Vikings down White Bear

The North Branch boys basketball squad is off to a fast start in the 2002-03 season, chalking up two wins in its first three games.
The Vikes defeated Duluth Central to open its season Nov. 30, 57-46.
Duluth took an early 5-0 lead before junior Matt Fletcher put the first Vikingsí points on the board. The points were followed by 10 quick points to end the quarter with the Vikes up 12-8.
ìWe didnít get off to a great start but we were able to play good defense and put pressure on them early to keep us in the game,î head coach Bill Baumann said.
North Branch racked up 24 points in the second quarter, to take a 36-24 halftime lead.
The Vikes held on to a wide margin in the fourth, outscoring Duluth 15-14 for the 57-46 win.
The Vikes shot 43 percent from the field and 52 percent from the free throw line. Junior Britt Baumann was out of the lineup with an injury, forcing Baumann to switch up the lineup.
ìWe never really had our top combination in the positions where they do the most damage,î he said.
He was pleased with the teamís effort, including steady performances from seniors Tyler Higley, Jared Gagne and Darren Breslin, juniors Jake Anderson and Matt Fletcher, as well as senior Jeremy Anderson, junior Nick Aaland and sophomore Tony Beaver coming off the bench.
North Branch 64 SLP 72
Spring Lake Park jumped out to an early lead at 22-14 after the first quarter in a North Branch loss Dec. 3. The Vikes rallied to close the gap to 38-33 at halftime.
ìWe started slowly and didnít shoot well,î Baumann said. ìWe started to get back on defense and stop Spring Lake Parkís fast break in the second quarter.î
North Branch continued to rally in the second half, closing to within five points with three minutes to go in the game, before the Panthers put in seven unanswered points to preserve the win.
ìOverall we did not play extremely well but at the same time we were in the game with a very good team,î Baumann said.
Fletcher paced the Vikes with 22 points and 6 rebounds, while Gagne tallied 14.
North Branch 82 WBL 61
White Bear Lake didnít know what hit them as the Vikings came out and exploded for 26 points in the first quarter on the way to an 82-61 win Friday at home.
The Bears went on a scoring drive with seven straight points in the second quarter, but the half ended with the Vikes holding a 10-point lead at 42-32.
After a brief White Bear rally, the Vikes went on a 16-6 run in the last three minutes of the third to take a 64-49 lead. North Branch extended the lead to 20 in the first minute of the fourth quarter and led by as many as 22 points before taking the game 82-61.
ìWe had a couple of really good practices after the Spring Lake Park game and we worked on a couple of little things,î Baumann said. ìWe made a couple of adjustments during the game that were very productive. The kids really responded during the game.î
Baumann was on first during the game, sinking 3 of 4 three-pointers and 3 of 4 field goals. He led the team with 17 points. Three other players also reached double figures- Higley with 16, Jaques with 14 and Fletcher with 13.
ìWe got Gagne doing things we expected out of him against Spring Lake Park,î Baumann said. ìJaques showed what he is capable of doing against White Bear, and this was the first game Baumann was almost 100 percent. We have been getting steady performances from Fletcher, Jake Anderson and Higley. Breslin is playing great defense and Beavuer and Jeremy Anderson are making significant contributions.î

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