Was out at Maple Grove High School last night to catch the Section 5AAAA quarterfinal game that pitted host (and #4 seed) Maple Grove against a young and up-and-coming #5 seed Champlin Park. Besides the seeding aspect, you knew this game was going to be special anyway as both are rivals in the highly competitive Northwest Suburban Conference and both programs have a rich history and tradition that have included appearances at Target Center during the month of March.
Conventional wisdom would have held that the Crimson SHOULD be able to hold serve at home but conventional wisdom got tossed out the window early by this young, adventuresome and attacking Champlin Park squad as they bolted out to a 6-0 lead behind flashy junior guard Alexis Alexander as she grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback at the 17:53 mark and connected with long jumpers just inside the arc at both the 16:24 and 14:24 marks. The Rebels were also playing in-your-face defense that caused a multitude of problems for Maple Grove early on and it wasn't until the 13:11 mark that they finally got untracked. Senior guard Angie Davison made a hard drive and finish to get the Crimson on the board and, after a free throw be senior reserve guard Kyla Schmidt, fellow senior Kelly Olzenak drained a "3" from the right corner at the 10:31 mark that knotted things at 6-all. Things would stay close over the course of the next 5 minutes with each side trading leads of no more than two points.
The Rebels, however, would make a push in the last few minutes of the first half that would not only give them an edge but would also be a precursor of things to come in the second half. Trailing 16-15, the Rebels lanky junior post Mariya Sampson (with older sis and former Rebel Heather in the stands cheering her on) snared an offensive rebound for a putback that put Champlin Park out in front again - and for good - at 17-16. A jumper by Sampson with 4:20 left gave the Rebels a 19-16 lead. Even more alarming for Maple Grove was when Davison (who is headed to UNI like older sis Stephanie) picked up her third foul with 2:40 left in the first half that forced Crimson Head Coach Mark Cook to bench his senior standout. This gave Champlin Park the opening it was looking for. Alexander used her quickness to snare a steal and go the other way for a lay-up with 2:18 left and then it was senior guard Kalli Zimmerman knocking down a "3" from the left wing with 1:20 left that allowed the upstart Rebels to go into the locker room at halftime with a surprising 26-21 lead.
Maple Grove would at least hang within striking distance in the opening minutes of the second half but they never could quite find that "burst" that Cook was hoping for. Part of the problem was that the Crimson simply couldn't get many of their numerous three-point attempts to fall on this night. The other problem was that the aggressive defense that Champlin Park was throwing really took the Crimson out of their rythm offensively as they just never looked smooth on this night. The other big thing was that the Rebels were doing an outstanding job of rebounding on both the offensive and defensive sides that limited Maple Grove's chances as well. Nevertheless, the Crimson were still in the thick of things at the 15:03 mark when senior Madison Ordner connected with a sweet shot off the glass that cut the Rebel lead to 31-27. But this young Champlin Park team coached by Doug Swenson would not be denied on this Thursday night. Sampson connected with a turnaround shot at the 14:39 mark and two shots at the charity stripe by Sampson at the 13:36 mark made it a 35-27 game that had Cook calling for a timeout. Did this faze the navy-blue clad Rebels? Hardly. Afterwards, Alexander made good on a lay-up at the 12:45 mark and after a free throw by the junior, junior reserve guard Genevae Adkins got into the game (and into the groove as well) as she connected with a long two pointer just inside the arc from the left corner at the 11:14 mark. Adkins liked that spot so much that, on the ensuing Rebel possession she camped out in the same spot; just a couple of steps back this time, and nailed a "3" at the 10:34 mark to complete a decisive 13-2 run that not only gave Champlin Park a commanding 44-29 lead but also had Maple Grove behind the 8-ball by now as well.
The Crimson refused to quit however, and they poured their souls in a valiant effort to try and claw back into things. Ordner got into the paint for a score at the 10:02 mark and was fouled in the process. The obligatory freebie cut the deficit to twelve at 44-32. Reserve sophomore Julie Hagert, who had an outstanding second half for the Crimson, did the same with 6:52 left that also gave Champlin Park's Sampson her fourth foul. Senior reserve SJ DeGroote got a lay-up in transition with 6:18 left that cut the Rebel lead into single digits at 46-37. Then it was Olzenak nailing a "3" with 5:38 left that cut Champlin Park's lead to 48-40. But just when it seemed as if Maple Grove might be on the verge of a miraculous comeback, their gas tank came up empty as they just never could quite seem to hit that big "3" or make that big "burst" that might have totally changed the complexion of this game. And the Rebels kept right on attacking inside and outside - and pounding the boards as well. Senior guard Alli Zopfi hit a huge "3" with 4:55 left that gave the Rebels a double-digit cushion again at 51-40 that they would hang onto the rest of the way. Moreover, Swenson had his team milking the clock for all it was worth under the four minute mark that would get the Rebels to the charity stripe often in the waning minutes. Even more frustrating for Maple Grove in the last few minutes was their inability to put down free throws that only made their situation more desperate. Two late scores by Hagert slimmed down the deficit a bit but the crowning touch for the Rebels was a lay-up by Sampson in transition with just under a minute left that finally sealed the deal for Champlin Park as they recorded a stunning 66-52 upset that has them heading up to Anoka this next Tuesday night for a semifinal date with the winner of the Roseville - Irondale game.
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