Cherry, Dawson-Boyd will meet in Class 1A boys basketball state championship game

A new name will be added to the Class 1A boys basketball championship game record book.

Dawson-Boyd, which hasn’t been to the state tournament since 1991 and has never played in a title game, earned its first chance to compete for the championship by defeating Red Lake County 80-66 in the semifinals Friday at Williams Arena.

No. 2 seed Dawson-Boyd (29-3) will play defending 1A champion and top seed Cherry (31-1) for the title at 11 a.m. Saturday at Williams Arena.

“There was energy from the tip [off],” said head coach Cory Larson, who was a player on that 1991 state tournament team. “It was a fun atmosphere to play in. You could definitely feel the crowd.”

The Blackjacks, who traveled with a large — and loud — fan contingent ready to celebrate their first state tournament run in 34 years, were led by Brayson Boike’s 28 points. Dawson-Boyd shot 60% from the field and 63% from the three-point line.

Dawson-Boyd’s height advantage gave it an edge under the basket, with 6-7 Drew Hjelmeland picking up 13 of his team’s 35 rebounds.

At halftime, Dawson-Boyd held a three-point lead and withstood a run by No. 3 seed Red Lake County (30-3). The Blackjacks used a 12-4 run to pull away late in the second half.

“It was a game of runs,” Larson said. “We were fortunate to have one of the last ones, to pull away, get to double figures and hold on to that.”

Top-seeded Cherry trailed Nevis by a point at halftime on Friday but responded with vigor in the second half to regain a lead it would not relinquish and secure a spot in the Class 1A title game for a second consecutive year.

“Man, it was a dogfight,” Cherry coach Jordan Christianson said. “From start to finish, we played those guys, I feel like we played them 20 times in the last three years. And every single time it’s just a battle.”

AJ Bessler led No. 4 seed Nevis (27-5) with 39 points, and Alex Lester added 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Carson Brown finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Cherry, and Noah Sundquist added 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Cherry started the game shooting 5 of 5 from three-point range and led by 11 points in the first half, but Nevis took over before the break, going on a 14-4 run to take a 39-34 lead.

In the second half, Cherry relied on its speed and scoring depth. A 12-3 run fueled by steals and fast-break layups put Cherry ahead 59-50.

Noah Asuma made a three-pointer with 1 minute, 11 seconds to play for a 75-70 Cherry lead. It was the first three for Cherry since it started the game 5-for-5.

“I know I missed a couple before, but I never lost any confidence,” Asuma said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that I’ve gotten better at over the years ... just not losing confidence and trusting your teammates to get you open shots. My teammates got me an open one, and it’s just time for me to knock one down.”