The postseason opened Friday with a familiar matchup between the Pointers and the Dodgers. The last time these two teams met, it was a rubber match that saw the Dodgers edge the Pointers 60-59. But none of that mattered now. The stakes were higher this time-win or go home-and the Pointers came in looking for revenge.
The Pointers started the game hot, jumping out to an 8-0 run led by senior Drew Aschliman, who scored five of the team’s first eight points. After a quick timeout from coach Matt McGraw, the Dodgers got on the board with a threepointer from Chase Halverson. The Pointers continued to extend their lead, highlighted by a three-point play from Keaton Dempsey to make it 13-3 at the 13-minute mark.
As the scoring picked up, so did the energy from the fans. The Dodgers managed to cut the deficit back to nine with 11 minutes left in the opening half. The Pointers continued to control the tempo early, pushing their lead back to a comfortable 10 points with 5:30 remaining. However, the Dodgers responded with a quick 10-1 run in just two minutes to tighten the game once again. That run was fueled by Chayse Halverson, who exploded for 17 points in the first half. The momentum carried through the closing minutes as the Pointers held on to a narrow 31-30 lead at halftime.
The second half began as a defensive stalemate, with both teams struggling to find consistent scoring. The Pointers eventually pushed their advantage to seven, forcing a Dodgers timeout with just over 14 minutes left to play. Continuing the tempo they established earlier, the Pointers stretched the lead to 49-40 as the game approached the nine-minute mark.
The Dodgers answered again, putting together another impressive 10-2 run to pull the game right back within reach. Riding that momentum, they grabbed their first lead of the night with 6:14 remaining. The next five minutes were a back-and-forth battle that featured five lead changes.
The Dodgers managed to take a two-point lead with just over 30 seconds remaining, but it would be the last time they led. Drew Aschliman delivered the biggest shot of the night, draining a three-pointer from downtown to put the Pointers back in front.
The Dodgers got another chance with 13.3 seconds left. Bryce Lockard, who led the Dodgers with 21 points, got the ball in the paint and went up for a shot that fell just short. He grabbed the rebound, but his putback attempt wouldn’t go.
Keaton Dempsey secured the rebound and headed to the free-throw line with two seconds remaining, looking to seal the game. Dempsey, who finished with 21 points on the night, missed the bonus free throw, giving the Dodgers one final opportunity with 1.3 seconds left and the ball just behind midcourt.
Griffin Busch inbounded for the Dodgers, looking to find Lockard in the paint, but the pass was deflected by Keaton Dempsey. The Pointers held on for the dramatic 60-59 victory over the Dodgers.
Box Score
Mineral Point 31 – 29 – 60
Dodgeville 30 – 29 – 59
Mineral Point (fg-ft-tp); Drew Aschliman 9-5-26, Keaton Dempsey 7-7-21, Aiden Patterson 2-0-5, Brett Bossert 2-1-5, Thorin Vamstad 1-0-3.
3-pointers; Aschliman 3, Vamstad 1, Patterson 1.
Dodgeville (fg-ft-tp); Bryce Crubaugh-Lockard 8-3-21, Jayce Halverson 7-1-20, Jentry Olson 1-5-8, Elliot Hesseling 2-0-4, Andrew Hesseling 1-2-4, Blake Stodola 1- 0-2.
3-pointers; Halverson 5, Crubaugh-Lockard 2, Olson 1