With Jordan Johnson home sick, Larry Omdahl was concerned about where the offense would come from Saturday.
Park River/Fordville-Lankin's boys basketball team found a way minus Johnson, who averages a team-leading 16.9 points. Balance was the order as the Aggies beat East Grand Forks Senior High 51-41 at Grand Forks Central High School in the annual Dick Compton Memorial South Forks Lions Shootout.
"Jordan helps make things tick,'' Omdahl, the PR/F-L coach, said. "He provides leadership out there. And a lot of points for us, especially early. If he gets going, the rest of the guys seem to follow.
"Today it was a question of who would take control of the offense.''
As it turned out for the Aggies, the Aggies took charge on the defensive end.
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Senior High, behind Cole Hammargren, jumped to an early lead. Hammargren had 11 points in a first quarter that ended with the Green Wave leading 16-9. But the Aggies went to a box-and-chase defense, with Andy Moe and Jace Jehlicka splitting time getting the defensive assignment on Hammargren.
The Green Wave managed only 25 points over the final three quarters.
"That defense was the big difference,'' Omdahl said. "Hammargren looks like he's the heart and soul of that team. He's a good player. Andy and Jace did a good job on him.''
The Aggies closed the first half on a 14-3 run, edging into a 20-19 halftime lead when Spencer Rehovsky hit two free throws with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.
Park River/Fordville-Lankin never relinquished the lead in the second half. The Wave were still within 33-28 when Julian Benson hit a trey with seven seconds left in the third. But PR/F-L started the fourth with eight unanswered points and built its lead to as many as 15 points thereafter.
Hammargren's 15 points led the 8-14 Green Wave. But no other EGF player scored more than seven.
"I was happy with the effort,'' Senior High coach Travis Lindgren said. "But there were some long stretches where we didn't score. In those stretches, we weren't moving the ball as well as we needed to.
"We have guys who are capable of stepping up (and scoring). We needed that.''
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Jordan Omlie scored 12 points and Rehovsky 11 to lead the Aggies, who improved to 15-2.
"The kids did a good job of spreading the points around,'' Omdahl said. "And we got better, more calm, handling the ball as the game went along.''
