Warriors falls in Section 8-4A game

BUFFALO - The Brainerd Warriors may have shown the effect of back-to-back games as they fell to the Buffalo Bison 63-49 in a Section 8-4A game Saturday night.

Brainerd won at Fergus Falls 77-67 Friday night but fell behind Buffalo 30-21 at the half and couldn't quite recover.

"(Buffalo's) last game was Tuesday so they had some time off," Warriors coach Wade Haapajoki said. "We were playing back-to-back games. At any level, NBA, college, whatever, that's tough."

Kyle Crocker led Brainerd with 16 points. Aaron Pavek added 11.

"We didn't get off to a good start," Haapajoki said, "and that kind of hung with us all game. Kyle came out and made four threes in the first half. That kept us in the game.

"We could never recover from the first half. But that's no excuse. Sometimes you have to give credit to the other team. We'll cross paths with Buffalo again, and we'll be ready to go."

Buffalo 30 33 - 63

Brainerd 21 28 - 49

BUFFALO

Brandon Bares 6, Andy Ortmann 5, Brent Kettenacker 12, Zach Hartung 5, Erik Starr 14, Keenan Brown 2, Aaron Duske 19. Three-point baskets: Ortmann, Kettenacker, Hartung, Starr, Duske 3.

Brainerd

Kevin Peterson 2, Mitch Bzdok 8, Kyle Crocker 16, Aaron Pavek 11, Chris Rud 7, Thomas Fairbanks 2, Nick Belgum 3. FT 11-22. Three-point baskets: Crocker 4, Bzdok 2. Overall: 4-7. Next: host Sauk Rapids 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.