Was over at the Butler Center last night to take in this MIAC tilt between visiting Bethel and host St. Kate's. This would be my second look at the Royals and I was particularly interested to see how they would bounce back after Monday night's disappointment at UST. The Wildcats, meanwhile, had a few extra days to prepare for this contest and I couldn't help but wonder if the extra time they had to get ready for this one would improve their chances of pulling off an unlikely victory.
Early on, it looked as if Bethel had easily shaken off any bad vibes they may have had from two nights ago as they jumped out to a 9-4 lead that was fueled by a "3" from senior guard Katelyn Vavra from the right wing and had St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shedding the sport coat by the 16:08 mark. The Wildcats, however, would claw right back into the thick of things as they went on a 5-0 push over the next two minutes; highlighted by a "3" from junior guard Jenna Mistler from the top of the key that tied the score at 9-all by the 11:16 mark. Bethel would answer the challenge put forth by the 'Cats, however, and respond with a 13-4 run that was highlighted by a "3" from freshman sensation Kalli Zimmermann from the top of the key at the 10:07 mark; a coast-to-coast lay-up by fellow freshman guard Shanni Moorse with 7:43 left; and a score in the paint by super soph post Rachel Parupsky with 6:19 left. Trailing 22-13, the Wildcats could have been in big trouble right then and there but again they managed to draw closer down the stretch of the first half. A rebound and putback by sophomore guard/forward Shauna Horsch had the 'Cats back to within five at 22-17 and, despite a score down low by Zimmermann for the Royals, junior forward Sarah Manning connected with a jumper from the right baseline with 3:30 left and Mistler knocked down two charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 2:50 left that had St. Kate's close; trailing only 25-21. Bethel extended that lead to a touchdown margin thanks to a "3" from sophomore guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz from the left corner but a score in the paint by Mistler with 1:53 sliced some fat off of that deficit so going into the locker room trailing 28-23 actually had the Wildcats right where they wanted to be.
Two quick scores by the Wildcats to open the second half - a score in the paint by freshman phenom LaShay Holt and a one-handed shot down low by freshman Abby Torgerson pulled St. Kate's to within one. "Bam Bam" Schultz knocked down another trey for the Royals at the 17:22 mark but again the Cats were not quite ready to let their visitors take control of this thing. Holt responded with a "3" of her own and then two scores by Mistler - who seemed to be all over the place on both sides of the floor on this night - cut it down to a one possession game again. Twice St. Kate's would tie the Royals in the second half: once at the 12:44 mark when senior guard/forward Kristen Lee knocked down a short one-handed jumper from the left side at the 12:44 mark and then again at the 11:41 mark when freshman Kennedy Jennings knocked down two free throws after getting fouled. The critical juncture in the second half came at the 11:26 mark when the 'Cats made the mistake of letting Vavra get an open look behind the arc from the left wing area and she promptly drilled a "3" to break the tie. Less than a minute afterward, Parupsky muscled her way into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and she calmly knocked down the obligatory freebie. Sensing trouble, Pinkerton immediately called a timeout to try and reverse the damage but this time the Wildcats would not be able to respond as they had earlier. An encore "3" by Vavra from the right corner at the 10:06 mark along with a drive and finish by Zimmermann with 8:27 left now had the Royals up by nine at 50-41. With 6:22 left, Vavra kissed a jumper off the glass that had the Royals up by double digits and they would keep that cushion the rest of the way. Despite some late forays by the 'Cats - a driving lay-up down the middle of the lane by Torgerson and a "3" by Kristen Lee from the left wing, Bethel would maintain the cushion and book a key 68-53 victory that improves their record to 8-1 in the MIAC and 10-2 overall.
Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer seemed very pleased with his team's effort and grit after the tough loss down the street a couple nights against UST. "I think we may have been a little tired after the game two nights ago" Herbrechtsmeyer admitted. Still, they found a way to respond and meet the challenge from a gritty, gutty St. Kate's team that never quit in this one. I also thought that Bethel did a good job on defense; particularly in the rebounding front. They also switched from a man-to-man defense early on in the contest to a 2-3 zone late in the first half. Herbrechtsmeyer: "We like to change things up from time to time to give opponents a different look". I was also impressed with the play of Zimmermann in this one and her decision to come to Bethel seems to be a good fit. "I didn't come to Bethel with any expectations" she said afterward. "Certainly not to start." But started she has and she is one of the integral parts of this multi-faceted Bethel attack. When I probed Herbrechtsmeyer about the potential pitfalls of looking ahead into the big picture and what it could mean he was quick in his response. "We just tell the kids to go to class and do their homework and concentrate on one step at a time." Certainly it has worked well to this point anyway and I would have to think that the Royals are going to have a chance to get the program to a level they haven't been to before in a very long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment