Carson Lyons only had two fouls, but that was enough for head coach Mike Meyer to sideline the Clippers’ leading scorer for all but 4 minutes in the first half at Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s last night in the first round of the Section 2A tournament.
But granting Lyons time off and honing Meyer’s deepest ever bench was an MO the Clippers relied on more and more as the season progressed. The strategy paid big dividends on Tuesday as the Clippers only trailed 33-30 at the half.
“Maybe we would play it a little bit differently if they would have gone on a run,” Meyer said, “but our guys kept control. We knew what the game could come down to. We knew it could come down to the wire, and we wanted to make sure we had our best player in the game at that point.”
Meyer’s scheme worked. With Lyons covering the floor like a Roomba on defense and working in tandem with Braeden Smith on offense, the Clippers outscored the Knights 43-28 in the second half for a 73-61 upset victory.
It was the first playoff win for the Clippers since Meyer took over as head coach in 2021.
“Every year we’ve climbed up a little bit; we’ve climbed that ladder,” Meyer said. “Last year we were the 12th seed and losing to Lester Prairie was not what we wanted, but this year coming in and understanding, as we’ve said several times in the locker room. ‘we’re the ninth-seed boogeyman.”
While Bode Bartell was still on the sideline nursing a shoulder injury in the first meeting with SESM, and Smith was out for most of that game with an injured back, Meyer said besides being full strength, the Clippers are hitting their stride, and that ultimately resulted in the W.
“We know what it takes. We’ve earned the right to be in this position. We’ve continued to play better all season and we’re playing our best basketball right now. Our development, what the guys have been able to achieve this season, speaks volumes.”
Lyons agreed.
“I think we understand who we are more now. We understood who we are as a team and played that way.”
The triumph sets up the Clippers for a quarter-finals showdown game tomorrow (Thursday) against top-seeded Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on the St. Peter High School court at 6:00 p.m.
Clippers strong out of the gate
Smith ran in the jump ball to flip on the scoreboard. After the eighth-seeded Knights responded with a layup, Smith assisted a Lyons basket. The Knights canned a three, but Miles Tomaszewski quickly canceled it, and Smith made the second of two foul shots for an 8-5 Clipper lead.
With a trio of threes in their offensive mix, the Knights took a 20-14 lead, but Alex Kortuem closed the gap with the first of a trio of threes he would have in the half. While the Clippers struggled making shots inside, the Knights’ issue was turnovers.
Smith bagged a three to stalemate the game 28-28, but the Knights made a basket and three of four free throws down the stretch. But with a Mason Kluntz basket inside, the Clippers, relying only on two points from Lyons, still only trailed by three at the break.
“We lose our best player in the first half, but guys like Alex Kortuem step up,” Meyer said. “Everybody that stepped on the floor just played out of their minds. We’ve always said we can win games as long as we show up defensively, and we played good defense. Our guys were making plays. They kept in control. They were stepping up for their captains. We were just able to roll with it, which is huge for us.”
Lyons back on the court after the break
The Knights went through the back door for the first bucket of the second half, but Lyons, back on the court, popped in a couple of jumpers to pull the Clippers within a point. After the Knights put in a free throw, the Clippers took a brief lead when Kortuem, playing like a senior should, sparked another three. The Knights responded with a layup, but Lyons sank a freebie to stalemate the score at 38.
But from there, Smith exploded for six points, the first after a Lyons steal and assist. Later, the Knights buried a three to pull within one, but Lyons took a Kluntz toss in for a bucket, and the Clippers scored on a Smith steal-Lyons assist-Smith jumper one-two-three punch. After a Knight fifth foul and a technical that resulted in three Lyons free baskets, the Clippers extended their lead, 54-45.
“We attacked hard, we got them in foul trouble, and then we just kept pushing,” Meyer said. “We knew we were in a little deficit in the first half, but obviously Carson makes a difference.”
Trying to get back in the game, the Knights put up shots from behind the arc, but only one went in. As the game wound down, the Clippers made 10 of 10 shots from the charity stripe to put the finishing touches on the triumph.
Stats tell the story
The Clippers put in 18 of 44 two-point shots (44 percent), six of 18 threes (33 percent) and 19 of 30 free shots. SESM made 13 of 33 two-point shots (39 percent), six of 25 attempts from behind the arc (24 percent) and 17 of 25 free throws.
Lyons only had a basket from the floor in the first half but made five two-point baskets and 11 of 13 free throws in the second half for 21 total points. Including seven twos, one three and three of nine free throws, Smith racked up 20 points. Kortuem sparked a hat trick of threes in the first half and one more for good measure in the second for a dozen total points. Bartell put in a pair of baskets from the floor and four of six freebies for eight total points. Kluntz made two buckets in the first half and a bucket and a free shot in the second for seven total points. Tomaszewski, who was also in foul trouble and sidelined for much of the game, put in a first-half three. He fouled out late in the second half. Garrett Heldberg chipped in a bucket in the second half.
Under the Knight basket, the Clippers hauled in 29 rebounds while the Knights grabbed nine of their own missed shots. Beneath their net, the Clippers pulled in 17 of their own misses while the Knights snatched 25 rebounds. Each team committed 17 turnovers. The Clippers stole six times, one more than SESM did.
Smith grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double. He also had one assist, two steals and one block. Lyons had nine rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Bartell had six rebounds and three assists. Kluntz had six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Heldberg had three rebounds and one assist. Kortuem had six rebounds, four assists and one block. Tomaszewski had two rebounds, one steal and one block. Jack Mons had two rebounds. Gavin Struck also got on the court.
The Clippers were charged with 22 fouls, one fewer than SESM had.
JWP, 24-3 in the regular season, beat 16th-seeded Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley East Chain 78-59 to advance.
In other section first round games, fourth-ranked Mayer Lutheran beat 13-seeded BOLD 77-57 and will take on fifth-seeded Nicollet, which topped 12th-seeded NRHEG 84-69, after the Clipper game. Second-seeded Madelia rolled over 15th-ranked USC 98-50 and will play seventh-seeded GFW, which won over 10th-ranked Sleepy Eye 76-65, on the Sibley East court. Third ranked Sleepy Eye beat 16th-ranked Martin County West 73-39 and will take on sixth seeded Mankato Loyola, which beat 11th-ranked Lester Prairie 79-54. That game is also in Arlington.
Above: Carson Lyons winds up for a jump shot.
Braeden Smith releases a shot.
Bode Bartell runs in a layup.
Miles Tomaszewski releases a shot from behind the arc.
Alex Kortuem coils or a three-point attempt.
Mason Kluntz puts up a shot from under the iron.
Garrett Heldberg pulls up for a shot.
The Clippers were sparked by a raucous student section.
Clippers Alex Kortuem, Killian Kunkel, Braeden Smith and Jack Mons celebrate the win.