Apple Valley men’s basketball closed out the regular season with a 81-62 victory over Rosemount Friday night.  It was also senior night.

The Eagles struggled to maintain a steady lead early in the game, trading leads with the Irish throughout the first half.  Apple Valley saw out the half however, leading 34-30.  Apple Valley improved in the second half, ending the game with a 19 point lead.

“We were really loose and giving them a lot of open shots.  We needed to clean up our defense, especially on the perimeter,” said head coach Zach Goring.

Apple Valley’s top scorer, junior guard Gary Trent, Jr., returned after being sick during the last game.  He did not have his best game, though, scoring only 8 points and playing 24 minutes.  This didn’t stop senior captain Cam Kirksey, sophomore Tre Jones, or sophomore Luke Martens.  Kirksey lead the team in points with 25 points, Martens added 12, and Jones had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists–recording the first triple-double in school history.

“The guys have really been sharing the ball and taking the load off when JR hasn’t been totally healthy,” said Gohring.

This was the last regular season home game ever for Jordan Reddick, Aaron Ertz, Levi Oberg, captain Brock Bertram, Kirksey, and Miles Hendrickson.  They were all honored before the game.

“It’s humbing.  Senior night went by pretty fast, but it might be one of the last times playing with my brothers and teammates,”  Kirksey said.  The senior class ended their conference careers with 71 wins and only one loss.  They were also undefeated at home.

Apple Valley’s next game is a section playoff game at home against Henry Sibley on Wednesday, February 24, at 7pm.