Tough defense Jordan Riewer was met at the mid-court stripe by C-I Although the weather clobbered the schedule, fans still got their money’s worth when the Cardinals and the C-I Rangers tangled Friday night, Jan. 22 at C-I.

The game had the atmos phere of a tourn ament contest as two teams rated in the top ten in state Class AA rankings met for the first time this year. In the end, C-I’s quickness and defense topped the Cardinals outside shooting, with a final score of 58-48.

The Rangers did not get the win without the Cards putting up a great second half comeback.

“C-I plays very hard, like water bugs all over the floor,” SM Coach Lynn Peterson said. “We needed to match their intensity. “

That the Cards did not, according to their coach. He laid the problem to the team not keeping up a high intensity level in practice. “We need to challenge each other, to simulate game situations every day. We prepared for the press and other things but we needed to push ourselves hard to simulate the C-I press in practice, and we didn’t do that.”

As the game went on, Peterson felt, fatigue began to show on the Cardinal players, but not on the Rangers. “C-I was like rabbits, they can run forever.”

Cardinals Jason Johnson and Trevor Wentworth started off the scoring and SM led a couple times early in the game. That was before C-I’s Brock Tesdahl drained his third three pointer to go ahead 9-7. Johnson got his third and last bucket at the 10:09 mark of the first quarter, before a nagging back injury put him on the bench for the majority of the game.

With the Cards trailing by six points, SM’s Jordan Riewer and Derek Wolhowe found the range. Wolhowe scoring seven and Riewer six first half points. But CI’s Tesdahl and Mark Hoge matched the Cardinal tally, keeping about a seven point margin for C-I much of the half.

Their lead was extended into double figures in the final three minutes, when C-I outscored the Cards 9 to 4, the half ending 38-26.

The Cards staged their comeback at the start of the second half, scoring a 15-2 run. Riewer hit two three’s in the first two minutes to narrow the gap, while C-I started off committing fouls and turnovers.

Wolhowe’s first basket of the half at 13:40 narrowed the score to 38-34, with Wentworth then adding a bucket. Gunner Johnson off the bench drained a three that closed the Cards to within a point, and then Riewer’s basket gave the Cards their first lead in a long time at 41-40.

That quieted the partisan C-I crowd that filled the gym, but not for long. The game was tied at 43-all when Hoge nailed a threepointer and Wolhowe responded 20 seconds later with an inside shot.

The tide turned quickly, however, with Tesdahl nailing another three that gave his team a 46-45 lead and the Cards hit the scoring wall seconds later. Wolhowe, who led the Cards with 16 points, canned the team’s final points with a three pointer at the 5:16 mark. The stingy C-I defense clamped down on Riewer and Wolhowe. On their end of the court, the Rangers held the ball, forcing fouls. They went to the line, converting nine of 11 free throws in the final six minutes, to win 58-48. That allowed the Rangers to end the game with a 14-3 run.

A doubleheader planned for Saturday at Little Falls with the girls teams was postponed due to winter weather. The boys game is re-scheduled to this Saturday, with 9th Grade and JV at 2:30 p.m. and varsity at 4 p.m. on the Little Falls court.

The loss was the first Mid State Conference loss for the Cards, giving them a 3-1 mark to 5-0 for the Rangers. SM is 8-3 overall, while C-I improved to 13-1. Boys Results Jan. 22 Staples Motley 26 22 - 48

Crosby-Ironton 38 20 - 58 Staples Motley (48): Trevor Wentworth 5, Gunner Johnson 5, Jason Johnson 6, Derek Wolhowe 16, Jordan Riewer 14, Jon Bristow 2. FG 20-42 (48 percent), FT 1-3 (33 percent), Three-point baskets: 7-17 (Riewer 3, Wolhowe 2, Wentworth, Johnson).

Crosby-Ironton (58): Matthew Hudrlik 7, Tyler Dickie 8, Mark Hoge 23, Sam Baker 5, Brock Tesdahl 15. FG 18-42 (43 percent), FT 13-16 (81 percent), Three-point baskets: 9-25 (Tesdahl 4, Baker 3, Hudrlik, Baker).