Renollet, Grinsell lead Broncos to first Section 7AA victory since 2005
Shawn Gilbert finally got his first-round playoff victory in Section 7AA, and his players couldn’t be happier about it.
Numerous players were jumping up and down and screaming Wednesday night following International Falls’ 56-37 win against Greenway at the Falls High Gym.
It’s the first win in five section tournaments under Gilbert, and the first postseason win since the 2005 team made a memorable run to the section final.
“For our senior class this is just a huge accomplishment for the team,” Broncos senior Heaven Grinsell said. “So I’m all like jittery.”
Reva Renollet led the third-seeded Broncos (12-15) with a game-high 15 points, Grinsell chipped in with 13 points and Sophie Fredrickson had nine points, including a team-high seven in the first half.
“It was a team goal to get past the first round,” said Grinsell, who finished a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Sixth-seeded Greenway (5-17) got a team-high 11 points from Leah Antonson and seven points from Nicolle Gross.
“You get down 15 points or so and it’s hard to come back,” Raiders head coach Ryan Wright said.
Broncos senior Olivia King, who finished with eight points, scored the first six points of the game. Fredrickson added the next five and the Broncos opened with an 11-0 lead.
Greenway finally got on the board with a free throw with 9:14 remaining in the first half, and Antonson made the Raiders’ first field goal — a 3-pointer — with 7 minutes left. However, the Broncos lead was only 13-6 at the time.
The Raiders kept it close and trailed 19-14 at half.
The visitors got even closer in the second half, drawing to within 3 at 19-16 and at 25-22, but it was all Broncos from there.
With 12:05 to play, International Falls went on a 17-3 run to take a 42-28 lead with 5:46 left. The Raiders couldn’t make free throws, finishing 10-for-22, and nearly had as many fouls in the second half (17) as points (23).
The Broncos finished 20-for-28 from the line, thanks in large part to Grinsell, and although they still turned the ball over too much for Gilbert, the end result was the most important.
“It’s really good getting past the first game,” said the fifth-year head coach, who admitted to being nervous at halftime.
The focus now turns to second-seeded Two Harbors, which crushed No. 7 Marshall 47-24 in its first-round matchup. The Agates (14-12), riding a 4-game win streak, defeated the Broncos 55-32 back on Jan. 22.
Grinsell is hoping to reverse that outcome and advance to the semifinals.
“I hope we have a lot (of confidence). I think we have enough confidence,” she said. “I know we can beat Two Harbors. We just have to bring our ‘A’ game.”
Game notes
• Broncos freshman point guard Rachel Foss, who started down the final stretch of the regular season, missed the game with an ankle injury. She’s hoping to be back for today’s game.
• Falls High School freshman Anna Ringhofer opened the contest by playing the national anthem with her flute.
• The Broncos are 3-6 all time against Two Harbors and defeated them last year 46-39. Coach Gilbert is 1-2 all time in his career against the Agates.
