Roseville varsity boys basketball team plays with grit
Raiders lose tough game to Bears 68-56 on Feb. 17
On a tough shooting night, the Roseville Raiders Varsity Boys Basketball team was upset by a physical White Bear Lake Bears squad 68-56 at Roseville on Tuesday. The Raiders were ice cold shooting the ball especially in the first half and could never get within single digits of the Bears.
And although Roseville had spurts, the intimidating White Bear defense kept them on edge all night. But credit goes to the Raiders for hanging in there and never throwing in the towel despite a night of double digit deficits.
First Half
Both teams started out cold from the field but gradually the Bears built a steady lead behind some effective outside shooting and rapid ball movement finding open targets underneath the hoop. Roseville inserted senior guard Wayne McGriff into the lineup and he sparked a mini-comeback that excited Raiders’ fans.
But a three point buzzer-beater by White Bear as time ran out in the first half quickly quieted the crowd as the teams ran to the locker rooms with the Bears in front 39-21. The only effective Roseville scorer in the first half was senior guard Carter Brenden who finished the half with nine points.
Second Half
Roseville improved their shooting in the second half as they slowly chipped away at the White Bear lead. But the clinging, ever-present Bears defense prevented the Raiders from getting clean looks at the basket.
With under five minutes to play, Roseville was close to cutting the White Bear lead to single digits but a couple of missed baskets and some late clutch shots by the Bears put the game out of reach.
Game Summary
The Raiders senior center Carter Bloomquist led all scorers with 19 points in a terrific second half shooting display. Brenden finished the game with 14 points and junior guard Micah Wiskus on a tough shooting night finished with 13. The Bears were led by junior guard William McQuay with 19 points followed by senior guard Nicholas Cardenas with 15.
The Raiders (13-9, 7-8 in conference play) travel to East Ridge on Friday night to play the Raptors in a 7 pm start.They follow that up with two home games; one Saturday at 4 pm against Minneapolis South and back to conference play against Woodbury next Tuesday at 7 pm.
Roseville Coach Tom Critchley Directing His Team I photo credit: Greg Simbeck for The Roseville Reader
Post-game interview with Coach Tom Critchley
I spoke with Roseville Head Coach Tom Critchley after the game about his team. Coach Critchley is in his first year leading the Raiders but he follows in the footsteps of his father Tom Sr. and brother Ted, both of whom are former Roseville Boy’s Basketball coaches.
The Roseville Reader: Sorry about the loss coach. Your kids never gave up, though.
Tom Critchley: “We have good kids. That's kind of been our motto all year. We just go and compete, and grind, and try to slow people down. Unfortunately, this was the first time since the Cretin game that we dug a big hole for ourselves.. And it was just a little too much to overcome because we're not the fastest team on offense.”
TRR: Coming into the season, you took over a team that had a losing record last year. What was the attitude of the team, and what was your mindset coming in?
TC: "The attitude of the team was outstanding. They welcomed myself and Coach Galovich, our assistant coach. He’s a Hall of Fame coach, fourth all-time wins down in Crosby-Ironton. The kids wanted to be coached, they wanted to be taught. They're really good kids and do really well in the classroom. And they've been sponges. They've been soaking up everything we've been selling for the most part.
“And it's been fun watching that mindset. We looked at the stats from last year and saw that we gave up the most points in the conference and in the section. And we said, 'I think the easiest way to improve is to knock that down.' And we have. I think we're number six in the state in fewest points allowed and we're leading the conference and section. We wanted to shrink that gap and find a way to score. We had that mindset: we're going to do it on the defensive side, through rebounding, hard work, and grit; things that you can control.”
TRR: You're known for running an up-tempo offense. Did you take a look at the personnel number of guys you have and say, 'We need to slow it down?'
TC: “100%. Yes, you are correct. After our first win, I think we won 50-42. I received some texts from other coaches saying, did you forget how to coach offense this year? My preferred style is to get up and down, a little more open. But it's not what I want to do, it's what the kids can do. And so we've adjusted to them, so they can experience that success. And so we've changed. We call a lot more plays. We try to control on both ends of the floor. And it takes smart kids to do that.”
TRR: Tell me about the two Carters on your team.
TC: "Carter Blomquist is a coach's dream. A lot of people talk about MVPs, but he's probably our MIP, our Most Important Player. He's in the middle of the zone, he's getting people in spots, and the guy asking questions. He's the guy who does all the little things. He battles every game. Tonight you saw him get a career high, I believe.
“And it's been fun watching him continue to grow on the offensive side and get some of that confidence. And Carter Brenden is selfless. He's playing point guard out of necessity. He's 6 '5.". Most point guards, they grow up playing point and dictating and getting people into flow. And he has done it without a complaint and had some success with that. He's just steady Eddie and he does all those little things for us.”
TRR: And number 33, Micah Wiskus, I can tell he's a good player that had a rough night. Shots just didn't go in for him.
TC: “Yeah, that's his first you know. I think he had 32 points against Spring Lake Park in a huge section win. He also had 29 against Irondale. And he’s no longer a surprise. He's going to have to learn to get a little bit more comfortable and take some shots that aren't comfortable. We always talk about shot selection. But when you're that good, you have got to have a shooter’s mentality. I have no doubt he'll bounce back. He's a gym rat. He's old school. He's an old-fashioned player that likes to get in the gym, get shots up, and go play.”
TRR: Do the walls ever talk to you through your dad and brother?
TC: “My dad was up in the corner tonight watching. My dad's at every home game. I'm sure I got a few texts from him right now. Not so much my little brother, because he's busy up in Fargo, but I know that at Christmas time, him and my nephew Kobe like to point out that they're the last Roseville team to go to state. My nephew's an all-time leading scorer here at Roseville.”
TRR: Does your dad still coach you a little bit?
TC: “Yeah, he comes and helps us. He watches some film. We had a pasta feed last night, and he made two dishes for it. So not only did the kids' parents bring something, the 57-year-old coach and his dad brought something, too. Nice. We got a thing: We hold teams under 50 points and he buys donuts for the kids. And that tradition goes back to when Kobe and my brother Ted started it in 2014. Hold somebody under 50, and we usually win. I think we've done that four or five times this season. And the kids have been super accepting of him.”
TRR: Last question. Your team has a few games left, the regular season and then the section tournament. How's it look from here on out?
TC: “We probably should have had the best record since my little brother’s team in 2014. We still have a chance to get there. We're trying to get to the top four for the section tournament. Then, let's go get a section win. That helps build a program. And these seniors have been outstanding. They have helped lay the foundation that we strive for through their hard work and grit. We want to get a home section game. We want to get a section win. Hopefully survive and advance.”
TRR: Thanks coach, and good luck to you and your team.
Watch the game on RaiderTV from NineNorth:
Come watch Roseville Boys Basketball away at East Ridge on Feb 20 and home vs. Minneapolis South on Feb. 21 and Woodbury on Feb. 24.
