Nicollet proceeded to go on a 19-3 run, powered by two consecutive 3-pointers by Keegan Hulke, to go up 70-56. Madelia continued to control the score for the rest of the game, going on to win 77-67 to take the lead in the Valley Division.

“We have 10 guys we can play,” Nicollet head coach Chris Hulke said. “Keegan’s got the ankle injury, just next guy up. Someone’s tired, next man up. These guys work their butts off at practice. They’re an unbelievable group of kids, they give me everything they’ve got. They ask me to coach them and to hold them accountable, and they’ve listened to everything we’ve done. It is definitely about those guys.

“Individually, just great stuff. Keegan hit some big shots, couldn’t move very well, but hit some big shots. Defensively in the second half, rebounds, loose balls, everything we talked about, you ask these kids to do something and they do it. Unbelievably great group of guys.”

Keegan Hulke suffered an ankle injury in a game against Martin County West on Jan. 22 but played through the injury on Thursday.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Nicollet head coach Chris Hulke encourages his bench during a Valley Division boys basketball game against Madelia Thursday at Madelia High School. Hulke earned his 100th career win in the game.

It was also coach Hulke’s 100th career win in boys basketball in his second stint coaching for the Raiders.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get to 100,” coach Hulke said. “I left after six years, and I’m luck to come back. Took over a zero-win team, and these kids have given me everything. It’s pretty special to me. I had no idea this was planned.

“I didn’t know anyone knew it but a couple people, maybe my kids. Pretty special, we have a great team. That was a great game. Madelia is so good, even if they’re down a player, they’re really well coached. We wanted to get this one. It feels pretty special.”

The win put Nicollet at a 14-3 overall record and 9-1 record in conference. Both Nicollet and Madelia came into the game with just one loss in conference play, and Nicollet’s win puts them on pace to win the division with two conference games to play against Mankato Loyola (6-3 in conference) and Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther (2-5 in conference).

“It means a lot,” coach Hulke said. “Our first goal is to win the conference title. That’s where our first goal is, we have many more above and beyond that. But you’ve got to start with that one. They’ve been stacking wins up, they’ve been competing, and this is a good one.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Madelia’s Bryce Borkenhagen (2) dribbles into the lane while defended by Nicollet’s Abe Madson (back) during a Valley Division boys basketball game Thursday at Madelia High School.

“We’ve got another tough one [Friday] against Loyola, but we’re looking forward to seeing where we’re at. Now we have to get healthy, get home and get ready for tomorrow.”

Madelia, meanwhile, falls to 13-3 overall and 8-2 in conference as it awaits the return of leading scorer Kaydon Firchau from injury. Firchau suited up for the game but did not enter as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Madelia also has two conference games to go against MCW (1-8 in conference) and Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons (1-7 in conference).

Henry Oscarson led the Raiders with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Carson Kettner had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Keegan Hulke had 15 points, all on 3s, while Abe Madson had 11 points. Henry Kennedy added 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Dalton Tatro led the Blackhawks with 21 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Tate Becker had 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Caden McMullen had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Bryce Borkenhagen had 13 points and four assists.

Nicollet took an early 7-3 lead on a 3 from Kettner, but Madelia came back with a 3 from Leilynd Hundley and another from Tatro helped tie the game at 11. Borkenhagen stole the ball and put up a layup to give the Blackhawks a 13-11 lead, but a 3 from Keegan Hulke tied the game again at 14. The teams continued to battle back and forth, with Madelia going up 24-17 on a floater from Tatro, and the Raiders switched to a full-court press, which it used to get 5 quick points from Kennedy as he hit a layup and a 3-pointer off of a turnover to cut the lead to 24-22. However, Madelia continued to stay in front, and a 3 from Tatro put the Blackhawks up 37-26 as Nicollet called a timeout with 3:06 to play. Nicollet went on a 9-2 run for the rest of the half, capped off by a spinning, one-legged fading 3-pointer against double-coverage from Keegan Hulke that he drained as time was expiring in the half to cut the lead to 39-35.

“I got double teamed, and I had to shoot it,” Keegan Hulke said. “I somehow made it. I have no idea.”

Nicollet carried that momentum into the second half, where a putback from Oscarson tied the game at 41. Madelia got a transition layup and a corner 3 from Tatro to go up 46-42, but a fading 3-pointer from Madson put Nicollet up 51-48. McMullen picked up his fourth foul soon after and headed to the bench, and while Madelia rallied to take a 53-51 lead on a driving layup from Becker, Nicollet went on its 19-3 run, with Keegan Hulke hitting two 3s and Kettner converting an and-one, to go up 70-56.

“We knew that if we won this, we’d probably win the Valley [Division],” Keegan Hulke said. “We knew it was coach’s 100th win, so we wanted to win it for him too. We lost to Madelia last year in the playoffs, so it was a little bit of revenge.”

Becker had a putback to end the run, but Madson hit another 3-pointer to keep Nicollet on track. Nearly the whole starting lineup for Madelia was in foul trouble as the Blackhawks calle a timeout with 1:52 to play down 73-60, but they managed to cut the lead to 77-67 on a banked 3-pointer from Borkenhagen with 28.5 to play. However, it was too little, too late as Nicollet came away with the victory.

“It means a lot,” Keegan Hulke said. “We might move in front of them in the section too. And seeding matters, so that was a big win.”

Nicollet hosts Loyola on Friday, while Madelia hosts Sleepy Eye on Monday.