Red Lake County vs. Liberty Classical Academy

Recap

Red Lake County vs. Liberty Classical Academy

Minneapolis, MN — The Red Lake County Rebels shook off a sluggish offensive start and surged to an mpressive 85–63 victory over the Liberty Classical Academy Lions in the State Class A Boys Basketball Quarterfinals on Thursday night.

Liberty Classical came out blazing, knocking down shots early and capitalizing on the Rebels’ slow opening stretch. The Lions built a 14–8 lead in the first half, maintaining control as Red Lake County worked to find its rhythm. The Rebels finally pulled even at 21–21 with 6:33 remaining, completing the climb back into the game.

Moments later, Red Lake County seized the lead for good when Ben Gullingsrud buried a three-pointer to make it 27–25 with 4:58 left in the half. From that point on, the Rebels took command, outscoring the Lions 15–8 the rest of the way to carry a 42–33 advantage into the locker room.

The second half belonged entirely to Red Lake County. The Rebels never allowed their lead to shrink below seven, fueled by a suffocating defensive effort that held Liberty Classical to just 37% shooting after halftime—down sharply from the Lions’ 56% clip in the first half. Meanwhile, Red Lake County’s offense caught fire, shooting a remarkable 76% over the final 18 minutes to pull away and secure the 22‑point win.

Now 29–3 on the season, Red Lake County advances to the State Semifinals, where they will face the Janesville‑Waldorf‑Pemberton Bulldogs. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Williams Arena, with the pregame show beginning at 1 on 96.7 FM KKCQ.

Red Lake County Rebels Stats

Will Gieseke 25 pts 9 assists 8 rebounds
Connor Duden 24 pts 3 assists 5 rebounds
Ben Gullingsrud 17 pts 3 assists 3 rebounds
Ethan Johnson 14 pts 1 assist 7 rebounds
Nat Powers 3 pts 2 rebounds
Gunnar Halverson 2 pts 1 assist 2 rebounds

9/14 FT’s – 64.3%
31 Total Team Rebounds
Turnovers: 9

Liberty Classical Academy Lions Stats

Sam Rupnow 28 pts 1 assist 3 rebounds
Ethan Richter 15 pts 2 assists 7 rebounds
Caleb Schmidt 8 pts 2 assists 2 rebounds
Cruz Triana 5 pts 3 assists 2 rebounds
Jonah Wurst 4 pts 1 rebound
Jimmy Youtsey 2 pts 1 rebound
William Gilbert 1 pt 2 rebs

7/8 FT’s – 87.5%
23 Team Rebounds
Turnovers: 9