Minnesota Fury Tournament (May 17th-May 19th, 2013 – Eagan, MN)

Summary of our First Four Tournaments

Minnesota Fury Tournament (May 17^th-May 19^th, 2013 – Eagan, MN)
5-1 Tournament Record (2^nd Place), 20-5 overall record
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Sam Skoyen, Austin Heidecker, Garrett Ober, Max Lynch

MN Fury Ramey came out strong in this tournament against an athletic but undersized Heat McKee team.  Though a tied game through the first few minutes of regulation, the MN Fury Ramey started to push to a comfortable lead through the solid post play of Craig Nielsen (Hastings, 6’5”), who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds and his regular season companion Sam Skoyen (Hastings, 6’3”), who chipped in 15 points on the game.  Both were dynamic and played a very good inside-outside game which flustered the Heat McKee squad.  Max Lynch  (6’7”, Edina) also dominated inside as he scored 13 points and was simply unstoppable.  Four players were in double figures for MN Fury Ramey as the squad continued its distributed game play, with 18 team assists for the game.  MN Fury cleaned up 82-57.

The second game versus E1T1 proved to be a more challenged contest.  NorthStarHoopsReport billed this as the marquee game of this pool and it lived up to its billing.  E1T1 was an undersized but deceptively quick team, with the ability to penetrate to the hoop as well as pull up for the three point shot.  MN Fury Ramey had difficulty containing the drive in the first half as the two top players for E1T1 would drive and score or drive and kick.  It was tied 30-30 at half.  The second half was a different story as MN Fury Ramey picked up its defensive pressure and didn’t allow any easy buckets for E1T1.  In addition to its solid defensive play, Sam Skoyen still proved unstoppable and scored 9 of his 13 points in the 2^nd half.  Craig Nielsen chipped in with 12 of his own on 56% shooting.  Jake Meyen (Maranatha Christian Academy, 6’3”) distributed the ball nicely at the PG, dishing out 5 assists.  MN Fury took this one 61-52.

The third game in the pool was against MN Select 16u, coached by former Gopher Steve Esselink.  MN Select had a very good shooting team, with players from each position – PG to PF to Center- able to spot up and hit the three pointer.  This put extra stress on the MN Fury Ramey team defense as the big men, Ober and Lynch, had to move away from the basket to cover their man three point line extended.  MN Select capitalized on this learning curve for MN Fury Ramey as they knocked down five threes in the first half alone.  MN Fury Ramey kept up its own offensive barrage, by attacking the basket strong and drawing fouls.  MN Fury Ramey capitalized by going to the line 10 times in the first half and making 9 of those 10 free throws.  The halftime score was a close one, with MN Fury Ramey clinging to a 3 point lead, 30-27.  But the second half proved that MN Fury Ramey was too much for the tired MN Select squad, which had just finished a triple overtime game against Heat McKee only an hour before.  Fury Ramey poured it on the 2^nd half, scoring 39 points while only allowing 30.  The final score was 69-57, with Austin Heidecker leading all scorers with 11 points, while Joe Morris (Burnsville, 6’3”) had 7 points, 7 rebounds and Garrett Ober added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal.

The first game of Championship play pinned MN Fury Ramey versus Magic Red – rumors had it that is was their second team, but they had added two key pieces – Matt Anderson out of Stillwater and another solid guard from Howard Pulley (name unknown).  Needless to say, they would be tough.  MN Fury Ramey played its solid man-to-man defense as usual, but when Magic Red started bombing threes from NBA range+ and making them, you knew it would be heated contest.  The first half saw some great shooting and good scoring, as MN Fury Ramey took a half time lead of 36-29  behind the solid scoring of Sam Skoyen, Matt Morse, and Austin Heidecker.  The second half provide much of the same defensive intensity as MN Fury Ramey took away the 3 point threat of Magic Red and forced them off the line and into the drive.  Recognizing the mismatches in physicality, MN Fury Ramey pounded the ball inside into Austin Heidecker and Max Lynch.  Heidecker finished with a double-double, 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Lynch finished with 4 points and 6 rebounds.  Joe Morris again showed his superior athletic ability not only with a two hand dunk in transition, but also netted 6 points and 8 rebounds.  In addition to this, he classed up the game by passing up a dunk with only seconds left – kudos to Joe on good sportsmanship.  MN Fury Ramey took this game 70-60.

The next game was up against one of the most physical and athletic teams that MN Fury Ramey had played all year long – MN Heat Bui.  MN Heat matched up well against MN Fury Ramey with their physicality and shooting ability – this match up would represent a true test for MN Fury Ramey.  The game started off with baskets hard to come by as both teams were playing lockdown defense.  The refs were making their presence known by calling fouls early and often.  MN Fury Ramey converted 11 of their 19 1^st half free throw attempts and MN Heat Bui converted 8 of their 12 1^st half free throw attempts.    MN Fury Ramey played lockdown defense though, allowing just 17 points in the first half by forcing tough shot attempts.  With its solid defense and continued well-distributed offensive barrage, MN Fury Ramey took a commanding 39-17 half time lead.  2^nd half shots were a bit tougher to come by for MN Fury Ramey and MN Heat Bui started to heat up, but it was too little, too late, as MN Fury Ramey controlled the final outcome, 52-39.

The Championship Game for MN Fury tournament was Fury vs. Fury.  MN Fury Johnson vs. MN Fury Ramey.  Both of these teams are quality competitors and they showed it on the floor.  The game started out hot for both teams as they traded bucket after bucket.  MN Fury Ramey came out hot, grabbing the lead on solid shooting.  MN Fury Ramey was up half way through the first, but then MN Fury Johnson threw on its patented full court man defense.  MN Fury Ramey easily broke through the press, but struggled to get the offense set up in the half court – often times forcing up a quick shot or having a turnover as the result of the pesky recover defense of MN Fury Johnson.  The momentum changed in MN Johnson’s favor with about 7 minutes left in the first and MN Fury Ramey found itself down 31-38 at half.  MN Fury Ramey looked to recover in the 2^nd half, but all engines had run out of steam.  MN Fury Johnson continued its press and MN Fury Ramey struggled to find good shot opportunities, and when they did, they had trouble converting.  MN Fury Johnson took a commanding 14 point lead halfway through the first on their solid 5-out drive attack and kick offense.  MN Fury Ramey mounted a decent comeback of its own, playing full court man trapping defense in the 2^nd, but it couldn’t muster enough turnovers to change the tide of the game.  MN Fury Ramey took 2^nd place overall, with the final score MN Fury Johnson 70, MN Fury Ramey 62

Box Scores:
Game 1: MN Fury Ramey vs. Heat McKee (82-57) W
Kevin McKiernan – 11pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1TO
John Swanke – 8pts, 4reb, 2ast, 1TO
Sam Skoyen – 15pts, 5reb, 3ast, 1TO
Austin Heidecker – 2pts, 5reb, 3ast, 2TO
Garrett Ober – 3pts, 2reb, 1TO, 1steal, 1blk
Jake Meyen – 8pts, 2pts, 1ast, 1TO,
Joe Morris – 6pts, 4reb, 3ast
Matt Morse – 4pts, 3reb, 4ast, 1steal
Craig Nielsen – 12pts, 11reb, 1ast, 1TO, 1steal, 1blk
Max Lynch - 13pts, 3reb, 1TO

Game 2: MN Fury Ramey vs. E1T1 (61-52) W
Kevin McKiernan – 0pts, 2reb, 2TO
John Swanke – 0pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1TO
Sam Skoyen – 13pts, 2reb, 1TO, 1steal, 2blk
Austin Heidecker – 8pts, 6reb, 2ast, 2TO, 1steal
Garrett Ober – 4pts, 2reb, 1ast, 1TO, 1blk
Jake Meyen – 8pts, 5reb, 5ast, 1TO, 1blk
Joe Morris – 6pts, 4reb, 2ast, 5TO, 1steal
Matt Morse – 2pts, 1ast, 2steal
Craig Nielsen – 12pts, 3reb, 2TO
Max Lynch - 8pts, 5reb

Game 3: MN Fury Ramey vs. MN Select (69-57) W
Kevin McKiernan – 5pts, 2reb, 1TO
John Swanke – 5pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1steal
Sam Skoyen – 4pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1TO, 1blk
Austin Heidecker – 11pts, 4reb, 1TO
Garrett Ober – 9pts, 5reb, 1TO, 1steal
Jake Meyen – 6pts, 2ast, 3TO,
Joe Morris – 7pts, 7reb, 2ast, 5TO, 2steal
Matt Morse – 10pts, 1reb, 4ast, 2TO, 2steal
Craig Nielsen – 6pts, 6reb, 2ast
Max Lynch - 6pts, 5reb, 1steal

Game 4: MN Fury Ramey vs. Magic Red (70-60) W
Kevin McKiernan – 5pts, 4reb, 3ast, 5TO
John Swanke – 2pts, 4reb
Sam Skoyen – 17pts, 2reb, 1ast
Austin Heidecker – 19pts, 11reb, 2TO
Garrett Ober – 4pts, 4reb, 2ast, 1TO
Jake Meyen – 2pts, 2reb, 3TO
Joe Morris – 6pts, 8reb, 3ast, 2TO, 1steal, 1blk
Matt Morse – 11pts, 2reb, 2TO, 1steal
Craig Nielsen – 0pts, 3reb, 1ast
Max Lynch - 4pts, 6reb, 2ast, 1TO

Game 5: MN Fury Ramey vs. Heat Bui (52-39) W
Kevin McKiernan – 2pts, 1reb, 2ast, 1TO
John Swanke – 3pts, 4reb, 2ast
Sam Skoyen – 9pts, 3reb, 1ast, 2TO
Austin Heidecker – 10pts, 2reb, 1ast
Garrett Ober – 4pts, 8reb, 1ast, 1steal, 1blk
Jake Meyen – 3pts, 3reb, 2TO, 4steal
Joe Morris – 4pts, 3reb, 5TO
Matt Morse – 11pts, 2reb, 3TO
Craig Nielsen – 2pts, 2reb, 2ast, 2TO, 1steal
Max Lynch - 4pts, 3 reb, 1ast, 2TO

Game 6: MN Fury Ramey vs. MN Fury Johnson (62-70) L, 2^nd place overall finish
Kevin McKiernan – 3pts, 3reb, 3ast, 1TO, 1steal
John Swanke – 6pts, 3 reb, 1TO
Sam Skoyen – 11pts, 2reb, 1ast, 1blk
Austin Heidecker – 7pts, 5reb, 2TO, 1steal
Garrett Ober – 12pts, 2reb,
Jake Meyen – 2pts, 3reb, 2ast, 1TO
Joe Morris – 4pts, 1reb, 3ast, 2TO, 1steal
Matt Morse – 3pts, 2reb, 2ast, 4TO, 1steal
Craig Nielsen – 4pts, 4reb, 3TO
Max Lynch - 8pts, 5reb, 1steal, 2blk