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| Nick Varner 10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
All five starters scored in double figures for the winners as Coach Shane Wyandt's squad moved to 10-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play, a game behind unbeaten Shakopee (5-0) in the league standings.
"I've said it all year but I think every night in the conference is going to be like this," Wyandt said. "There's just not that much difference one through eight."
So far, Wyandt's observation appears valid. Three of Farmington's five conference games have been decided by single digits and another went into overtime.
Friday's encounter with the defending conference champions started well enough with the Tigers racing to an early 25-16 lead.
But foul troubles and a closing 20-8 run by the Storm left the home team staring up at a 36-33 deficit at intermission.
"Fouls have hurt us all year," Wyandt said, "but tonight it was the cheap ones, the ones 30 feet from the basket....There were also some called where we were just playing aggressively and were maybe a step late. I'm not going to get on our guys for that."
Darren Beenken, who went scoreless in the first half primarily because of picking up three quick fouls, made two free throws early in the second to give the Tigers a 40-38 edge but the Storm blew right back and at one time held a 55-50 lead.
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| Mac Bassett 20 points, 7 rebounds (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
The visitors wouldn't go away quietly, however. A long three-pointer and three free throws made it a one-point game before Beenken cashed in a pair of free throws with 1:18 to play to make it 68-65.
With under a minute to play the Storm tied it with their tenth three-pointer of the night but Nick Varner answered with an inside move for two to put the home team up a deuce at 70-68. A missed three-pointer by Chanhassen and free throws by Speikers and Beenken finally closed the door.
"We finally started running our offense in the second half," Wyandt said. "We had a lot of combinations out there with all of the fouls and it was difficult at times...The big thing was we found a way to hang in there and get a win."
The Tigers shot nearly 50 percent (26 of 53) from the floor but were a cold five of 22 from behind the three-point arc. They did help themselves from the foul line, converting 15 of 21 chances.Farmington also dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Storm 37-23.
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| Eli Rockett 15 points, 8 boards (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
Speikers tallied 12 points and dished out three assists and Varner filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks in arguably his most productive night of the season.
"The last two games Nick has come up big for us," Wyandt said.
The schedule doesn't get any easier next week with a road trip to Chaska on Tuesday and a home encounter with league leading Shakopee on Friday.
"It's a huge week for us," Wyandt said. "It seems like they are all huge weeks."
Missota Conference Standings
Shakopee 5-0
Farmington 4-1
Holy Angels 4-1
New Prague 3-2
Chaska 2-3
Red Wing 1-4
Chanhassen 1-4
Northfield 0-5
