Tartan Boys Basketball Suffers Heartbreaking 47-46 Loss in Section Finals

The Tartan boys basketball team's season ended with a one-point loss to Cretin-Derham Hall on Friday night.

In a toughly fought Friday night section final game, the Tartan Titans came up one basket short of going to the state tournament, losing to the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders 47-46 at East Ridge High School in Woodbury. The first few possesions for both teams set the atmosphere for the game as Tartan and Cretin both answered each other in scoring, keeping the game close throughout the first 10 minutes of play. Tartan had some critical turnovers and missed free throws which Cretin-Derham Hall took advantage of to lead 27-22 at half. In the second half Cretin-Derham Hall came out strong by hitting shots and forcing turnovers to increase their lead to 36-26 with 12 minutes left in the game.  However, Tartan did not give up and they were able to …

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Tartan Boys Basketball Defeats Stillwater to Advance to Section Finals

The Tartan Titans defeated the Stillwater Ponies 51-33 during the Section 4AAAA Semifinals on Tuesday night.

Despite the final score, the section semifinal game between the Tartan Titans and the Stillwater Ponies was a lot closer than it would appear. Although Tartan led the entire game, they did not pull away until late in the second half. Tartan got out to an early lead with efficient shooting and forcing turnovers on defense. However, Stillwater was able to fight back in the game by breaking the Tartan press and getting good looks inside the paint. At the end of the first half Tartan led 27-22. The second half continued as the first ended with Tartan mainting the lead, but with Stillwater still hanging around. Tartan was able to force some critical turnovers and Xavier Hall  scored a couple of crucial baskets to put the Titans into a …

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Titans Dominate Woodbury 64-46 in Section Quarterfinals

Tartan's boys basketball team now advances to the section 4AAAA semifinals.

The top-seeded Titans basketball team proved too powerful for Woodbury High School, dominating them in every phase of the game.  After the first few minutes Tartan's exciting offense, led by senior Drew Preiner's 20 points, proved just too much for the eighth-seeded Royals.  Up by nine points at the half Tartan poured on a fast break attack and a stingy defense.  Sophomore Darrion Strong contributed 17 points and Joel Awich has 10 points including multiple slam dunks. The Titans now move on to play Stillwater in the Section semifinals, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at East Ridge High School.

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No. 5-ranked Tartan Titans Boys Basketball Team Heads to Sections

Tartan will play Woodbury High School at home Friday night.

The highly ranked Tartan boys basketball team is poised to make a deep run in the section playoffs with the hopes of landing in the state tournament for the first time in five years. Minnesota’s No. 5-ranked Titans (23-3) earned the top seed in Section 4AAAA after finishing second in the Classic Suburban Conference behind Hill-Murray. The Titans are 8-2 in their last 10 games and bring a four-game winning streak into the post-season. Tartan will play host to the No. 8 seed Woodbury Royals (11-16) at 7 p.m. Friday. The Titans have been a tough, well-balanced team on all fronts all season long. Their tenacious defense led the Classic Suburban Conference, allowing an average of 46.7 points per game. The Titans can also put the ball in the …

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Tartan Boys Basketball Loses on Last-Second Shot at St. Thomas Academy

St. Thomas’ junior guard Paddy Clancy hit a three-pointer with four seconds left to seal a come-from-behind victory.

Minnesota’s no. 3-ranked Tartan boys basketball team (19-3 overall) lost a heartbreaker at St. Thomas Academy (12-8 overall) after junior guard Paddy Clancy hit a three-pointer with four seconds remaining. Although the outcome fell in its favor, St. Thomas Academy won a game in which it was outplayed for much of the 40 minutes. Tartan jumped out to a 10-0 lead against a very tentative St. Thomas Academy. Streaky shooting plagued a Cadets team that failed to score its first points until five minutes into the contest. Owing to a shrewd defense and smart shot selection, the Cadets were able to come all the way back from its deficit to take a 20-17 lead with two minutes to go in the first half. “We just told the guys they had to get tougher,” …

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Tartan Basketball Captain Urges Keeping an Open Mind

Senior captain Ryan Burns has a strong bond with the Oakdale community.

Oakdale Patch reporter Jeff Roberts caught up with Ryan Burns, No. 45 senior captain of the Titans boys basketball team, to talk about Kevin Love, competitiveness and keeping an open mind while playing for Tartan. Oakdale Patch: How long have you been playing basketball? Ryan Burns: I've been playing for as long as I can remember. I think since I was about 5 years old. Oakdale Patch: Where did you begin your career? Burns: I grew up in Oakdale and lived here my whole life. I love this community and I love this team. Oakdale Patch: What do you love about the game? Burns: I love the competitiveness. I love that you need five guys playing together and playing their best to win. I guess that's the whole idea of the game. I love all sports for …

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Tartan Boys Basketball Thumps Richfield

A back injury to Awich brought concern to an otherwise successful night for the Titans in Classic Suburban Conference matchup Friday night.

It was a more tempered celebration than it otherwise might have been as the Tartan boys basketball team's 73-50 defeat of Classic Suburban Conference rival Richfield was marred by a severe back injury suffered by center Joel Awich late in the second half. Awich, who had scored 10 points in the game, was undercut in the lane going up for a defensive rebound and fell approximately five feet to the floor, landing flatly on his back. The senior did not move for several moments as teammates, coaches and medical staff rushed to his aide. After 20 minutes of being tended to underneath the Richfield basket, Awich was moved onto a stretcher and wheeled off to an awaiting ambulance. No further information was available as to Awich's condition; his …

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Hill-Murray Outhustles, Outmuscles No. 3 Tartan

Tartan's boys basketball team had few answers for Hill-Murray's physical play in Tuesday night's loss.

Tartan's third-ranked boys basketball team dropped its second game of the season 60-54 to conference rival Hill-Murray (15-5) on Tuesday night. The 17-2 Titans led for much of the game but had few answers for Hill-Murray's unselfish, physical brand of play down the stretch. Pioneers senior Jim Remke notched 19 points and seven rebounds while 6'9" junior Dave Simmet filled up the lane with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the game. "Dave is always a big presence in the middle for us," Hill-Murray senior captain Rob Daul said of Simmet after the game. "At halftime, coach Ghizoni told us that if Dave has his defender sealed, we have to get him the ball." "Filling the lane is kind of my job," Simmet said after the game. "I've never …

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Basketball Captain Draws Inspiration From Family, Teammates

Tartan boys basketball senior captain Matt Gonsior understands the importance of a solid education and being himself on the basketball court.

Oakdale Patch writer Jeff Roberts caught up with Tartan boys basketball senior captain Matt Gonsior to talk about the game, the team and what inspires him. Oakdale Patch: How long have you been playing basketball? Matt Gonsior: I've been playing since I was 5 years old. I've played organized ball since I was in third grade, though. Oakdale Patch: What do you love about the game? Gonsior: I love the competition. I love the camaraderie. I love coming out and working hard together and playing to win. Oakdale Patch: It probably helps that you are the captain of a team that is 17-1 and ranked second in the state. Gonsior: Well, that does help. It's a lot better than playing on a bad team. Oakdale Patch: What is your biggest basketball …

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Titans Maul Mahtomedi in 78-58 Win

Tartan rode a relentless offense to win over the well-coached Zephyrs.

The second-ranked Tartan (17-1) boys basketball team  jumped all over the Mahtomedi Zephyrs (10-7) from the opening tip off in the Titans’ 78-58 win at Mahtomedi on Friday night. Despite playing away from their home court, the Titans brought with them an intensity and focus most teams only find in front of their home crowd. “Coach (Klingsporn) does a great job of getting us pumped up in the locker room before the games,” said senior captain Matt Gonsior. “We try really hard to get focused and stay on the same page throughout the game. If we do that, we can execute our game plan.” Behind an unrelenting pace and several offensive bursts in the first half, the Titans jumped to a 34-19 lead with 3:30 left in the half. Tartan’s tandem of senior…

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