Xplosion upsets Comets Elite 68-49 and fall in the Semi's by 8

The Minnesota Magic hosted the annual AAU Super Regional in Bloomington, Minnesota. This event boasts teams from all around the state and a few from outstate looking for a berth to the AAU Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Only the top 4 qualify.

The tournament is set up with pool play starting on Saturday. With 16 teams in the tournament, 4 pools are set up with 4 teams in each. Minnesota Xplosion played in a pool with TNL, Minnesota Magic-Blake and Minnesota Fury-North. Top 2 teams from each pool (total of 8) advance to the championship bracket to battle it out.

First up for the Minnesota Xplosion was Magic-Blake. A slow moving game to start dominated by outside shooting. Jordan Reibling dropped 10 points in the first half and Xplosion took a 29-24 lead into halftime. Second half adjustments were made on the defensive side of the ball and Xplosion roared out of the gate. Brent Walker dropped 3 quick three pointers while team defense (45 team rebounds) kept Magic scoreless for over 7 minutes. An all around offensive game both outside and inside the paint secured the victory, 73-41. Jordan Reibling finished with 19 points, Anthony Webber had his first double double of the season with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Brent Walker dropped 11 points with 5 assists and Josh Pella crashed the boards for a total of 14.

Next pool play game was TNL Express. Always good games purely because of the rivalry as many of the players are good friends and have played alot of ball together over the years. At the top of Xplosion's scout report, Jauson Sewer. Minnesota Xplosion knew if they were going to win this game, they would have to stop #24. First half was tight as Dillon Hager kept the "X" in the game with 2 from beyond the arc. TNL was able to shut down Jordan Reibling as he went 1-7 beyond the arc. Jauson Sewer proved he is one of the premier guards in the class of 2010 by doing it all, hitting 5 3's in the first half alone, setting up teammates with easy looks and giving TNL a 40-31 lead. Second half continued much the same with Xplosion not able to find any consistency inside or outside. Dillon Hager and Jordan Reibling both hit a pair of 3 balls but TNL always had an answer closing the game out giving Xplosion a 62-72 loss and a 1-1 record in pool play.

Final pool play game against Minnesota Fury-North to cap a long day in the gym. Xplosion comes out knowing winner of the game will take 2nd in the pool and advance to Championship bracket play Sunday. Losing the game not an option. Running the court, slashing to the basket and dropping outside shots from everywhere, Xplosion leads 16-1. Brent Walker and Michael Rovansek both have 8 points in the half. Fury picks up their defense and slowly chips away at the lead. Halftime score 36-31 Xplosion. With the nice comeback to close the 2nd half, Fury continues to have the momentum and tightens up the defense. Keeping Xplosion above water in the half was Eric Sandstad on the boards, 10 total, 7 on the offensive end of the court. Josh Pella worked hard in the paint getting to the line and Brent Walker continued to hit the outside shot, 7 more points. With time running out, Fury is able to tie the game with a free throw and send the deciding game into overtime. A very tough battle continued with both teams getting to the line. Brent Walker had a bucket and free throw, Eric Sandstad with a bucket and Josh Pella added 2 free throws allowing Xplosion to escape with a 61-60 win. Brent Walker finished high scorer with 18 points. Josh Pella had 11 point, 7 rebounds. Michael Rovansek and Anthony Webber contributed 9 each.

Championship bracket was set and the Sunday morning game at 8:45a would come very quickly considering the final game on Saturday night didn't finish till 9:30p. Comets Elite, a team many picked to contend for the championship, would be the team standing between Minnesota Xplosion and a National's berth. Knowing Comets Elite have many weapons inside and out, defense would have to win the game. Xplosion pushed the ball up the floor and was able to make it happen from all spots on the floor. Josh Pella hit a 3 ball and posted up for 6 more in the first half. With the rest of the scoring coming from everyone else, defense was the key and it showed. Comets could not get a good open look at the basket and Xplosion held a 24-17 lead at halftime. The second half effort would need to be even better then the first if Xplosion would want to hold off the heavily favored Comets. Defense worked hard and offense was flowing. Josh Pella had 2 dunks, a tip slam that raised the roof in the gym and another on a break away that really got the adrenaline flowing. Jordan Reibling dropped 2 from behind the arc mixed in with 3 other jumpers giving him 13 points in the half. Comets could never get a run started and Xplosion coasted to a 68-49 win, upsetting a favorite and sending them to Disney World in July. Josh Pella had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers, just missing what would have been his 3rd double double on the season. Jordan Reibling dumped in 17 points, 3 steals while Dillon Hager, Rick Starck and Anthony Webber contributed 6.

The semi-final game would be MN Magic-Phillips. Again, not much of a scouting report available. The fact that they won their pool (3-0) and had advanced to the semi game was enough to not take them lightly. A win in the game could possibly set up a championship game with TNL Express, the only Xplosion loss on the weekend. The "X" shooting did not start off well but rebounding, put-backs and an inside game kept Xplosion up. Josh Pella worked the paint for 9 1st half points. Michael Rovansek also got to the basket and had 9 in the half. Xplosion kept the lead the entire first half and lead 34-28. Xplosion shooting picked up right where it left off in the first half, non-existent. Eric Sandstad tried to fill the scoring void by making moves down low and contributing 5 second half points. Josh Pella also gave it his all trying to hold off the Magic run putting up 6 in the half and pulling down rebounds. In the end, Magic squeaked out the victory 65-57 and sent the Xplosion home. Josh Pella had 15 points, 10 rebounds which gives him his 3rd double double of the season. Jordan Reibling finished with 14 and Michael Rovansek 11. Blair Dittrich handed off 5 assists with 3 rebounds.

Next up is the Jayhawk Invitational at the University of Kansas, May 2-4.

A Tough 4th Place Finish

Minnesota Xplosion traveled to North Dakota to play in the NCAA Division 1 Certified Spring Preview hosted by ECI. The 16U bracket consisted of 8 teams, three ECI teams, Dakota Schoolers, Team Train, Minneapolis Gamblers, Minnesota Xplosion and the Magic 15U playing up a level. Ahead of our game and on the other side of the bracket, the Dakota Schoolers and Team Train both advanced to the semi-finals along with the Minneapolis Gamblers.

Xplosion was up for the challenge and took the court against the ECI West team. The first half was led by Michael Rovansek (8 first half pts) and Jordan Reibling (7 first half pts) as the Xplosion took a 17 point lead into the second half. The second half of the game continued much like the first with a huge rebounding effort from Josh Pella (12) and an offensive display put on by the big man, Eric Sandstad. Eric Sandstad finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Michael Rovansek had 11 points, 4 assists. Josh Pella just missed a double double with 8 points, 12 rebounds. Andrew Kuledge and Rick Starck both finished with 8 points a piece also.

After watching some of the Minneapolis Gamblers game earlier in the day, Xplosion new they had to bring their "A" game if they were to advance to the finals. The Gamblers had an arsenal of talent led by Jordan Hughes of Patrick Henry and Junior guard Quincey Bethea of Robbinsdale Cooper, two players that took their respective high school teams to the state tournament and received honors throughout the season. The Gamblers came out quick with 8 three pointers. Five 3's from Bethea and 3 more from Hughes. Jordan Reibling hit 3 shots from beyond the arc for the Xplosion in a struggle to keep the team in the game. After getting down 20 points in the first, Xplosion fought back to get within 12. Halftime score: 39-27. The comeback continued in the second half with Josh Pella grabbing rebounds and getting to the basket including a big dunk over a big man. Rick Starck worked hard under the basket as he was a huge contributor. Michael Rovansek was instrumental in getting the ball to the open man or taking it to the rack. Xplosion took the lead with 5 minutes left but Jordan Hughes became the go-to man for the Gamblers as he had 12 points in the half. In the end, the Gamblers pulled it out with a 73-66 win and advancing to the finals. Rick Starck finished with 16 points, Michael Rovansek had 15 and Josh Pella missed another opportunity for a double double with 13 points, 9 rebounds.

Sunday Xplosion played for 3rd place against Team Train Elite. A very quick, fast team with a strong big man in the middle. Shots wouldn't drop for Xplosion and Team Train continued to move the ball quick and find the open shot. Xplosion adjusted and the Xplosion big man had to go to work. Eric Sandstad went 7-7 under the basket finishing strong and keeping the "X" in the game. Down by 5 at half, 38-33, it was time to step it up. The second half was a battle with Josh Pella taking the game into his own hands. With 6 minutes left in the game, Xplosion took the lead and pushed it till they were up by 6. Then foul trouble. It seemed that every call was against Xplosion and one by one, the players fouled out. First it was Michael Rovansek, then Rick Starck and finally Andrew Kuledge. With ball handlers fouled out and a quick press by Team Train, the lead faded. With 1 second on the clock, a weak call was made under the basket and Team Train hit both free throws to win 69-67. After just missing 2 double doubles in the previous games, Josh Pella concluded the tournament with a double double, 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. Eric Sandstad had an outstanding performance and overall weekend with 16 points. Rick Starck and Andrew Kuledge finished with 8. On a side note, Xplosion was 1-9 from beyond the arc (11%).

Overall, the tournament had some high caliber competition and was a great warm-up for the upcoming Minnesota Magic AAU Super Regional to be held at Bloomington Jefferson.

Minnesota Xplosion over 43 Hoops for the Championship

1st Place in the Mall of America Classic at St. Bernard's High School



Minnesota Xplosion finished 4-0 at St. Bernard's High School and capped it off with a win against 43 Hoops. With a 16 minute running clock, games were short and scores were low.

Xplosion's first game was against Concordia Bulldogs. The team was made up of the next years Varsity team minus Zach Towle of Pulley and a few others that had ACT testing. The "X" got out to an early lead and took it into the half, 24-10. The second half went much the same as the final was 43-23, Xplosion. Brent Walker and Anthony Webber finished with 8 points a piece and Josh Pella had 7. Anthony Webber also had 4 blocked shots.

Brent Walker

Game 2 was against Team Train. With a 37-7 lead at half, Xplosion backed off in the second half and finished with a 61-19 win. Jordan Reibling had 12 points, Anthony Webber 11 and Dillon Hager 8. Josh Pella pulled down 7 rebounds.

Jordan Reibling

Sunday was game 3 and it would be Concordia, round 2. This time, they had their players back from the ACT testing and would be ready to go. With balanced scoring, Xplosion held a 20-19 lead at halftime. As the game continued, Josh Pella continued to pull down rebounds, 7 overall, and Jordan Reibling dropped 2 three balls in an effort to hold off Concordia. As the clock ran down, the Xplosion pulled out the win, 43-40. Jordan Reibling had 12, Mike Rovansek dropped 11 (4-5 from the line) and Josh Pella with 7.

Mike Rovansek

The final game of the tournament would be 43 Hoops. Being significantly outsized, Minnesota Xplosion had no other option but to play a zone defense and it worked. With a quick start, Xplosion went up 11-1 behind good ball movement, outside shooting and a defense that would not allow the ball inside. At the half, Xplosion lead 19-8. 43 Hoops made adjustments in the second half and slowly chipped away at the Xplosion lead. #21 for 43Hoops became the go-to man as he became redhot from the outside scoring 12 points in the second half and closing to within 1 point. A tough defensive stance with 35 seconds in the game and forcing 43 Hoops to throw up a 3 point prayer that wouldn't go sealed the win for Xplosion. Final....28-27. Josh Pella scored 9 points, Jordan Reibling finished with 8 in a very low scoring, defensive finale.

Josh Pella

Next Up....ECI Spring Preview in Wahpeton, ND

MYAS 17U/19U Invitational - Champlin, MN

Minnesota Xplosion was the host for this weekends MYAS Invitational. While working clocks, doors and concessions all day both days, the team found time to work in a couple games a day by playing up in the 17U/19U bracket. This tournament is also the final tournament the Xplosion play in before they start the AAU circuit with a mix of high exposure out-state tournaments and very competitive in-state qualifiers.

Game 1 against Milaca-Princeton finished up 59-41. Jordan Reibling had 20 points, including 4 three balls. Rick Starck contributed 8 points while Blair Dittrich and Anthony Webber both chipped in 6. Josh Pella crashed the boards for 7 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. A quick start put Xplosion up early and they never looked back.

Game 2 started off rough. The Blaze from Chatfield Minnesota showed just how strong and physical they could play. By working the ball down low to their big man, Xplosion found themselves either giving up points in the paint or fouling. In the first half, Xplosion had 15 team fouls and was down 27-43. Adjustments were made and the second half showed it. A much tighter defense lead by Dillon Hager and Michael Rovansek along with some better offensive output by Josh Pella and Blair Dittrich brought the Xplosion to within 2 points with just a minute left in the game. The Blaze forced the Xplosion to foul to get the ball back and they were able to hold their lead by hitting free throws down the stretch. The Blaze won a close one 74-67. Josh Pella was high scorer with 14 followed by Blair Dittrich and Michael Rovansek's 12 points.

With the previous loss, Minnesota Xplosion needed a win in Game 3 to get to the 3rd place game. The GFW - Thunderbirds would be their opponent and they would have the same goal in mind. Both teams battled hard and Xplosion went into the halftime down by a bucket, 18-20. Again, adjustments were made and the defensive battle continued. Brent Walker worked his offensive game and led all scorers with 12 points. As the game moved into the final minutes, free throws would prove to be the deciding factor. Michael Rovansek hit 5 free throws in the 2nd half alone and the Xplosion escaped with a 44-42 win advancing to the 3rd place game.

The 3rd place game against the Lakers was over early. Xplosion blew up early and gained a 20 point lead 8 minutes in. Halftime score was 43-24. The "X" never looked back in the second half and won 3rd place with a final score of 73-57. Dillon Hager had a season high 14 points. Rick Starck also had a great offensive display with 13 points. Jordan Reibling finished with 11 and Blair Dittrich had 10.

Next up Minnesota Xplosion will be playing in the Mall of America Classic at Minnehaha Academy located in Minneapolis, Minnesota April 12-13.