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Senior captains take charge to push Robbinsdale Armstrong past Maple Grove

By Luke Hanlon, SportsEngine, 02/28/20, 4:00PM CST

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The Falcons' senior team captains combined to score 60 of their squad's 74 total points, led by Jake Breitbach's 23 points.

Robbinsdale Armstrong's Jake Breitbach (No. 4) had a team-high 23 points in the Falcons' 74-66 defeat of Maple Grove at home on Friday night. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

Robbinsdale Armstrong's Jake Breitbach (No. 4) had a team-high 23 points in the Falcons' 74-66 defeat of Maple Grove at home on Friday night. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

Sports are supposed to be fun, especially at the high school level.

But basketball hasn’t been as fun for Robbinsdale Armstrong lately, with the Falcons going through a grueling stretch of playing nine games in 18 days and they had lost two of their last three contests by a combined nine points.

Things got a little better on Friday. Armstrong rebounded from its three-point loss to St. Louis Park on Wednesday to come away with a 74-66 triumph at home over Northwest Suburban Conference foe Maple Grove, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, to finish the regular season.

The uproar in the Falcons’ locker room after the game was audible from several feet outside the metal doors, making it clear the win meant a lot.

The Falcons' Hezekiah Iyawe (right), who scored 16 points Friday, fights off a strong Crimson defense. Robbinsdale Armstrong beat Maple Grove 74-66. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

The Falcons' Hezekiah Iyawe (right), who scored 16 points Friday, fights off a strong Crimson defense. Robbinsdale Armstrong beat Maple Grove 74-66. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

First Report

Robbinsdale Armstrong ended its regular season on a high note, coming away with a 74-66 win at home over Northwest Suburban Conference opponent Maple Grove on Friday night.

The game was closely contested in the first half, as the Crimson (21-5, 12-0) went into the halftime break with a 35-34 lead. Maple Grove’s Lovell Williams and RaShaun Parker proved to be the difference early, combining for 23 points in the first half.

The Falcons (19-7, 7-5) took control in the second half, however, as they suffocated the Crimson backcourt and forced them into tougher shots. Williams and Parker scored a combined 14 points in the second half, and 10 of them came from Williams in the final minutes while the Crimson, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, were chasing. Williams finished with 23 points, while Parker had 16.

It was senior night for the Falcons, so it was fitting that they were led by their four senior captains: Jake Breitbach, Hezekiah Iyawe, Adam Biewen and Benhur Soloman. Breitbach had a team-high 23 points, while Iyawe scored 16 and Biewen contributed 15. D’Sean Larkins scored 10 points and Soloman chipped in with six.

Maple Grove's Lovell Williams (right) had 23 points in his team's 74-66 loss to Robbinsdale Armstrong on Friday night. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

Maple Grove's Lovell Williams (right) had 24 points in his team's 74-66 loss to Robbinsdale Armstrong on Friday night. Photo by Earl J. Ebensteiner, SportsEngine

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