Pioneers slip past Cardinals

PIERZ - Chad Lanners scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Breck Weber tallied 17 points for the Pierz Pioneers as they defeated the Staples-Motley Cardinals 55-53 in non-conference boys' basketball Tuesday.

Jordan Riewer scored a game-high 27 point as he drained five 3-pointers and Caleb Nurnberger added 15 for the Cardinals.

Staples-Motley 25 28 - 53

Pierz 25 30 - 55

PIERZ

Breck Weber 17, Robert Bell 4, Chad Lanners 18, Zack Doroff 3, Shane Stegora 7, Tyler Monson 1, Aric Welle 3, Michael Weber 2. Team totals: FG 19-51 (37 percent), FT 10-16 (63 percent), 3-point baskets: 7 (Weber 5, Bell, Stegora). Overall - 5-4. Next game: at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

STAPLES-MOTLEY

Caleb Nurnberger 15, Derek Wolhowe 4, Ryan Halverson 3, Joe Fuhrman 1, Jordan Riewer 27, Denis Shatilov 3. Team totals: FG 20-56 (36 percent), FT 4-6 (67 percent), 3-point baskets: 9 (Nurnberger 3, Halverson, Riewer 5). Overall - 4-4. Next game: hosts Minnewaska 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Pine River-Backus 48, Blackduck 44 (OT)

BLACKDUCK - Jordan Farmer netted 21 points to lead the Pine River-Backus Tigers to their first victory of the season as they defeated the previously unbeaten Blackduck Drakes 48-44 in overtime of a Northland Conference boys' basketball game Tuesday.

Ben Kline scored nine points and added four assists and Dylan Rice scored six points and pulled down 14 rebounds for the Tigers.

Pine River-Backus 27 17 4 - 48

Blackduck 26 18 0 - 44

PINE RIVER-BACKUS

Bobby Brogle 5, Dylan Rice 6, Ben Kline 9, David Sullivan 4, Steve Gertken 2, Jordan Farmer 21. Team totals: FG 19-52 (37 percent), FT 7-10 (70 percent), 3-point baskets: 3 (Farmer 3). Conference - 1-4. Overall - 1-9. Next game: at Laporte 7:30 p.m. Friday.

BLACKDUCK

Jon Bennett 9, Ross Cardenas 6, Brett Mistic 8, Trapper Goltz 11, Jacob Lien 8, Ryan Tjepkes 2. Team totals: FG 14-63 (22 percent), FT 6-13 (46 percent), 3-point baskets: 4 (Cardenas 2, Mistic 2). Conference - 3-1. Overall - 8-1.

Verndale 50, Laporte 48

VERNDALE - Zach Meidinger scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Cole Cottrell added 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Verndale Pirates as they defeated the Laporte Wildcats 50-48 in non-conference boys' basketball Tuesday.

Jason Runyan added 10 points for the Pirates.

Laporte 25 23 - 48

Verndale 12 38 - 50

VERNDALE

Zack Meidinger 16, Jason Runyan 10, Cole Cottrell 11, Daniel Weiher 4, Caleb Seals 9. Team totals: FG 18-59 (31 percent), FT 9-19 (47 percent), 3-point baskets: 5 (Seals 3, Meidinger 2). Overall - 2-7. Next game: at Sebeka 7:30 p.m. Friday.

LAPORTE

Chace Reimer , Matt Christopherson 13, Evan Sconce 1, Kody Stone , Taylor Day 11, Jeston Nelson 2, Jordan Lemke 11, Jed Hundt , Travis Oxtra , Kevin St. Pierre 8, Caleb Nelson 2. Team totals: FG 19-53 (36 percent), FT 6-14 (43 percent), 3-point baskets: 4 (St. Pierre 2, Lemke, Christopherson). Overall - 0-9.

Wadena-Deer Creek 69, Frazee 34

WADENA - Four players finished in double figures and the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines held the Frazee Hornets to nine points in the first half to record a 69-34 non-conference boys' basketball victory Tuesday.

Cory Asfeld tallied 14 points, Matt Lepper 13 and Donny Tabery and Scott Syverson each added 11 as W-DC jumped out to a 42-9 halftime lead.

Frazee 9 25 - 34

Wadena-Deer Creek 42 27 - 69

WADENA-DEER CREEK

Matt Lepper 13, Cory Asfeld 14, Mason Lynk 2, Zach Toedter 6, Jake Trosen 4, Donny Tabery 11, Scott Syverson 11, Alex Barbato 2, Cole Lugert 3, Kevin Tumberg 3. Team totals: FG 25-72 (35 percent), FT 11-13 (85 percent), 3-point baskets: 8 (Syverson 2, Asfeld 4, Tumberg 1, Lepper 1). Overall - 6-1. Next game: hosts Crosby-Ironton 7:30 p.m. Friday.

FRAZEE

Jacob Peterson 6, Nathan Bellefeulle 10, Ron Reynolds 5, Hunter Graham 3, Morgan Vetter 6, James Christianson 4. Team totals: FG 11-29 (38 percent), FT 10-22 (45 percent), 3-point baskets: 2 (Peterson 1, Bellefeulle 1). Overall - 1-8.

Aitkin 78, East Central 60

AITKIN - Jase Hegman scored 27 points as the Aitkin boys' basketball team cruised past Great River Conference foe East Central 78-60 Tuesday.

Nick Sundholm added 17 points and Dan Landrus tossed in 10 for the 4-4 Gobblers.

East Central 31 29 - 60

Aitkin 38 40 - 78

AITKIN

Mark Eno 8, Dalton Moss 6, Shane Sundholm 5, Nick Sundholm 17, Andrew Welshons 5, Dan Landrus 10, Jase Hegman 27. Team totals: FG 33-73 (45 percent), FT 6-9 (66 percent), 3-point baskets: 6 (Eno 1, S. Sundholm 1, N. Sundholm 3, Welshons 1). Conference - 2-2. Overall - 4-4. Next game: at Braham 7:30 p.m. Friday.

EAST CENTRAL

Nicholas Gutknecht 3, Jake Jensen 8, Taylor Tengwall 2, Phil Petrowitz 20, Mike Hagen 6, Ben Del Greco 21. Team totals: FT 13-17 (76 percent), 3-point baskets: 1 (Petrowitz 1 ). Conference - 2-2. Overall - 3-3.

Crosby-Ironton 72, Deer River 56

DEER RIVER - Derek Swanhorst collected 28 points and 10 rebounds as Class 2A's top-ranked Crosby-Ironton Rangers defeated the Deer River Warriors 72-56 Tuesday in non-conference boys' basketball Tuesday.

Trevor Dickie scored 13 points and Kody Bartels tallied 12. Bryce Tesdahl finished with nine points and 12 assists for the 9-0 Rangers.

Crosby-Ironton 34 38 - 72

Deer River 31 25 - 56

CROSBY-IRONTON

Peter Vukelich 2, Trevor Dickie 13, Bryce Tesdahl 9, Kody Bartels 12, Derek Swanhorst 28, Joe McLaughlin 4, Mark Hoge 4. Team totals: FG 28-56 (50 percent), FT 12-21 (57 percent), 3-point baskets: 4 (Dickie 2, Tesdahl 2). Overall - 9-0. Next game: at Wadena-Deer Creek 7:30 p.m. Friday.

DEER RIVER

Tyler Erzar 5, Jack Booth 2, Jon Ayers 10, Keith Deegan 23, Travis Deegan 13, Aaron Morrison 3. Team totals: FG 20-40 (50 percent), FT 5-5 (100 percent), 3-point baskets: 11 (K. Deegan 4, T. Deegan 3, J. Ayers 2, Erzar, Morrison). Overall - 6-3.

Lake Region 52, Foreston 51

BAXTER - Levi Skog registered 24 points to help the Lake Region Hornets squeeze out a 52-51 victory over Foreston 52-51 Tuesday.

Jacob Jensen's 11 points helped the Hornets overcome 33-percent shooting from the foul line.

Foreston 18 33 - 51

Lake Region 29 23 - 52

LAKE REGION

Austen Ellstrom 1, Ben Grotzke 2, Jacob Jensen 11, Josiah Kreutzfeldt 6, Levi Skog 24, Eric Bolduc 8. Team totals: FG 21, FT 8-24 (33 percent), 3-point baskets: 2 ( Bolduc 1, Kreutzfeldt 1). Conference 1-3 . Overall 3-4 . Next game: Lake Region hosts Karlstad Friday 4 p.m.

FORESTON

Noah Sahlstrom 16, Alexander Shrake 2, Cory Wolbert 11, Jonathon Condon 7, Tyler Eidsvoog 10, Balke Humphrey 5. 3-point baskets: 5 (Eidsvoog 2, Wolbert 1, Humphrey 1, Condon 1 ).

Bertha-Hewitt 67, Pillager 43

BERTHA - Jake Martin tallied 11 points as the Pillager Huskies fell 67-43 to Class 1A's sixth-ranked Bertha-Hewitt Bears in Park Region Conference boys' basketball Tuesday.

Tyler Holbrook and Luke Nelson added eight points a piece.

Pillager 21 22 - 43

Bertha-Hewitt 35 32 - 67

PILLAGER

Jake Martin 11, Luke Nelson 8, Tyler Holbrook 8, Jake Eastman 2, Josh Rardin 5, Zack Kadus 4, Josh Weizenegger 3, Shawn Baron 2. Team totals: FG 19-54 (35 percent), FT 4-7 (57 percent), 3-point baskets: 1 (Holbrook). Conference - 1-2. Overall - 2-6. Next game: at Nevis 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

BERTHA-HEWITT

Marcus Riewer 10, John Hartung 17, Ryan Denny 20, Erich Kirscht 3, Ryan Roller 3, Gavin Dettwiler 2, Bob Schuller 2, Jordan Ashbaugh 10. Team totals: FG 28, FT 6-9 (67 percent), 3-point baskets: 5 (Riewer 3, Denny, Kirscht). Conference - 3-0. Overall - 8-0.