The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men's Basketball team clinched at least a share of the MCAC Southern Division title with a 91-88 win over Rochester on Wednesday evening.
The Golden Rams hold a one game lead on Riverland with one game left to play. A win on Saturday at Ridgewater would give Anoka-Ramsey the Southern Division championship outright and secure the #1 seed in the Region XIII tournament. If Anoka-Ramsey and Riverland are tied atop the standings the #1 seed will be determined by a coin flip.
In Wednesday night's contest the Golden Rams jumped out to a 16-7 lead five minutes into the game.
A 7-0 spurt by Rochester cut the lead to 16-14, but five points from Edvonte Copeland and a layup from Kevin Schramm pushed the lead to 23-17.
The Anoka-Ramsey offense would sputter from there as Rochester went on a 9-0 run over the next six minutes to take a 26-23 lead.
Malik Williams would connect on a three, followed by another Schramm layup, and a layup by Williams during a 7-0 run to give Anoka-Ramsey a 30-26 lead.
After a dunk from Mamadou Ngom kept the lead at four points, 32-28, the Golden Ram offense would stall again as Rochester built a 39-32 lead with a minute to play in the half, and the Yellowjackets led 40-35 at halftime.
Anoka-Ramsey would fight back. Trailing 51-47 at the 16 minute mark, the Golden Rams went on a 14-5 run to take a 61-56 lead after a three from Copeland.
Rochester pulled within 67-63 with 11:37 left, but two Harley Shear free throws, two free throws from Ramose Riddley, and a layup by Chris Morgan put the Golden Rams up 73-63 with 10:32 left.
A three-point play from Shear gave Anoka-Ramsey a 79-68 lead with 6:38 left before Rochester mounted a comeback.
Rochester cut the deficit to 83-78 with 2:42 to play, but five straight points from Schramm put the lead back to 88-80.
Two Zane Lind free throws kept Rochester at bay 90-83 with 1:09 left.
But turnovers and missed Golden Ram free throws kept Rochester close.
The Yellowjackets had a chance to tie inbounding under their own basket with 5.6 seconds to play, but Lind blocked the game-tying three point attempt and the Golden Rams would survive.
The Golden Rams shot 54.2 percent for the game including 18 of 29 (62.1 percent) in the second half.
Copeland finished with 31 points making 6 of 12 threes.
Schramm scored 21 points on 9 of 13 from the field.
Ngom finished with ten points and eight rebounds.
Shear chipped in nine points making 5 of 7 free throws.
Anoka-Ramsey improves to 23-3 overall, 11-2 in the MCAC Southern Division.