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Vikings finish season perfect — win title
Published 07:00 p.m., March 28, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS — In the end, according to Pelican Rapids head basketball coach Brad Strand, it came down to 12 seniors.
And after what those 12 seniors accomplished in front of a sea of orange-clad fans on the floor of the Target Center Saturday, Strand wouldn't want it any other way.
It was a memorable end to a memorable season, as the top-ranked and undefeated Vikings completed their run at state basketball immortality, winning the Class 2A State Championship 80-68 over the St. Bernard's Bulldogs.
"Words cannot describe what I'm feeling right now," Strand said. "Im just so proud of these guys and how hard they've worked. This is a special, special day."
Viking senior and co-captain Tydan Storrusten scored 34 points in his final high school appearance on the hardwood to lead all scorers. He also dished out a game-high seven assists.
"This whole thing is just unbelievable," Storrusten said after the game as he was congratulated by teammates and Viking fans. "Again, I have to hand it to our defense, guys like Matt Haugen just did an awesome job today for us, and really kept St. Bernard's out of their rhythm."
Jan-Erik Lindberg added 18, including four 3-pointers in the first half to give the unbeaten Vikings their second state title in boys' basketball, and first since edging Winona Cotter in the 1984 finals. Lindberg was also stellar on defense, recording seven steals for the game.
Asked about his 3-pointers, Lindberg couldn't help but smile.
"It was just like the other night," he said. "The shots felt good during warm-ups, and they just started to fall. and to do it in a game like this is very special."
Eric Shulstad recorded one more double-double for his career, netting 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.
Pelican Rapids (33-0) never trailed, snapping a 14-14 tie on a 3-pointer by Lindberg to start a 14-3 run that gave the Vikings a 28-17 lead.
The Vikings pushed the margin to 41-20 early in the second half on a twisting, driving layup by Storrusten, much to the delight of the large Pelican Rapids faithful.
St. Bernard's guard and Mr. Basketball finalist Jordair Jett was plagued by foul trouble but managed 20 points, all in the second half.
"We went in thinking that Jett was going to get his points," Strand said. "We actually wondered if we were fast enough to play man defense with the Bulldogs. But we gave it a shot and it worked out well for us. We even began to press toward the end."
The Bulldogs (28-4) came up short in their third straight trip to the state tournament and first-ever appearance in the finals.
As for Pelican Rapids, Saturday was a day that will treasured by players and fans for a long time to come. Asked what was most memorable about the experience of , Strand didn't hesitate to answer.
"12 seniors," he said with a smile. "I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss those guys."
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