BRAINERD — It was a dominant performance for the Brainerd Warriors Thursday, Feb. 9.
Johnny Pecarich led the way with 24 points and Nick Evanson poured in 20 to lead the Warriors to an 87-46 Central Lakes Conference win over the Sauk Rapids Storm.
Brainerd’s defense held Sauk Rapids to 32.7% shooting and just 19 first-half points.
Warriors head coach Charlie Schoeck said they focused on ball pressure in practice.
“We want to make sure the guy with the basketball knows you are there,” he said. “Our guys did a good job of talking through a lot of the switches and communicating on defense.”
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the players who brought the defensive intensity was junior guard Jake Merseth.
Merseth finished with seven points and six rebounds. He was inserted into the starting lineup two weeks ago during a 75-72 overtime win against Alexandria Jan. 26.
“It was a little different,” Merseth said of starting. “Varsity is a little more of a faster pace. I just had to adjust on the fly and know my game.”
Since cracking the starting lineup, the Warriors have won five straight.
“For a guard, he rebounds the ball really well and takes care of the ball,” Schoeck said. “He makes the right play. Like a lot of guys in our lineup, he can score in multiple ways. He can hit a 3. He can drive. He's explosive, so he can finish at the rim.”
Merseth said each game he is gaining more confidence as a player.
“Every game I feel like I’m getting better,” Merseth said. “So as long as I keep up and have that same mentality every game. I think I’ll be pretty good.”
Schoeck added: “This year is the first extended varsity time he is getting and I think every game he seems to be getting more comfortable. I think the confidence comes from his performance and his teammates too.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Sauk Rapids took a 16-14 lead in the first half before the Warriors ended the half on a 26-3 to run to take a 40-19 lead at the intermission.
“If we play as a group like that, we are going to be one of the best teams,” Merseth said. “We just have to keep going with that mentality.”
Pecarich scored the first 10 points of the game for the Warriors and finished with 19 points at the half.
Evanson scored 12 points in the first half. He finished 9-for-12 shooting for the game.
The Warriors kept their foot on the gas in the second half. Luke Diem knocked down two 3-pointers to extend the lead to 53-28.
One of Diem's 3-pointers sparked a 14-0 run to make it 64-28.
Brainerd’s largest lead came after an Eli Owen layup which gave Brainerd a 47-point advantage at 87-40. Dawson Ringler and Garrett Gilbert each added five points off the bench in the blowout.
The Warriors are now 11-0 in the Central Lakes Conference. Brainerd starts a five-game road trip Tuesday, Feb. 14, when it travels to Fergus Falls.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The old saying is that defense travels,” Schoeck said. “You never know how the shots are going to fall in another team’s gym, so it starts with the defense when you are on the road.”
Sauk Rapids 19 27 — 46
Brainerd 40 47 — 87
SAUK RAPIDS
Keller Hanson 2, Ismael Traore 3, Mason Rudolph 4, Hudson Omoke 10, Mason Fincher 2, Andrew Harren 5, Austin Kunz 4, Dillon Miller 1, Max Loesch 10. FG 18-55 (32.7%), FT 5-8 (62.5%). 3-point 4-16 (25%).
BRAINERD
John Pecarich 24, Eli Hoelz 6, Nick Evanson 20, Eli Owen 2, Cayden Brown 3, Dawson Ringler 5, Jake Merseth 7, Luke Diem 12, Sawyer Hennessey 3, Garrett Gilbert 5. FG 34-62 (54.8%), FT 7-9 (77.8%). 3-point 12-28 (42.9%).
Warriors 87, Sauk Rapids 46
Key: Hot shooting and suffocating defense leads Warriors to 11th-straight conference win.
Conference: Brd 11-0, SR 4-6.
Overall: Brd 15-3, SR 7-11.
Next: Brainerd at Fergus Falls 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14.
CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.
The Trust Project
