Jack Gilbertson elevates for a game-winning jumper vs. Fergus Falls
Coming off a 25-point loss to Henning, possibly the best team in Minnesota’s Class 1A, the Wahpeton Huskies needed to regroup quickly Tuesday against a Class 3A opponent. Fergus Falls came into the game with an 0-4 record, gunning for its first win and playing on its home floor. The Otters regularly face some of the biggest schools in the state of Minnesota, presenting a step up in competition for the Huskies.
Jack Gilbertson dashed those hopes with a fadeaway three at the buzzer, sending Wahpeton home with a 62-59 win at the Otter Holiday Classic. The sophomore scored 20 points, despite limping for much of the second half after taking a pair of hard falls. Gilbertson’s holiday heroics lifted No. 4-ranked Wahpeton to 3-1 on the season and gave the Huskies a belated Christmas gift heading into region play.
The Huskies opened the game on a 12-0 run, as Gilbertson and Brayden Steffens accounted for every bucket. Fergus Falls didn’t go quietly in front of a sizable home crowd, roaring back from a 15-point second-half deficit to take a one-point lead in the final minutes on four straight points by Micah Johnson. Following a 1-for-5 start at the free-throw line, Gilbertson knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to briefly retake the lead, before rising up on the right wing with a clutch triple at the horn.
Steffens led the Huskies with a game-high 24 points, 18 of them coming in the first half. Gilbertson scored 12 of his 20 in the opening frame and Treyton King added a season-high nine points with strong play in the post.
Wahpeton’s 6-foot-6 center Alex Comings was a difference maker in the hustle department. Comings only scored four points, but added a pair of blocked shots and dove on the floor several times to secure loose balls and keep the possession alive. Comings joined Gilbertson and Steffens on the All-Tournament Team.
The Otters were led by 14 points and nine rebounds from point guard Eston Bethel. Johnson added 14 points at the other guard position.
Wahpeton opens Region 1 play with a Saturday road game against top-ranked Devils Lake.
Complete statistics were unavailable as of press time.
WATCH GILBERTSON’S BUZZER BEATER BELOW
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