**Red Lake Energized by Electric Atmosphere in 73-58 Win Over Pine River-Backus**
*RED LAKE* — Pine River-Backus (PRB) wasn’t expecting the type of atmosphere they walked into on Tuesday afternoon at Red Lake High School.
Due to Tuesday’s state caucuses, the Minnesota State High School League only permitted games before 6 p.m. statewide. The Red Lake boys basketball team agreed with PRB to tip off at 2:30 p.m., allowing the Red Lake student body to attend the game.
To say the crowd was into it would be an understatement. When the Warrior bench broke out into a “DE-FENSE” chant, it was amplified by thunderous stomping in the bleachers. Students screamed loudly as the Tigers shot free throws, and every big Red Lake 3-pointer was met with a deafening roar.
“It was the first time ever in Red Lake history that we got to have a day game in front of the student body,” Red Lake head coach Nolan Desjarlait said. “You could see the momentum; it was carrying. They fed off the crowd.”
The Warriors were clearly energized by the atmosphere, while the Tigers appeared distracted. Mental mistakes, combined with Red Lake’s aggressive defense, led to a 73-58 win for the Warriors.
Dominant for most of the game, Red Lake’s defense was tested with six minutes left in the second half. Leading 64-43, the Warriors’ offense went cold, giving the Tigers new life. PRB went on a 9-0 run, cutting the lead to 12 and boosting their confidence.
Desjarlait called a timeout with three minutes remaining, the score standing at 64-52. He knew the Tigers could smell blood, so he rallied his defense and emphasized staying poised. The message worked — the Warriors held strong, securing well-timed steals and crucial rebounds until the final buzzer.
### Defensive Versatility Leads the Way
The Warriors pride themselves on keeping opposing offenses guessing. Defensively, they switch between man-to-man, 2-3 zone, 1-2-2, and full-court trap based on the situation. This unpredictability, combined with the raucous home crowd, helped Red Lake jump out to an early 22-11 lead.
Junior Austin Perkins led the charge, scoring 18 of the Warriors’ first 25 points, including three 3-pointers. He finished the game with 20 points before fouling out nine minutes into the second half.
“First half, he was unconscious,” Desjarlait said. “Just keep feeding the ball, do what he does. Foul trouble will get him; that’s his pet peeve. When he gets in foul trouble, the confidence starts to go down a little bit. But he’s our leading scorer — he’s closing in on 1,000 points.”
Senior Dimitrius Harris added, “He’s fun to have on the team. You can depend on him; he can get the job done.”
### Managing Foul Trouble
The Warriors took a 42-25 lead into halftime but ran into foul trouble before the break. They committed nine fouls to PRB’s four. Coach Desjarlait acknowledged the need to clean up the fouls in the second half.
“We were gambling too much,” he said. “We were just putting our hands in the cookie jars. If we played defense the way we should, we would wall up without reaching.”
Despite Perkins fouling out early in the second half, Red Lake’s defense held strong. Perkins led the team with 20 points, followed by Harris with 12.
### A Healthy Lineup Breathes New Life
The win moves Red Lake to 9-8 on a season that’s been up-and-down. Battling injuries and illness, the Warriors hadn’t had a full, healthy lineup in weeks. Tuesday marked the first game in some time with all players available.
“It feels pretty good to get a win again,” Harris said. “It’s a tough team, and we got our players back, so that’s good. It feels good because now we can play at our best.”
Red Lake hopes to leave its health issues behind and maintain its strong defensive identity as the season progresses.
### Looking Ahead
Coach Desjarlait sums it up simply: defense is their best offense. The Warriors believe this formula will help them win more games down the stretch.
Red Lake travels to Northome/Kelliher on Friday before hosting rival Cass Lake-Bena on February 10 at home — a game that could see Perkins reach the 1,000-point milestone.
The team hopes to recreate the electric atmosphere from Tuesday’s game again. Rattling opponents with noise is a true home-court advantage.
“It was a big crowd,” Desjarlait said. “They wanted to put on a show for their fellow classmates, and they responded very well.”
—
### Final Score
**Red Lake 73, Pine River-Backus 58**
PRB 25 | 33 | 58
RLHS 42 | 31 | 73
—
### Pine River-Backus Scoring
– Eveland 17
– Downie 15
– Oberfell 10
– Nelson 8
– Aleckson 6
– Shogren 2
### Red Lake Scoring
– Perkins 20
– Harris 12
– Loud 9
– Curry 8
– Kingbird 5
– Oakgrove 5
– Barrett 4
– Papageorgiou 3
– Cook 3
– Anderson 2
https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/prep/electric-atmosphere-aggressive-defense-lead-red-lake-triumph-over-pine-river-backus