Boys Basketball Class 2A Semifinal: Caledonia outlasts North

The Caledonia Warriors defeated the North Polars 60-55, Wednesday afternoon at Target Center, to advance to the state championship game.

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Caledonia kept its unbeaten streak against Minnesota teams intact this season with the victory.

Senior guard Austin Klug led a balanced attack with 14 points and senior guard Jackson Koepke added 13 to send the Warriors (23-1) into the Class AA championship game on Saturday against either Fergus Falls or Waseca, who played in the following semifinal. It will be the Warriors’ first appearance in the Class AA championship game since finishing runner-up in 2018. The only loss for Caledonia this season was a 51-43 setback to Onalaska, Wis.

Caledonia pulled away in the final moments when it became a series of free throws on each end of the floor. Senior forward Sean Privet made three in the final moments and Klug added a pair. Senior guard Andrew Kunelius gave Caledonia a 57-53 lead on two free throws with 20.9 seconds left. But Minneapolis North answered just seconds later on two free throws from senior guard Andre Gray II to again draw the Polars to within two.

Senior power forward Davon Townley, Jr., paced the Polars (15-2) with 19 points and was a force in the second half as Minneapolis North battled back from a 10-point deficit. Gray added 12 points for the Polars, who were seeking a championship berth for the first time since finishing as the Class AA runner-up in 2019.