The Superior High School boys basketball team wrapped up its regular season Friday night with a 75-70 win at Cloquet.
The Spartans improve to 19-3 overall and 10-0 in the Lake Superior Conference with their 38th straight league victory.
"To run the table in any conference is not easy," SHS coach Dave Kontny said. "All the credit goes to our kids, they have worked extremely hard this season and have earned everything they have gotten."
Superior led 39-32 at the half, before being outscored 38-36 in the second half.
"It was a very good high school basketball game," Kontny said. "Cloquet played very well, as we expected them to do, but I was very proud of our kids, they kept their composure when the game was close down the stretch and made some big plays when we needed to."
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Joel Lindberg led the Spartans with 28 points. Rob Kraft added 23, Josh Kimmes had 13, Zach Colvin seven, and Andy Heytens and Jake Turkowski had two apiece.
All of Colvin's points came during the final four minutes of the game.
"Our kids battle all night and different guys made big plays at crucial times," Kontny said. "Zach's seven points were huge and Turkowski's offensive rebound off of a missed free throw with under a minute to play was also a big play. It allowed us to keep the possession and get us two more free-throw attempts from Zach, which he calmly knocked down."
"Rob's 23 point were quiet, but he showed why he is as good of a player as anyone. They tried a lot of different defenses against us and we always seemed to have an answer Joel also played very well again and showed everyone why he is one of the best players around, not only with his scoring abilities, but with the passing clinic he put on."
Chad Calcaterra, who scored 39 points a couple of weeks ago in Superior, led the Lumberjacks (15-9, 9-3) with 27 points.
"Give Cloquet credit, they played hard," Kontny said. "But with all the tight games we have been in against good teams this season was the difference as our kids never panicked and made the big plays down the stretch when things weren't going our way.
"This was a good game for us as the tournament is going to made up of these types of games."
The Spartans received the No. 2 seed in Section 1 and a first-round bye. They will host the winner of Marshfield-Chippewa Falls next Saturday.
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"To finish 19-3 and 10-0 in the conf is a great accomplishment, but now everyone is 0-0 and we need to get refocused."
SPARTAN SPIN; Kraft made three 3-point baskets and Colvin and Lindberg had one each. ... At the free-throw line Superior was 18-of-26 and Cloquet 16-of-19. ... Superior's JV (16-6) and freshmen (19-1) also won their games Friday night.
