauk Rapids-Rice head coach Derek Peterson said he had to stop the full court press and play more conservative in the first half to avoid giving Big Lake free points on the free throw line.

Alexander Harren of Sauk Rapids gets tangled with Big Lake's Riley Siegriest during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Alexander Harren of Sauk Rapids gets tangled with Big Lake's Riley Siegriest during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

"It kinds of changes the game for us," Peterson said. "We couldn't press. If you pressure more, you're going to get into more foul trouble... We talked at halftime about adjusting to the officials and know that they're going to call stuff.

"That did really change the game for us a little bit, but I've always said that officials don't win or lose games. Kids do."

The first half ended with 17 fouls for Sauk Rapids-Rice and 15 fouls for Big Lake. Since there were 32 combined fouls, the two teams came out of the half with a smarter mindset knowing the refs were going to call everything.

Sauk Rapids-Rice and Big Lake only had one player each sit with five fouls. The rest of the players were definitely in foul trouble with three or four, but they were able to keep themselves in the game.

Carter Loesch of Sauk Rapids goes up for a shot during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Carter Loesch of Sauk Rapids goes up for a shot during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

The hardest part about fouls being called is that neither team can get in a rhythm. Sauk Rapids-Rice likes to play a faster tempo up and down the court, but the Storm couldn't do that because every possession there was a stoppage of play.

"It's really hard [to get in a rhythm]," said Sauk Rapids-Rice's Eli Moilanen. "When you're getting to the line, it's a little easier because you're getting buckets. It feels slow though and the game felt really long because of it."

Sauk Rapids-Rice recorded 10 more fouls in the second half and one in overtime, while Big Lake had 12 fouls in the second half and three in overtime. That means the two teams combined for 58 fouls in 40 minutes of play (including the four-minute overtime period).

Peterson said that will need to change in the future, but he's guessing some of those fouls were due to nervous energy in the first game of the season.

Andrew Harren of Sauk Rapids blocks a shot by Trevor Maruska of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Andrew Harren of Sauk Rapids blocks a shot by Trevor Maruska of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

Momentum shifts

Basketball games can be won or lost due to momentum shifts from the different teams. That was the case on Tuesday as Big Lake had the momentum for most of the game.

Big Lake took an early lead in the first half and carried it to halftime and in the first part of the second half. Sauk Rapids-Rice trailed 33-29 at the half, but kept fighting back with a jumper or a 3-pointer.

Finally, the momentum shifted in the Storm's favor with about 7:20 remaining in the second half. Sauk Rapids-Rice was down 53-47 when Hudson Omoke drilled a 3-pointer to make it a three-point game.

When the basket snapped as the ball went through the net, the gym erupted with cheers from both the student section and the other fans. Peterson felt the momentum shift at that point and said he appreciated how many fans came out to Tuesday's game.

Carter Loesch of Sauk Rapids guards Johnathon O'Brien of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Carter Loesch of Sauk Rapids guards Johnathon O'Brien of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

"We had a nice student section tonight," Peterson said. "When you get that eruption, everyone steps up and all of a sudden the defense is better."

Peterson credited Big Lake because right after that 3-pointer by Omoke, the Hornets came back to score and try to keep the fans quiet. In the last minute of regular time, Sauk Rapids-Rice gained all of the momentum.

With 40 seconds left, the Storm created pressure and Big Lake threw the ball out of bounds. Then, Andrew Harren decided to drive to the basket with 28 seconds left and get fouled.

Harren missed the first free throw, but connected on a crucial second free throw to tie the game up at 68. The Sauk Rapids-Rice defense stepped up in the last possession to contest every shot and not allow Big Lake to win.

Elijah Moilanen puts up a shot for Sauk Rapids during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Elijah Moilanen puts up a shot for Sauk Rapids during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

"That's just our defense," Moilanen said. "I didn't feel like in the first half we didn't play our best defense. In the second half, we came out and got a few turnovers and got a few buckets. That swung the momentum. At the half, our coach had faith in us and we've been here before and have had a lot of comebacks."

The overtime period was all Sauk Rapids-Rice as the Storm gained the lead early on and forced Big Lake to foul. That leads to the third takeaway.

Free points on the line

With 58 fouls committed between the two teams, the winner of this game was going to be decided on the free throw line.

Sauk Rapids-Rice struggled in the beginning, but improved in the second half and overtime period to lead the Storm to victory. The opposite happened to Big Lake as the Hornets were strong in the first half and struggled in the second half to allow Sauk Rapids-Rice to get back in the game.

Sauk Rapids players look on from the bench during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Sauk Rapids players look on from the bench during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

In the first half, Sauk Rapids-Rice went 10-for-18 on the line (55.6%), while Big Lake shot 17-for-20 (85%). Johnathon O'Brien was a key component to Big Lake's success as he personally went 14-for-17 from the line in the first half.

Then, the Storm improved in the second half going 11-for-16 (68.8%) from the line and Big Lake dropped to 8-for-14 (57.1%). This allowed Sauk Rapids-Rice to get that momentum and create that tie for overtime.

In overtime, both teams were perfect from the line, but Sauk Rapids-Rice was 6-for-6 while Big Lake was 2-for-2.

"We have high expectations [for the season]," Moilanen said. "We like the high expectations. A little closer than we hoped, but that's just how it goes. We definitely have high expectations for the rest of the year."

Bryce Lund of Sauk Rapids tries to block a shot by Big Lake's Johnathon O'Brien during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Bryce Lund of Sauk Rapids tries to block a shot by Big Lake's Johnathon O'Brien during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

Moilanen was the leading scorer for the Storm on Tuesday and part of it was due to his production on the free throw line. He scored 25 points and went 13-for-17 from the line in the game.

Alex Harren also contributed 13 points, while Jayce Walrath had nine points and had double-digit rebounds. Max Loesch ended the night with eight points.

The Storm will start the season 1-0 as Sauk Rapids-Rice starts a four-game road series. The Storm will head to Alexandria, Bemidji, Tech and Brainerd within an eight-game stretch. The next game will be at Alexandria High School at 7:15 p.m. Thursday.

Hudson Omoke of Sauk Rapids collides with Johnathon O'Brien of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Hudson Omoke of Sauk Rapids collides with Johnathon O'Brien of Big Lake during the first half of the game Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.

Brian Mozey is the high school sports reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-255-8772 or bmozey@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianMozey.

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This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Sauk Rapids-Rice boys basketball gets overtime win in opening game