Class 2A: No. 4-seed Braham, unseeded Jackson County Central advance to title game

Ade Murkey spent the first half in foul trouble, the shots wouldn't fall, and when the momentum finally swung St. Croix Lutheran's way, it was too late.

Braham had all the factors to stage an upset of the top-seeded Crusaders in Class 2A, and the fourth-seeded Bombers took advantage.

Behind four players who scored at least 17 points, Braham defeated St. Croix Lutheran 86-77 on Friday to advance to the state championship.

Braham did it despite St. Croix Lutheran (28-3) going to a full-court press and cutting into what was a 17-point lead in the final five minutes. Murkey led St. Croix Lutheran's frantic comeback attempt and finished with 26 points, including a one-handed putback dunk with a minute left that left the Target Center crowd in awe. But Braham learned from its 86-75 loss to the Crusaders in December and held on.

"They've seen all that stuff," coach Jeff Eklund said. "Ade Murkey's putback dunk, that's 'SportsCenter' material. We came over to the bench [and said], 'That's only two points, guys. That's only two points.' "

Braham (30-2) won by controlling the interior and getting reliable scoring from a bevy of options. Chris Olson led the team with 24 points, Ryan Larson scored 22 and John Larson and Alec Olson each scored 17.

"They fought hard," St. Croix Lutheran coach Jay Wendland said. "They got the tempo they wanted at first, and they just continued to push and push through any sort of run we made."

"Did you see that?" he asked the players sitting nearby, referring to a highlight from Huskies' victory showing on the screen.

Jackson County Central was never expected to be here, and the Huskies are embracing the little things in the school's first trip to the state tournament.

But their victory against Annandale in the Class 2A semifinal left little doubt that the unseeded Huskies belong.

Bodey Behrends, Jackson County Central's 6-9 post, led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds. Matt Ringkob added 19 points with his outside shooting.

"I'm opening the gym constantly for these two, along with a lot of our other players," Sukalski said. "Their dedication and commitment to be good … that's why we're here."

Alex Hohenstien led Annandale with 12 points, and top scorer Jarod Wilken was held to seven. As a team, the Cardinals (26-6) shot only 30.2 percent as Behrends' presence limited shot selection all game.