Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

If only basketball games had mulligans, then maybe the Forest Lake boys basketball team would still be playing this Friday, March 16, in the Section 4AAAA championship game, instead of St. Paul Johnson.

For the Rangers, the first half needed a do-over as Johnson High built a 12-point lead, based largely on Forest Lake turnovers and forgettable possessions. The Governors would go on to win 62-49 at Concordia University in St. Paul.

"Our game plan was to try to slow the tempo and get in our half-court sets, and we just tried to push it too much and we took stupid shots and quick shots," Rangers starting guard Drew Cremisino said. "We just got down, and further down and further down, and it was too much I guess."

It was too much.

Being down 12 at halftime, and then to lose by 13, illustrates how another shot at the opening 18 minutes could have made a difference for Forest Lake (15-12), but that is a whopper of a "What if?".

The second half was essentially a whole new ball game, as the Rangers looked much more comfortable playing in front of the large, boisterous crowd, and also appeared to have found their offense in the locker room.

When Cremisino wasn't leading the break, he was stepping back and drilling big-time three-pointers. But as soon as Forest Lake might pull to within eight, Johnson would respond with a fast break or three of its own, until it was too late for the Rangers to compensate for the slow start.

St. Paul Johnson (24-4) plays Stillwater - a surprisingly easy winner over Mounds View in the other semifinal - for the right to represent the section at state.

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