The nightcap at Maple Grove High School on this Tuesday night would be the semifinal game between perennial powerhouse DeLaSalle which has won the last three Class AAA state championships going up against Totino-Grace which knows a thing or two about success as well. In fact, this game would be a redux of the 2008 State Championship game in which Totino-Grace; led by now Assistant Coach Lizzy Naumann, knocked off the heavily-favored Islanders to claim the championship trophy.
DeLaSalle would get out to a 4-0 lead early in this one thank to an offensive rebound and putback by sophomore forward Teja Bodden at the 17:26 mark and a score in the paint by junior forward Taylor Toney at the 15:40 mark but the Eagles would soon respond with a 13-0 run over the next five minutes fueled by timely scores from junior guard Gabby Eisfelder and senior guard Hannah Hoestra along with a "3" from the left wing by reserve junior guard Margaret Anderson that had the Islanders reeling momentarily. But DeLaSalle would soon right the ship and their fast-paced up-tempo style that was a stark contrast to the slow-it-down half-court style favored by the Eagles would pay dividends. Scores in the paint by both Toney and sophomore reserve guard Aiza Wilson whittled the Totino-Grace advantage down to five at 13-8 with 9:16 left. Two charity stripe shots by Toney with 8:41 left and a "3" by junior guard Patiance Griffin from the right wing with 8:11 left suddenly knotted things up at 13 a piece and this 9-0 Islander run had Totino-Grace Head Coach Bill Essma clamoring for a thirty-second timeout.
DeLaSalle would manage to grab a small lead over the next few minutes despite the fact that the Islanders seemed to be content with recklessly launching a bevy of ill-advised three-point attempts - with only a scattering of successful launches. Junior guard Zae Sellers got one to go down from the top of the key with 6:53 left. An offensive rebound and putback by sophomore reserve forward Camryn Speese with 6:25 left and a free throw from Wilson with 5:59 left had DeLaSalle up 19-15. Griffin got a trey attempt from the top of the key to go down with 5:27 left that gave the Islanders their largest lead of the game at 22-17 before Totino-Grace was able to catch a second wind. 6'1" sophomore forward Lexi Weierke got into the paint for a score with 5:09 left and a lay-up by senior guard Erin Opat with 4:49 left got the Eagles to within a point trailing 22-21. But DeLaSalle managed to cling to their slim lead despite the best efforts of the Eagles coming down the stretch. Speese connected with a short jumper with 4:11 left and two free throws by Toney with 2:14 left had the Islanders up 26-23 and a "3" from Griffin from the left wing with 1:49 left made it a 29-23 ballgame before Totino-Grace could shave some of the fat off the deficit. A score in the paint by Opat with 1:25 left and a short shot by Anderson with just :14 left on the clock trimmed the Islander advantage down to 29-27. Totino-Grace arguably dodged a bullet just before the half when DeLaSalle's Sellers was fouled behind the arc on her last-gasp three-point attempt but the junior could only knock down one of the three attempts from the charity stripe for a 30-27 Islander lead at the half.
DeLaSalle, despite holding a small lead, still looked very impatient on offense at the beginning of the second half and it appeared that some of those hasty three-point attempts might finally have caught up with the Islanders. Despite and offensive rebound and putback by Speese at the 17:24 mark that upped DeLaSalle's lead to 32-27, the Eagles clawed their way back into this contest. Two free throws by junior guard Sydney Borys at the 16:53 mark and a jumper by Eisfelder at the 15:24 mark pulled Totino-Grace back to within one. A score in the paint by Lexi Weierke at the 12:40 mark put the Eagles back out in front since that 13-0 run back in the first half at 33-32. An Eisfelder "3" from the left wing at the 11:36 mark along with a score in the paint by Opat at the 11:07 mark made it 38-34 Totino-Grace. Freshman reserve forward Sydney Weierke; Lexi's younger sister, made her presence felt when she maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 10:34 mark for a 40-34 Eagle lead and DeLaSalle Head Coach Faith Johnson Patterson; not at all liking the look of things, had no choice but to call a halt to the action.
But just when Totino-Grace seemed to be on the verge of taking over this game (and arguably should have), their fortunes suddenly and inexplicably shifted. A lot of credit has to go to the Islanders, however, as their speed and athleticism and their ability to get into the passing lanes wreaked havoc on the Eagles as they had considerable difficulty running their half-court offense. And DeLaSalle was now also starting to make the most of their opportunities when they had the ball as well. A one-handed jumper by Wilson with 8:26 left started a decisive 12-0 run for the Islanders. Toney snared an offensive rebound for a putback and got fouled in the process and her free throw brought DeLaSalle to within one with 7:49 left. Freshman guard Aejah Lockett then drained a "3" from the right wing with exactly 5:00 left that put the Islanders back out in front for good and two more free throws by Toney now made it a two-possession game at 44-40. While Totino-Grace struggled with missed opportunity after missed opportunity with turnovers galore the Islanders feasted. Toney snared a steal in the backcourt and got an easy lay-up with 2:52 left for a 46-40 lead and suddenly it was desperation time for the Eagles. A free throw by Borys with 2:36 left along with a lay-up by Borys with 1:45 left brought Totino-Grace back to within three trailing 46-43 but they could get no closer. The Eagles last real chance came when DeLaSalle's Toney missed two free throw attempts with 1:16 left but the loose ball off of the last errant freebie went right to the Islanders and Toney made amends for those missed charity stripe shots by connecting with a lay-up with 1:11 left. Two Sellers free throws with :39.2 left and two late Toney scores - a lay-up in transition with :19 left and an offensive rebound for a putback with just :05 left sealed the deal for DeLaSalle as the Islanders punched their ticket to the Section 3AAA Final up in Anoka Friday night with a 54-43 victory.
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