Section 6A boys' basketball: Ashby season ends at the hands of Battle Lake

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Two of the top seeds in the tournament faced off Saturday in the Section 6A-South tournament at the University of Minnesota-Morris as the No. 3 Ashby Arrows took on the No. 2 Battle Lake Battlers.

Battle Lake, ranked No. 3 in the State Class A polls, were able to knock off the Arrows, who were ranked No. 6 in the final state polls 66-55, the third win of the season for the Battlers over Ashby.

“I was really proud of the guys’ effort tonight,” said Ashby head coach Jeremy Knick. “They didn’t quit fighting or playing hard.

“We struggled at different moments in the game to find our rhythm offensively. Battle Lake didn’t give us many easy looks.”

Riley Mickelson finished out his high school career with a double-double for the Arrows, scoring 22 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. J.P. Moe added 10 points.

The Battlers had four players in double figures as Dan Marso had 16, Alex Ukkelberg 13, Tyler Ukkelberg 13 and Petric VanErp 12.

“There were moments when we could have given in, but we kept within striking distance almost until the end of the game,” he added. “This was an extremely fun and successful season for our team, and I couldn’t be more proud.

“I want to say a big thank you to our four seniors, Riley Mickelson, Jon Quernemoen, Jason Odens and Mason Johnson. They have been the faces of the boys’ basketball team these last four years and their commitment and leadership will be greatly missed.”

Ashby finished its season with a 21-4 record.

GAME STATISTICS

ASHBY 20 35 — 55

BATTLE LAKE 26 40 — 66

ASHBY – Riley Mickelson 22, J.P. Moe 10, Blake Ohren 9, Tanner Langlie 8, Jon Quernemoen 6. Rebounds – Mickelson 14, Langlie 6. Assists – Moe 2, Ohren 5. Steals – Langlie 3, Quernemoen 2.

BATTLE LAKE – Dan Marso 16, Alex Ukkelberg 13, Tyler Ukkelberg 13, Petric VanErp 12.

Ashby 62, Hancock 56

The Ashby boys’ basketball team survived a scare from sixth-seeded Hancock as the Arrows punched their ticket to the 6A South semifinals with a 62-56 win over the Owls.

Ashby trailed by one at the half before outscoring Hancock 29-22 in the second half. Riley Mickelson had 20 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to lead the turn around and set up the match-up with Battle Lake.

“I guess this is everything you expect in a playoff game – drama and theatrics,” head coach Jeremy Knick said. “Hancock had just come off a good win against Underwood on Monday and they started the game with a lot of energy. They gave us some problems early, and we found ourselves in a double-digit deficit. We made some adjustments and once we settled in I was really happy with our composure.”

Blake Ohren provided the Arrows 13 points. J.P. Moe added 11 points and six assists and Tanner Langlie had nine points, six rebounds and four steals.

“Riley was solid as expected,” Knick said. “He along with Blake, Tanner and J.P., kept us in the game that first half. In the second half, Dylan Barry hit two big threes and J.P. was 5-of-7 from the free throw line at the end of the game to help us come away with the win.”

GAME STATISTICS

ASHBY 33 29 – 62

HANCOCK 34 22 – 56

ASHBY – Mickelson – 20 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks; Ohren – 13 points; Moe – 11 points, 6 assists, 3 steals; Langlie – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals; Dylan Barry – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists; Jon Quernemoen – 2 points, 2 assists; Gage Olson – 3 assists, 2 steals

Tags: ashby sports, sports, arrows, boys, basketball, section, 6a