by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
The Thief River Falls boys basketball team swept a two-game homestand Friday and Saturday night at the Lincoln High School Brickhouse.
The Prowlers defeated the Fosston Greyhounds 74-61 Thursday night, before closing out their 2025-26 home schedule with a 66-45 win over Warroad.
“We did what we needed to do,” said Thief River Falls Head Coach Jon Hams. “We will for sure have a home playoff game with the win over Warroad. More importantly, by winning those games, it means that with a good week this week, we will have the chance to move up a couple of more spots and have an outside chance at two home playoff games. Our play down the stretch has been gritty with guys playing sick or being shorthanded because of illness.”
The Prowlers trailed early but took control for good halfway through the opening half against the Greyhounds. The Prowlers led by nine at the break and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half.
The only thing keeping the Greyhounds in the game were well-timed three-point buckets. The Greyhounds drained nine threes in the game, including an impressive 6-for-14 night from Jack Sekely.
The Prowlers, meanwhile, did their damage driving to the bucket, with the senior duo of Wyatt Nelson and Bridger Wilcox combining for 51 of the team’s 74 points. Nelson scored 27 points and finished the night with a team-high three steals. Wilcox scored 24 points and added 12 rebounds for a double double. He also led the team in assists with five.
The Prowlers stayed hot one night later against the section rival Warriors. The Warriors led early, but the Prowlers were in control by the end of the first half with a 33-24 lead. The Prowlers continued to add to their lead in the second half to complete the season-sweep of the Warriors.
Wilcox and Nelson led the Prowlers again with Wilcox scoring 24 points and collecting 16 rebounds for a double-double. Nelson scored 14. Connor Bruce led the Prowlers in assists with four and Jett Cornelius hit double digits in rebounds with 11.
The win over the Warriors was the fourth straight for the Prowlers, who improved to 14-9 overall and 8-2 in the Brickhouse.
The Prowlers were on the on road Tuesday night at Section 8AA rival Perham. They close out the 2025-26 regular season with road games at Mahnomen on Thursday and Bemidji on Friday.
Scoring
1 2 T
Fosston 29 32 61
Thief River Falls 38 36 74
Fosston – Jake Howard 15, Quinten Lundell 10, Jack Sekely 20, Darien Holzer 12, Tucker Nyland 4.
Thief River Falls – Tucker Grindeland 8, Bridger Wilcox 24, Wyatt Nelson 27, Jett Cornelius 7, Casey Nelson 2, Connor Bruce 5, Lane Waldal 1.
Scoring
1 2 T
Warroad 24 21 45
Thief River Falls 33 33 66
Warroad – Gavin Wyckoff 6, Doot Boucha 15, Brady Fast 15, Luke Billingsley 2, Julian Garrigan 7.
Thief River Falls – Bridger Wilcox 24, Wyatt Nelson 14, Jett Cornelius 6, Casey Nelson 4, Connor Bruce 6, Lane Waldal 2, Dylan Osowski 7, Cooper Skjerven 3.
Section 8AA
Overall QRF
W L
East Grand Forks 20 5 110.9
Staples-Motley 15 7 100.2
DGF 14 11 88.1
Osakis 14 10 87.3
Perham 12 12 86.8
Thief River Falls 14 9 83.7
Barnesville 11 12 83.5
Warroad 13 12 71.8
Park Rapids Area 10 15 59.9
Hawley 6 18 55.4
Roseau 6 18 47.2
Crookston 5 17 45.1
Wadena-Deer Creek 4 19 41.6
Menahga 6 18 38.4
• QRF Seeding set for Feb. 28