Staff photo by Ari Selvey Springfield’s Brayden Sturm (15) steps back for a shot over Madelia’s Tate Becker (3) and Josiah DeMaris (2) during a Tomahawk-Valley Conference crossover boys basketball game Monday at Madelia High School.

MADELIA — Springfield and Madelia went into halftime of a Tomahawk-Valley Conference crossover boys basketball game with the Tigers holding a slim 42-38 lead.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, Springfield had secured an 84-58 victory after a surge in the middle of the second half put the game away.

“I think defensively in the second half we really came out with a concentrated effort,” Springfield head coach Lance Larson said. “We held them to 20 points in that second half, so that’s a credit to our team. We came out and worked hard after a tough loss last Friday [to Central Minnesota Christian]. You always worry about how you bounce back after something like that. In the first half we maybe came out a little flat, but there was a big crowd and I think that had something to do with it. The boys locked in and did their things well.”

Brecken Heiling led the Tigers with 25 points and six rebounds, while Brayden Sturm had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Bryan Buerkle had 17 points and seven rebounds with four assists.

Madelia’s Hayden Jones also scored his 1,000th career points in the game, reaching the milestone on a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game. Jones scored 14 points in the game, while Kaydon Firchau had 13 points. Tate Becker scored 12 points, all in the first half, and Josiah DeMaris had 10 points.

The matchup may have been a preview of the first-ever Tomahawk-Valley Conference Boys Basketball Championship, as Madelia clinched the Valley Division over the weekend and Springfield is tied with Cedar Mountain for the Tomahawk Division lead.

“It was a good atmosphere,” Larson said. “With a loud crowd, it’s something good to play in that helps us prepare for when it does matter.”

The Madelia crowd was certainly a factor in the game, as the fans packed the gym in support of their team.

“I think it was big getting the first points of the game,” Heiling said. “Mellowed it out a little. They were bringing it all game, but we played our game and it didn’t mess with us that much.”

Heiling got that first bucket with a 3-pointer, then Sturm hit two free throws to go up 5-0. Madelia tied it back up with a 3-pointer from DeMaris and a layup through a foul from Becker, but Springfield retook the lead with another 3-pointer from Heiling. The teams kept it close throughout the half, with neither team going up by more than 7, which Springfield did with another 3-pointer from Heiling to go up 32-25. However, Madelia battled back to a 40-36 game on a layup from Becker. Springfield’s Parker Kuehn got one more bucket for Springfield, then Becker ended the half with a layup as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

While Madelia initially looked to gain the upper hand in the second half, tying the game after a free throw from Jones and a 3-pointer from DeMaris, Springfield soon took control, with Sturm scoring three consecutive layups as the Tigers went up 60-46 to end an 18-4 run.

“Our defense, we were switching everything,” Heiling said. “Just communicating through everything, staying on our guy, doing sound principles defensively, and offensively getting quality looks.”

Springfield continued to push the lead with a pair of transition layups from Heiling to go up 73-55, followed by a transition layup from Kuehn to force a Madelia timeout with 5:39 to play.

Another timeout with 2:08 saw Springfield with a 81-55 lead, and Jones’ 3-pointer closed out the game as Springfield took home the win.

Springfield (20-2) hosts Sleepy Eye on Tuesday, while Madelia (17-4) plays at Red Rock Central on Thursday.