Division 4 State Semi-Final in Madison for the second game in the evening session on day one of the 2019 boys basketball state tournament saw the #2 seed Lourdes Academy Knights (21-1) battle with the #3 seed Osseo-Fairchild Thunder (20-2).
A halftime score of 39-34 in favor of the Knights made it look like they were in control of the game. Although, the story of the first half was the shooting of the Thunder’s Logan Mulhern.
Coming into the game, averaging 23.7 points during the season, Mulhern put on a 17-point display. A display that included 8 of 15 shooting from the field and 13 total rebounds, giving him a first-half double-double. The Knights were led, as they have been all year, by 6’2” senior, Henry Noone, who tallied 11 points.
The Thunder went on an 8-0 run to end the first half and extended the run 22-6 with 13:50 to play in the game, giving them a 45-40 lead. The Knights relied on a slow crawl after that to draw to within two with a Noone three-pointer at the 5:06 mark, 58-56. Noone hit four free throws inside of the four-minute mark and after a made free throw by Preston Ruedinger the game was tied at 62 with 2:49 left in the game.
Mulhern then made a spectacular layup from the right side of the lane while being fouled on his way up and converted his free throw to broach the 30 point mark and put his Thunder up three with just over two minutes to play, 66-63. The Knights weren’t done yet, they again tied the game and again used the 59% season three-point shooting of Henry Noone to tie the game with a corner three, 68-all, with 56.8 seconds left. The ensuing Thunder possession resulted in a Mulhern missed nine-foot jumper.
The Knights followed with time wasting dribbling exhibition ending with a Ruedinger layup under the basket leaving the Thunder just 1.5 seconds to tie or win. Caden Boettcher sent the inbound pass 65 feet before it was touched by Lourdes Academy. Mulhern was able to scoop it up and get a shot off. The shot hit the front of the rim from 10 feet away, bounced off the far side of the rim and fell to the floor, securing the win for the Knights.
Osseo-Fairchild’s Logan Mulhern led all scorers with 33 points, he also led all players with 20 rebounds. Cory Myhers chipped in 12 points for the Thunder. Lourdes Academy was paced by Henry Noone with 23 points. Preston Ruedinger had 15 points, Hayden Jones led the Knights with seven rebounds and Ruedinger also had five assists.
It will be New Glarus and Lourdes Academy in the Division 4 State Championship on Saturday, March 16th. Tip time scheduled for 12:45 PM at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI.
