I published an article last week about how players can be forced into tough decisions in combined playoffs when their two teams play against each other. With the passing of each round, that decision gets tougher to make, as the stakes increase and the probability of that decision impacting who wins the title increases.

The ultimate conundrum comes when your two teams make it all the way to the championship, as it directly affects the outcome of a championship. It’s a first-world problem to have, as having two teams in the title game is far better than having none, but it does require tough decisions to be made.

That decision has to be made tonight by both Izzy Elkaffas and Bryant Marmol, as their Bloomington South team, the Guerrillas, and their Fridley team, FOB Five, both won in the semifinals last night to set up tonight’s championship game. They don’t have to make a decision though, as they both need to play for the Guerrillas to give them five, so their minds were made up for them. Win or lose, they’ll both get a championship tonight, it just might not be as satisfying as usual.

Both teams were able to get to the championship game through two good games in the semifinals last night.

The Guerrillas started it off with an 80-73 overtime win over Total Blend. The Guerrillas played a 1-3-1 zone the entire game, which stifled the potent offense of Total Blend. They average a league-high 82.8 points per game, which was the best in Bloomington South this season, but they struggled to score consistently last night. That was especially true from beyond the arc, as they shot 8-32 from deep, including an 0-4 night for Jalen Jaspers, who the Guerrillas strategically left open in the corner on multiple occasions.

Despite those shooting woes, Total Blend was in the game the entire time, as neither team was able to create that much separation. The score was tied 33-33 at halftime and 68-68 at the end of regulation. Once the game went to overtime, Elkaffas made a 3 (one of his five makes) and Caleb Carlson made a layup to give the Guerrillas a five-point lead they never lost. Carlson finished with a game-high 26 points on 8-15 shooting, while Ahmed Helmy used his size advantage against an under-sized Total Blend squad to rack up 22 points and 11 rebounds.

FOB Five ended the night with a 66-57 victory over the 1-seed Minnesota Elite. The highlight of this game was by far Jon Christenson’s otherworldly heat check at the beginning of the game. Christenson scored 22 of FOB Five’s fist 25 points, knocking down seven 3s and converting on a four-point play. It was one of the wildest heat checks I’ve ever seen in person, especially coming from Christenson. He’s a good shooter, but he typically thrives by getting open off the ball, losing his defender and knocking down spot-up 3s. He had a few of those, but once he got hot, he was pulling up in dudes’ faces and torching them. He didn’t score again after that outburst, but he didn’t need to, as those 22 points were the most he’s put up in a UH game since scoring 24 for the Muskies on April 24.

FOB Five built up a 22-point lead in the first half, but Minnesota Elite closed out the half on a big run to tie the game at 34-34 at halftime. FOB Five locked down defensively in the second half, forcing Minnesota Elite into a tough shot almost anytime they were in their half-court offense. This was highlighted by holding Paris Kyles to 17 points on 5-13 shooting, his second-lowest scoring output of the season.

The rest of the game was highlighted by the two players that secured championships with the win. Marmol was consistently good all game, scoring 18 points on 4-6 shooting from deep and 6-6 from the free-throw line, adding seven rebounds and assists apiece. Elkaffas only played six minutes, but he was on full tilt on the bench, constantly heckling Minnesota Elite players. This ranged from calling out fouls their players committed (some being called, most being ignored), golf-clapping through late FOB Five free throws that iced the game and a few specific shots; most notably, asking Luke Settergren if he just came out of bed because he showed up a few minutes late and wore sweatpants throughout the game. This eventually led Kyles to interact with Izzy, telling him “he’s right where he belongs”, on the bench, “acting like a fan,” which was also amusing.

While no title has been added to either one officially, this will be Marmol’s 14th and Elkaffas’ 13th. That makes them second and third respectively for all-time titles in UH Minnesota history, trailing only Ryan Jansen’s 20.

Minnesota's Elkaffas, Marmol continue championship dominance