Peyton Nolan scores 16 points to help lift Belle Plaine to victory.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Belle Plaine head coach Joe Newman thought Caleb Sturgeon made two, maybe three, 3-pointers all season. He made two today – both very late. They were essential to the Dragons’ 63-62 upset of Galena in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament in Hutchinson.

The Dragons, a seventh seed, will advance to the second round in their first state tournament performance in 11 years.

“He wouldn’t have been the first player for me to choose to make a three that late in the game,” Newman said. “But he did exactly how he was taught in practice.”

With the game tied at 57-all at the minute mark, Belle Plaine spread the floor and isolated the senior in the corner. His shot beyond the arch was money and the Dragons took a 60-57 lead. They would not relinquish the lead thereafter.

Galena would miss its shots on the other end on the next two possessions and Belle Plaine responded on the other end with free throws. After Bo Gooch hit both of his free throws at 17.6 seconds to give the Dragons a six-point lead, the rest of the game was played on the Galena end.

One eternity later in which Galena made a lay-up, a stolen inbound pass, and a 3-pointer, time would run out on the Bulldogs.

If this was an NCAA tournament game, Belle Plaine would be the bracket buster. The seventh seed topples the No. 2 seed. Galena came into this tournament as the second seed with a 20-3 record.

Belle Plaine, now 16-8, has had quite a post season ride having survived two extremely tight games in sub-state, would be in for another one.

For much of the first half, Belle Plaine was chasing Galena — but not by much. Galena had a seven point lead early in the second quarter and led 31-28 at the half.

In the third quarter, Belle Plaine jumped out to the lead, with two key buckets by Peyton Nolan.

Then Galena went on a 12-2 lead, and was up by seven, 42-35. The Bulldogs led 47-42 at the end of the third.

Going into the fourth, Galena was holding a 53-47 advantage, when Gooch scored and Cale Osgood followed with a trey.

Sturgeon then hit his first trey at the 3:20 mark to give Belle Plaine its first lead of the second half, 55-53.

Eventually the two teams would have it tied in the final minute at 57-all.

For the contest, Patrick Sarwinski was the leading scorer with 22 points.

Belle Plaine fans were in full force Thursday.

“We did a good job inside rebounding,” Newman said. “They were bigger and stronger, but we were very aggressive inside and I think that was the key to winning.”

The stats for both teams were remarkably similar. Both teams had 13 steals, 26 rebounds, and turned the ball over seven times. Belle Plaine would get to the free throw line more and that was the difference. The Dragons were 6 of 11, while the Bulldogs shot once and made it.

For the game, Galena was 28 of 55 for 50.9 percent, 31.3 beyond the arch. Belle Plaine was 25 of 51 for 49 percent and 7 of 18 from the arch for 38.9 percent.

Belle Plaine will play Marysville in the semifinals  at 4:45 p.m. Friday. Marysville (20-4) beat Silver Lake 62-44 in the other first round game.