Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Now that the boys basketball team is done with the relatively laid-back part of its schedule of playing just one game in a seven-day period, Forest Lake hopped right back into its brutal routine. On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the Rangers faced 18-win Woodbury, and then traveled north last Saturday to take on Duluth East and its 15 wins.

Welcome back.

Against the Greyhounds on Saturday, it was another close matchup where Forest Lake just couldn’t get ahead, and eventually lost, 78-70.

Up two at halftime, high-scoring Duluth East (16-7), with its seven-game win streak, was able to find just enough room to pad the small lead for the eight-point victory.

“In games like we had this week it comes down to stops at key times and scores at key times,” head coach Dan Cremisino said. “We just came up short but gave great effort.

Forest Lake (11-10, 6-6) actually outscored the Greyhounds from the field, but the difference came from the free throw line. Duluth East was outstanding, hitting 24 of 26, while the Rangers went 16 of 23.

The 70 points were not enough for the win, but the boys did have one of their biggest games offensively.

Drew Cremisino was the leader with 18 points, but close behind was Aaron Jacobs with 17. Josh Williams contributed 12 and Matt Hansmann rounded out the double-figure quartet with 10 points.

Prior to the road trip to Duluth, Forest Lake was at home on Tuesday as the No. 5-ranked Woodbury Royals paid a visit, and they hadn’t lost in 10 games. That streak was in jeopardy against the Rangers, but Woodbury got out of the gym with a 60-57 victory.

The game opened with Forest Lake playing well and the Royals looking uninspired. Woodbury’s Max Hintz was having a difficult time finding his scoring touch against Hansmann, and the Royals were also getting into foul trouble.

The Rangers were in control and led for the majority of the first half, but Woodbury came on before intermission and went into the locker room with a 20-17 advantage.

If the first 18 minutes were all about the defense as players tried to warm up offensively, then the second half had the burners on as the game turned into a scoring buffet.

Spin move here and a drop-step there, and the Royals appeared to make a big run. But Forest Lake would answer with a fast break here or a three-pointer there and fight for momentum.

With 1:05 left in the game, Woodbury was up 55-49, with four shots at the line because of a foul and a technical. It was another point where it looked like the Rangers had used up all of their second chances.

But Woodbury would miss three of the four and give Forest Lake the smallest of openings. The Royals would miss more freebies, and then Ryan Brown drilled a three-pointer for the Rangers to make it 59-57 in favor of Woodbury.

With 18 seconds remaining, the Royals were sent to the line again and managed to connect on only one shot.

The Rangers brought the ball up and patiently worked it around until Brown had to launch one from deep, but this time it wouldn’t fall.

Brown would end the night as Forest Lake’s leading scorer with 19 points, while also dishing out four assists. Jacobs had 12 points and eight rebounds; Williams went for 11 points and three assists.

The Rangers played at White Bear Lake on Tuesday, and then host their final home game of the season with a Friday night matchup against Park.

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