In a slow-paced duel that decided the Indianhead Conference champion, Solon Springs won the endgame and with it a 46-39 victory at Hurley on Friday, Feb. 17.
The teams were tied 35-35 with 6:18 to play but the Eagles inched ahead. After a long possession in the last two minutes, Isaiah Kastern scored to make it 43-37 with 1:30 left and all but clinch the game.
Since Solon Springs joined the Indianhead in 1966, the Eagles have never been solo league champions, sharing with Drummond in 2017 and Washburn in 2016.
Kastern led the Eagles with 18 points, while Owen Smith scored 14.
For Hurley , which was two-time defending league champions, Eli Talsma scored 18 points and became the Northstars' all-time leading scorer at 1,989 points.
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Solon Springs, now 22-1, 17-0 in conference and ranked No. 5 in Division 5 in the most recent Wisconsin coaches poll, will try to equal a school record for wins in a season and complete an unbeaten tour of the league on Thursday night at Lac Courte Oreilles.
Northwestern 83, Chetek-Weyerhauser 57
The Tigers made it back-to-back seasons at the top of the Heart O'North Conference, clinching their share by rolling over the Bulldogs in Chetek on Friday night.
Cumberland knocked off second-place Ladysmith in overtime on Friday to ensure the Tigers would hold sole possession of the league crown with two games to play.
In addition to the team highlight, Jase Nelson reached the 1,000-point plateau for the Tigers, reaching the milestone in 74 varsity games and standing at 1,008 after recording 15 for the game.
Teammate Cole Lahti poured in 38 points for Northwestern, which held a 41-28 lead at halftime. Lahti scored his 1,000th point for the Tigers on Feb. 3.
Northwestern (19-2, 16-1 HON), which is ranked No. 9 in Wisconsin Division 3, hosts Baldwin-Woodville on Saturday in Maple.
Two Harbors 77, South Ridge 63
Trent Gomez became Two Harbors High School's all-time leading scorer on Friday night, notching 29 points as the Agates defeated South Ridge at home.
Gomez broke Jayden Ruberg's all-time record of 2,204 points set in 2009 and stands at 2,210 and counting.
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The Agates, ranked No. 20 in Class AA, led 43-35 at the half and pulled away down the stretch to go to 19-3 on the season.
Isaiah Hietala added 14 and Ethan Bopp 10 for Two Harbors, which has a marquee Polar League matchup vs. Esko at home on Thursday.
For South Ridge (13-9), Slayton Stroschain scored 20 points and Austin Josephson 15.
Moose Lake/Willow River 61, Barnum 54
The Rebels prevailed in a Carlton County grudge match behind four scorers in double figures.
Adam Neumann led the way with 16 for MLWR (15-9), while Jimmy Walker had 14 and both Luke Dewey and Nolan Nelson finished with 12. The Rebels led 29-23 at halftime.
For Barnum (14-8), Carlos Beckstrand had a team-best 16 points.
Rock Ridge 92, Hibbing 71
The Wolverines threw open the curtain on their new U.S. Steel Gymnasium with a pair of home victories.
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In the latter of the two games, coach Spencer Aune's Wolverines got past his brother Tom Aune's Bluejackets to get to 18-5 on the season.
In the first game, the Rock Ridge girls pulled away in the second half and reached 15-9 with their second-best offensive output of the season, defeating Two Harbors 90-58.
Maija Lamppa of Rock Ridge scored the first game's first basket on a driving layup.
PREP SCOREBOARD
BOYS BASKETBALL
Solon Springs 46, Hurley 39
Northwestern 83, Chetek-Weyerhauser 57
Two Harbors 77, South Ridge 63
Carlton 53, Cromwell-Wright 50
Fond du Lac Ojibwe 82, McGregor 68
Wrenshall 62, Floodwood 54
Duluth Marshall 93, International Falls 75
Ely 62, Chisholm 51
Moose Lake/Willow River 61, Barnum 54
Mountain Iron-Buhl 88, Nashwauk-Keewatin 40
Rock Ridge 92, Hibbing 71
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pequot Lakes 45, Proctor 30
Rock Ridge 90, Two Harbors 58
Cherry 81, Nashwauk-Keewatin 36
Hibbing 62, Deer River 34
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