That was a pack of wolves at the center of a head-spinning turnaround. This was the carnivorous comeback of, all together now: Torgy Ball.
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton limited Perham to two second-half field goals and 8.7 percent shooting in turning a halftime tie in a 60-36 final in the Minnesota Class 2A, Section 8 boys basketball semifinals Tuesday at Memorial Auditorium.
Carbohydrates, coach Bob Torgrimson's diet and opponents' feelings were of no consequence as the Rebels got back to the basics. It was "A-B-C-Defense," just as the team says at the end of each huddle.
"We've kind of got away from Torgy's concept of defense this year," D-G-F senior guard Tom Costello said. "But we got after it tonight."
Getting after it meant tipping, slapping or diving at every ball not surrounded by two arms.
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The results were immediate. The top-seeded Yellowjackets (21-8) missed their first eight shots of the third quarter over a span of 6 minutes, 33 seconds. By then, a 27-27 score had turned into an 11-point deficit as Perham scored two points in the quarter, making 1 of 10 from the field.
Even that was manageable, Perham coach Dave Cresap said. Or at least it might have been if not for 1-for-13 shooting in the fourth quarter.
"You can't play defense for 16 minutes without scoring some baskets," said Cresap, whose team split a pair of regular-season games with the Rebels. "It's just real disappointing to end it this way. We had some things going in the first half."
Included was an early five-point lead and a 50-percent effort on 3-point tries. The Rebels (19-8) squashed that by putting 6-foot-10 Adam Holte on the perimeter, where he blocked five second-half shots.
What's more, D-G-F didn't allow second chances, outrebounding Perham 36-21, and didn't miss many shots, hitting 12 of 16 (75 percent) in the second half.
Holte's enormous fingerprints were all over the thorough swing. Although the only Rebels' starter not scoring in double figures, he directed the offense from the high post, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds, six blocks and three assists.
"He's a terrific post passer," Torgrimson said. "If he's got one superior quality that's it. If we keep moving around him he'll find us."
Now D-G-F finds itself in unfamiliar territory. The Rebels, who consolidated in 1994, will play Crookston (19-10) in their first section final at 8 p.m. Friday at the University of Minnesota-Crookston.
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New experience or not, it would be hard pressed to match the oddities of this one.
"Before I knew it, I looked up and we were ahead by 15, 17 points," Costello said. "And I was like, 'What happened?'"
Cresap asked himself the same thing.
"They got hungrier and hungrier," he said.
It'd been a while since D-G-F feasted like this.
D-G-F 15 27 38 60
Perham 13 27 29 36
D-G-F: Johnk 4 6-9 15, Driscoll 3 6-8 13, Costello 5 0-0 11, Green 5 0-0 10, Holte 3 2-4 8, Hanson 0 0-2 0, Drechsel 1 0-0 2, Dablow 0 1-2 1. Totals 21 15-25 60.
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PERHAM: Gustafson 1 5-6 7, Hemmelgarn 1 0-0 3, Winter 1 1-1 3, Jacob Schornack 2 1-2 6, Joe Schornack 1 0-0 3, Friese 0 0-3 0, Hayden 0 1-2 1, Borowicz 2 2-4 6, Kreuger 3 0-0 7. Totals 11 10-18 36.
3-point goals: Johnk, Driscoll, Costello, Hemmelgarn, Jacob Schornack, Joe Schornack, Krueger. Total fouls: D-G-F 19, P 18. Rebounds: D-G-F 36 (Holte 9), P 21 (Gustafson, Winter 4). Assists: D-G-F 11 (Costello, Holte 3), P 7 (Gustafson 3). Steals: D-G-F 7 (Costello 3), P 11 (three with 2). Turnovers: D-G-F 16, P 14.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Terry Vandrovec at (701) 241-5548
