Packers roll by Red Wing in Section 1AAA boys basketball quarterfinals 78-44

The Austin Packers boys basketball team, the No. 1 seed in the Section 1AAA boys basketball tournament and No. 10 in the state in the last AP poll played host to eighth-seeded Red Wing in the tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night, and Okey Okey swished four 3-pointers on his way to 20 points, and Moses Idris scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half as the Packers led wire-to-wire in a 78-44 win at Packer Gym.

Idris scored the first four points for the Packers, who jumped out to a 15-5 lead in the early going and never looked back from there.  The Red Wing defense had no answer for Idris, who hit open jumpers, which included one of Austin’s five 3-pointers in the half and also attacked the hoop on his way to 17 first half points.  Okey drilled a three-pointer as he scored nine of his 20 points in the half, Agwa Nywesh tallied eight of his 15 points in the half and the Packers also picked up six points from sophomore guard Emmanuel Manyuon off the bench on their way to a 40-16 halftime lead.

Austin didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second half as they rained down eight 3’s on the Wingers in the half, with Okey swishing three, Manyuon hitting two, and Nywesh, Ochan Obany and Jacob Venega all tallying one apiece.

Besides Okey’s 20 points and 19 for Idris, Agwa Nywesh added 15 points, Manyuon chipped in 14 off the bench, plus Obany and Venega each wound up with three apiece.  Teyghan Hovland and Lero Oman each added  two points for Austin.  Red Wing, who was held to only four field goals in the first half was led by Denval Atkinson, who tallied 17 points.  Dontray Johnson added 10 points, and the Packer defense held leading scorer Deso Buck to no points in the game.

The Packers move to 22-5 on the season, and they will host fourth-seeded Byron Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at Packer Gym.  The Bears dispatched No. 5 seed Kasson/Mantorville Tuesday night by a score of 70-50.  You’ll hear the game on AM 1480 KAUS, world-wide at myaustinminnesota.com and on the I Heart Radio app Saturday night, with the Ausitn Packers pre-game show starting at 6:45 p.m.  The other semi-final Saturday night will see No. 2 seed Albert Lea hosting sixth-seeded Simley, as the Tigers downed No. 7 seed Faribault 77-61.  Simley knocked off No. 3 seed Winona Tuesday night 58-49.