Wildcats outpace Awesome Blossoms in Section 1A semis
Published 1:05 pm Saturday, March 8, 2025
Blooming Prairie's Gabe Staloch tries to work in side against Sean Matthees during the first half Thursday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Brady Kittelson battles inside against the Goodhue defense Thursday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Brady Kittelson picks up the ball after a scramble against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Bradley Boyd, left, brings the ball up court during the first half against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Brady Kittelson shoots against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Gabe Staloch works and looks inside during the first half against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Cooper Cook powersl up inside against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Jacob Pauly pivots to the hoop against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Brady Kittelson drives during the first half against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Cooper Cooke goes up for two in the first half against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Bradley Boyd looks for an outlet during the first half against Goodhue Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Gabe Staloch is pinched trying to get thorugh the Goodhue defense during the first half Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Jacob Pauley battles inside during the first half against Goodhe Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Cooper Cooke with an early shot against Goodhue during the first half Saturday in the Section 1A semifinals at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
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ROCHESTER – The No. 4 seeded Blooming Prairie boys basketball team ran out of steam in the late minutes as its season came to an end in loss to No. 1 Goodhue by a score of 90-77 in a Section 1A semifinal in Mayo Civic Auditorium Saturday.
Sophomore Gabe Staloch nailed a three-pointer to bring BP within 61-58 in the second half, but Goodhue responded with a 9-0 run to go up 70-58 with 6:15 left and BP couldn’t get back in it.
“Hats off to Goodhue, they’re a heck of a team,” BP head coach Cam Rutledge said. “They’ve got a really great coaching staff and a lot of good players. I was proud of our guys for battling against a really good team. We really felt like we were playing a lot better basketball now, then when we lost to them by 30 the last time we played them. We took care of the ball a lot better and that was probably the biggest difference.”
BP (21-7 overall) was hanging tough with the Wildcats well into the second half when senior Brady Kittelson sustained an ankle injury while scoring to bring BP within 52-47 with 12:55 left. Kittelson left the game with an injury, but returned to the game with BP trailing 61-55 with 9:56 left.
The Blossoms trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, but they closed the gap to 43-36 by halftime when Jacob Pauly converted a three-point play with 12 seconds left in the frame.
Pauly finished with a career high 21 points in the loss.
“I was just trying to get to the open spot and my teammates were finding me,” Pauly said. “Us seniors have played with each other since third grade, and it felt great to go out playing well.”
Luke Roschen, who scored 21 of his 33 points in the first half, hit four early threes to put Goodhue (21-8 overall)up 18-9. The Blossoms clawed back within 22-20 after Kittelson converted an inside shot, missed a free throw, and then put back his own miss.
BP senior Cooper Cooke finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists and Kittelson tallied 18 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
“I’m so proud of those guys. (They were here when) I came into this four years ago,” Rutledge said. “Brady is a four year starter and Cooper and Jacob are both three year starters. We won four games that first year, nine games the second year, 28 last year and 21 this year. Those guys are a huge reason for all of that.”
Goodhue 43 47 – 90
BP 36 41 – 77
BP scoring: Jacob Pauly, 21; Brady Kittelson, 18; Gabe Staloch, 13; Cooper Cooke, 13; Bradley Boyd, 12
Goodhue scoring: Luke Roschen, 33; Alex Loos, 27; Michael Roschen, 11; Roland Munson, 6; Sean Mathees, 5; Owen Roschen, 4; Cody Ryan, 2
