Slow start dooms Warrior boys

OAKDALE -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team ran into a hot St. Paul Harding team Saturday, losing 54-47 in the third-place game at the Tartan tournament.

Harding held the Warriors to a mere three points in the first quarter. The Knights built a 16-point first-half lead from which Brainerd could never recover.

"Harding is one of the better teams in Class 4A," Warriors coach Matt Urbanek said. "We can't dig ourselves holes like that against good teams."

Jake Phillips led the Warriors with 12 points. Brainerd managed only 11 field goals the entire game. The lone bright spot for the Warriors was their 12-15 free throw shooting.

Urbanek was unhappy with the slow start but was pleased with how his team played in the second half.

"We came out a little flat," Urbanek said. "(Harding's) defensive pressure really got to us in the first half. In the second half we played them pretty even but it was too little, too late."

St. Paul Harding 18 14 8 14 -- 54

Brainerd 3 12 10 12 -- 37

HARDING (54)

Yousef 8, Perry 2, Dozier 12, Reck 14, Davis 4, Souja 8, Walker 6. Team totals: FG 20, FT 9-12 (75 percent). Overall -- 7-1.

BRAINERD (37)

Derek Levno 2, Justin Mueller 4, Paul Tuchscherer 2, Jake Phillips 12, Matt Steiger 2, Mike Brocker 6, Bryce Cloutier 3, Jase Renneke 4, Chad Radniecki 2. Team totals: FG 11, FT 12-15 (80 percent). Overall -- 6-2. Next game: Brainerd at Duluth East 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

3-point baskets -- B-3 (Phillips 2, Renneke 1); H-5 (Yousef 2, Dozier 1, Reck 2).