The nightcap at Park Center High School on this night featured the contest between visiting Duluth East and host Park Center. The Pirates; still with the #1 ranking in Class AAA despite the loss to Minnetonka right before Christmas, were looking to get back on track on their home floor in the first annual Park Center Holiday Tournament while the visiting Greyhounds were looking to make a big splash and snare a big victory to get on an upward move.
Duluth East opened some eyes early in this contest; getting out to a 5-2 lead thanks to a "3" from the top of the key by senior post Rachel Weyenberg at the 17:15 mark and a score in the paint at the 16:30 mark by fellow senior forward/post Hannah Johnson. But the Pirates wasted little time in utilizing their quickness and aggressiveness on defense to take control of this one. An offensive rebound and putback by sophomore post Mikayla Hayes of her own miss at the 15:45 mark and a "3" from the left corner by diminutive sophomore guard Danielle Schaub had Park Center back out in front by a score of 7-5. At the 14:41 mark, Danielle Schaub; enroute to a fantastic day for her squad, snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up and got fouled in the process and the ensuing free throw made it a 10-5 ballgame. Older sister and senior point guard Hannah Schaub was fouled in the act of shooting at the 13:49 mark and her two freebies made it 12-5 and Greyhounds Head Coach Joaquim Harris had seen enough to know that a timeout was needed to get his squad calmed down. But the stoppage in play didn't deter the Pirates from expanding on their lead. Sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele knocked down a "3" from the right corner at the 11:53 mark and later added two free throws for a 17-5 Park Center lead at the 10:21 mark. Senior reserve forward Camille McCoy made it a 19-5 score with 9:58 left to finish off the 17-0 run with a jumper in the lane.
Duluth East finally ended its scoring drought with 9:11 left when Johnson connected with a lay-up but the Pirates embarked on a 7-1 run over the next four minutes. A drive and finish by Hayes with 7:05 left along with two more scores from Danielle Schaub - a short shot in transition with 6:32 left and a "3" from the right wing with 5:27 left - made it 26-8 Park Center. Johnson was able to get another score in the paint for the Greyhounds with 4:51 left but Danielle Schaub uncorked yet another "3" from the right wing area again with 4:15 left to make it a 29-10 game and a very upset Harris was forced to use another timeout to stop the bleeding. An offensive rebound and putback by Hayes extended the lead to 31-10 with 3:21 left before Duluth East was finally able to get untracked. A 6-0 spurt to end the first half - highlighted by two scores by senior forward Danielle Cieluch - trimmed the Pirates lead at the half 31-16 but the Greyhounds had a LOT of work in front of them if they were going to get back into this thing.
Duluth East relied on Cieluch's hot hand from late in the first half as they trimmed the Park Center lead down to ten points at 32-22 by the 16:25 mark before the Pirates woke up from their short siesta. Sophomore guard Ann Simonet connected on a lay-up at the 16:20 mark and got fouled in the process and her free throw upped the lead to thirteen at 35-22. A score down low by Hayes at the 15:47 mark made it 37-22 and then senior sharpshooting guard McKenna DuBois; who had been quiet in the first half, finally shook off the cobwebs and got into the scoring book. She scored in the paint at the 15:19 mark on a nice assist from Hayes and then connected on a lay-up in transition at the 14:50 mark to make it a 41-22 game. Still another score in the paint by Hayes at the 13:45 mark and a lay-up in transition by Simonet at the 13:22 mark capped a 13-0 burst to make it 45-22 and the Greyhounds Harris; knowing his squad was right back at Square One; had no choice but to call a timeout.
But Duluth East would have few answers for the Pirates relentlessness on defense and the ability to create turnovers for easy scores. Hannah Schaub snared one steal and raced the other way for a lay-up at the 12:13 mark and lil' sis Danielle Schaub stole a Greyhound inbounds pass and got a lay-up out of that for a 49-26 Park Center lead which would expand to 51-26 with 9:03 left when Danielle Schaub connected with another lay-up in transition. A "3" from Ayobamidele from the right wing with 8:33 left and another Simonet lay-up with 7:08 left had the Pirates up comfortably 56-29 with a seeming stranglehold on the game when Head Coach Chris VanderHyde made an interesting decision with just under six minutes to empty his bench and put mostly his reserves on the floor. Duluth East, stymied for the last several minutes on offense, took advantage of the now youthful Park Center line-up and finally went to work. Two lay-ups by Cieluch cut the Pirate lead down to 58-36 with 4:44 left and a Johnson score in the paint with 4:15 left trimmed the Park Center lead down to twenty at 58-38. Another Cieluch/Johnson scoring combination cut the lead down to sixteen points at 58-42 with 3:18 left and a VanderHyde had to be worried that this experiment might backfire badly. A Cieluch score in the paint with 2:48 left and one free throw by senior forward Liz Libbon drew the Greyhounds to within fifteen points at 60-45 and a Libbon lay-up in transition cut the Pirate lead down to 60-47. By this point, VanderHyde had seen enough to get some of his starters back onto the floor to close the deal. Danielle Schaub, who finished this game with a career-high 24 points, definitely did finish off Duluth East with two late lay-ups in transition for a final score of 64-47.
I couldn't resist asking VanderHyde afterward about his installing several of his reserves with about six minutes left. "We just wanted to see how they would do with a lead" he replied. Not necessarily a bad experiment either; particularly in a non-conference match-up just before the first of the year. Sometimes, the young ones have to learn the hard way. I remember being told as a young junior tennis player back in the day that, "If you're going to run with the big dogs, you'd better learn how to p*ss in tall grass." Maybe not the best analogy perhaps but I think that there's a lot of truth to that. The bottom line is that the younger players who got some minutes today that they normally wouldn't get will only help them down the road. More importantly, though, is that Park Center is sitting pretty going into 2015 and the Northwest Suburban Conference season. Some tough non-conference match-ups are in the immediate offing however, as roadies over to Eden Prairie this coming Saturday night (1-3) and another one to Hopkins loom ahead but those will only help the Pirates get through another grueling Northwest Suburban Conference schedule as they set their sights on a return trip to the State Tournament to defend their title.
Los Angeles Rams
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Park Center Holiday Tournament - Rogers vs Champlin Park 12-29-14
Made the quick run over to Park Center High School after I got off work on this Monday afternoon to take in the first annual Holiday Tournament hosted by the reigning 2014 state champs. The first game on this day featured a conference and crosstown rival - Champlin Park - taking on Rogers out of the Mississippi 8 Conference. I got into the Park Center gymnasium right around the 13:11 mark of the first half with the Rebels holding a 5-4 lead.
Both teams would trade one-point leads over the next two minutes and, after Champlin Park sophomore guard Allison Gerads put her team ahead 9-8 on her short jumper at the 11:10 mark, the Royals answered as senior forward Marina Nowak got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and the ensuing freebie now had Rogers up 11-9 at the 10:55 mark. Two more charity stripe shots by sophomore forward Megan Secrist made it a 13-9 game for the Royals before Champlin Park could creep back to within one on one free throw and a score in the paint by lanky 6'3" junior post Hanna Crymble with 9:08 left. But a 5-0 Rogers push highlighted by a score off of an inbounds pass by Secrist with 8:53 left and a short jumper by senior guard Taylor Paulsrud with 8:25 mark made a 17-12 game. Champlin Park would cut the Royal advantage down to two points at 19-17 when Gerads nailed a "3" from the left corner with 7:01 left but another 5-0 run by Rogers made it 24-17 with 6:17 left when Paulsrud knocked down a "3" from the right corner. The Rebels would flirt with comeback attempts over the next three minutes and, trailing 28-22 with under four minutes left, Champlin Park finally made their move. Two Crymble free throws with 3:13 left and a jumper in the lane by senior reserve forward Catera Etheridge with 1:53 left drew the Rebels to within two trailing 28-26 and a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Gabrielle Mocchi with 1:24 left tied the game. Crymble maneuvered into the paint for a score with :55 left to put Champlin Park ahead for the first time since early in the contest and two Mocchi free throws with :20.6 left consolidated the late first half comeback by the Rebels who took a 32-28 lead in the locker room at the half.
That late first half collapse by Rogers didn't seem to weigh too heavily on the minds of the Royals coming into the second half as they battled and stayed close with their opponent from the Northwest Suburban Conference. Two free throws by freshman reserve guard Erica Hicks and a "3" from the top of the key by fellow freshman Mocchi had Champlin Park up 39-33 at the 14:03 mark but Rogers would trim the deficit to a scant point less than a minute later at 39-38. A "3" from the left wing by Gerads at the 12:54 mark, however, along with a lay-up in transition by Hicks at the 12:12 mark extended the Rebel lead to 44-38 and Rogers Head Coach Karlee Anderson; not liking the look of things at this juncture, called a timeout.
But the stoppage in play did not get the immediate result that the Royals had hoped for as Champlin Park slowly extended their lead. A drive into the lane and finish by junior guard Megan Witte at the 11:27 mark upped the Rebel lead to 46-40. A free throw with 9:40 left and a turnaround jumper in the lane by Crymble with 8:38 left extended the Champlin Park advantage to eight points at 49-41 and the Rebels appeared primed to seize the moment. A quick 6-0 run by Rogers, however, zapped all those good thought and when Nowak was able to drive down low and finish with 7:20 left to get the Royals to within two, it was now Champlin Park Head Coach Jake Kuppe's turn to call a timeout and do some serious yelling and chewing in the huddle. The Rebels appeared initially to have benefitted from that woodshed session with their head coach as Witte helped spark a 5-0 run to up the lead to 52-47. But Rogers would respond with a 5-0 run of their own; highlighted by a "3" from the right wing by senior guard Taylor Anderson to tie the game at 52-all and, with the Royals now being in the double-bonus as well, Champlin Park could have easily been in some serious doo-doo at this point. To their credit, however, the Rebels held firm as free throws from Witte with 4:35 left and senior guard Kacie Tomniczak with 4:16 left plus two more from Crymble after she was fouled in a transition opportunity helped Champlin Park establish a 58-54 lead with 3:54 left. The clincher came with 3:07 left when Mocchi made a hard drive and finish with 3:07 left and got fouled in the process and her free throws made it a 61-54 ballgame. The Rebels; now being very patient with the ball, knew that Rogers would have to foul in order to stop the clock. Hicks and Gerads would both knock down free throws to keep the lead at seven at 65-58 with 1:18 left and Ethridge was able to knock down three more to help close the deal for Champlin Park as they advanced into Thursday's championship game with a 69-60 victory.
Both teams would trade one-point leads over the next two minutes and, after Champlin Park sophomore guard Allison Gerads put her team ahead 9-8 on her short jumper at the 11:10 mark, the Royals answered as senior forward Marina Nowak got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and the ensuing freebie now had Rogers up 11-9 at the 10:55 mark. Two more charity stripe shots by sophomore forward Megan Secrist made it a 13-9 game for the Royals before Champlin Park could creep back to within one on one free throw and a score in the paint by lanky 6'3" junior post Hanna Crymble with 9:08 left. But a 5-0 Rogers push highlighted by a score off of an inbounds pass by Secrist with 8:53 left and a short jumper by senior guard Taylor Paulsrud with 8:25 mark made a 17-12 game. Champlin Park would cut the Royal advantage down to two points at 19-17 when Gerads nailed a "3" from the left corner with 7:01 left but another 5-0 run by Rogers made it 24-17 with 6:17 left when Paulsrud knocked down a "3" from the right corner. The Rebels would flirt with comeback attempts over the next three minutes and, trailing 28-22 with under four minutes left, Champlin Park finally made their move. Two Crymble free throws with 3:13 left and a jumper in the lane by senior reserve forward Catera Etheridge with 1:53 left drew the Rebels to within two trailing 28-26 and a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Gabrielle Mocchi with 1:24 left tied the game. Crymble maneuvered into the paint for a score with :55 left to put Champlin Park ahead for the first time since early in the contest and two Mocchi free throws with :20.6 left consolidated the late first half comeback by the Rebels who took a 32-28 lead in the locker room at the half.
That late first half collapse by Rogers didn't seem to weigh too heavily on the minds of the Royals coming into the second half as they battled and stayed close with their opponent from the Northwest Suburban Conference. Two free throws by freshman reserve guard Erica Hicks and a "3" from the top of the key by fellow freshman Mocchi had Champlin Park up 39-33 at the 14:03 mark but Rogers would trim the deficit to a scant point less than a minute later at 39-38. A "3" from the left wing by Gerads at the 12:54 mark, however, along with a lay-up in transition by Hicks at the 12:12 mark extended the Rebel lead to 44-38 and Rogers Head Coach Karlee Anderson; not liking the look of things at this juncture, called a timeout.
But the stoppage in play did not get the immediate result that the Royals had hoped for as Champlin Park slowly extended their lead. A drive into the lane and finish by junior guard Megan Witte at the 11:27 mark upped the Rebel lead to 46-40. A free throw with 9:40 left and a turnaround jumper in the lane by Crymble with 8:38 left extended the Champlin Park advantage to eight points at 49-41 and the Rebels appeared primed to seize the moment. A quick 6-0 run by Rogers, however, zapped all those good thought and when Nowak was able to drive down low and finish with 7:20 left to get the Royals to within two, it was now Champlin Park Head Coach Jake Kuppe's turn to call a timeout and do some serious yelling and chewing in the huddle. The Rebels appeared initially to have benefitted from that woodshed session with their head coach as Witte helped spark a 5-0 run to up the lead to 52-47. But Rogers would respond with a 5-0 run of their own; highlighted by a "3" from the right wing by senior guard Taylor Anderson to tie the game at 52-all and, with the Royals now being in the double-bonus as well, Champlin Park could have easily been in some serious doo-doo at this point. To their credit, however, the Rebels held firm as free throws from Witte with 4:35 left and senior guard Kacie Tomniczak with 4:16 left plus two more from Crymble after she was fouled in a transition opportunity helped Champlin Park establish a 58-54 lead with 3:54 left. The clincher came with 3:07 left when Mocchi made a hard drive and finish with 3:07 left and got fouled in the process and her free throws made it a 61-54 ballgame. The Rebels; now being very patient with the ball, knew that Rogers would have to foul in order to stop the clock. Hicks and Gerads would both knock down free throws to keep the lead at seven at 65-58 with 1:18 left and Ethridge was able to knock down three more to help close the deal for Champlin Park as they advanced into Thursday's championship game with a 69-60 victory.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Park Center vs Minnetonka 12-23-14
Made the drive over to Minnetonka High School on this Tuesday night with the Christmas holiday in the immediate offing for this intriguing early season clash between two high profile teams - #1 Park Center in Class AAA against host Minnetonka rated #4 in Class AAAA. The Pirates, off to another solid start in their defense of their state title from last season were looking to make a big splash just before the Yuletide but the host Skippers; anxious to crawl out of the shadow cast by rival Hopkins, were looking to notch an important win on their schedule and build their confidence heading into the first of the year.
A 7-0 Minnetonka run in the games opening minutes had the visiting Pirates reeling. Strong 6'2" junior forward Courtney Fredrickson started the run at the 17:03 mark with a lay-up and a "3" from the left corner by senior sharp-shooting guard Caroline Shelquist at the 16:19 mark along with an offensive rebound by 6'0" forward Lizzie Odegard at the 15:54 mark made it look like that this could be a long night for the Pirates but Park Center slowly gathered themselves and got right back into the thick of things despite the fact that the Skippers had an obvious size advantage and that the Pirates were having an incredibly difficult time working the ball inside early on. A lay-up at the 15:38 mark by sophomore guard Danielle Schaub and a "3" from the right wing by older sis and senior point guard Hannah Schaub drew Park Center to within four trailing 9-5 by the 14:44 mark. Minnetonka would manage to stretch the lead to nine again on scores in the paint by both Fredrickson and Odegard over the next two minutes, however, as the Pirates still were having a difficult time in neutralizing the Skipper "bigs" down low and with a 17-7 score at the 10:40 mark, Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde knew a timeout was warranted.
That stoppage in play seemed to light a fire for the Pirates as they once again closed in on the deficit. Two free throws by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 10:04 mark and a jumper from the left top area by sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele drew Park Center to within six trailing 17-11. A Hayes lay-up with 8:19 left and a lay-up in transition by Hannah Schaub completed a smart 8-0 Park Center run to cut Minnetonka's lead to 17-15 but, at the same time, the Skippers woke up from their brief slumber and went back to work. Odegard scored in the paint off of an inbounds pass with 7:23 left and a "3" from the left wing by freshman 6'2" forward Kayla Mershon upped the Minnetonka lead to 22-15. The Pirates tried to answer as Danielle Schaub uncorked a "3" from the right top area with 5:42 left but an offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve guard Grace Allen and a "3" from the left wing area by junior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 4:51 left made it a nine-point 27-18 Skipper lead. Another Shelquist three-point bomb - this one from the left top area with 4:20 left - made it a 30-18 game and Minnetonka would stretch the lead to fourteen at 34-20 when Odegard snared yet another offensive rebound for a putback with 2:57 left. Late scores by Park Center's Hayes and sophomore guard Ann Simonet helped close the gap a bit at the half but the Skippers still held a ten-point cushion at 36-26.
The Pirates got off on the right foot once the second half got underway as senior sharp-shooting guard McKenna DuBois finally found her touch and drilled a "3" from the top of the key at the 16:47 mark and a Hayes score in the paint at the 16:11 mark brought Park Center back to within five trailing 36-31 but once again Minnetonka woke up from its short siesta. Shelquist nailed a "3" from the left wing at the 15:55 mark and a short turnaround jumper by Fredrickson at the 13:34 mark re-established the ten-point advantage at 41-31. Allen uncorked a "3" from the right wing at the 12:43 mark for an eleven-point 44-33 lead and it looked at this point that the Skippers might be in position to finally run away with this one.
But the Pirates weren't quite ready to lay down their swords to enjoy all the holiday festivities just yet. Hayes connected on a pretty one-handed scoop lay-up at the 11:22 mark and then the always-dangerous Ayobamidele let loose with a "3" from the left corner with 9:44 left to get Park Center back to within six trailing 44-38. A drive and finish by Hayes with 9:06 left drew the Pirates to within four but alas, that's as close as Park Center would ever get in this one as Minnetonka always seemed to have an answer for every Pirate charge. A score in the paint by Hedstrom with 8:51 left along with another Shelquist three-point bomb; this one from the right top area with 8:21 left made it a nine-point 49-40 game and a Hedstrom steal and lay-up the other way with 8:08 left pushed the lead back into double-digit range. Park Center would twice get the deficit back into single-digit range on scores by both Ayobamidele and Danielle Schaub but the Pirates were never able to sustain any potential momentum. Scores by Fredrickson and Hestrom once again pushed the lead back into double digits at 57-45 with 4:26 left and Park Center's VanderHyde called a timeout to adjust his team's defensive approach to be more aggressive in the backcourt which did yield a few positive results albeit too little too late. Treys from Hannah Schaub and Simonet got the Pirates to within eight trailing 59-51 with 2:13 left but now Park Center was forced to foul as well which quickly had the Skippers in the double-bonus with 2:03 left. Minnetonka was very patient on offense knowing full and well that they were going to be sent to the charity stripe to finish this one off. Free throws by Shelquist and Fredrickson down the stretch offset a late "3" from DuBois and a short jumper by Danielle Schaub as the Skippers chalked up a big home win right before the holidays with a 65-56 victory.
A 7-0 Minnetonka run in the games opening minutes had the visiting Pirates reeling. Strong 6'2" junior forward Courtney Fredrickson started the run at the 17:03 mark with a lay-up and a "3" from the left corner by senior sharp-shooting guard Caroline Shelquist at the 16:19 mark along with an offensive rebound by 6'0" forward Lizzie Odegard at the 15:54 mark made it look like that this could be a long night for the Pirates but Park Center slowly gathered themselves and got right back into the thick of things despite the fact that the Skippers had an obvious size advantage and that the Pirates were having an incredibly difficult time working the ball inside early on. A lay-up at the 15:38 mark by sophomore guard Danielle Schaub and a "3" from the right wing by older sis and senior point guard Hannah Schaub drew Park Center to within four trailing 9-5 by the 14:44 mark. Minnetonka would manage to stretch the lead to nine again on scores in the paint by both Fredrickson and Odegard over the next two minutes, however, as the Pirates still were having a difficult time in neutralizing the Skipper "bigs" down low and with a 17-7 score at the 10:40 mark, Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde knew a timeout was warranted.
That stoppage in play seemed to light a fire for the Pirates as they once again closed in on the deficit. Two free throws by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 10:04 mark and a jumper from the left top area by sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele drew Park Center to within six trailing 17-11. A Hayes lay-up with 8:19 left and a lay-up in transition by Hannah Schaub completed a smart 8-0 Park Center run to cut Minnetonka's lead to 17-15 but, at the same time, the Skippers woke up from their brief slumber and went back to work. Odegard scored in the paint off of an inbounds pass with 7:23 left and a "3" from the left wing by freshman 6'2" forward Kayla Mershon upped the Minnetonka lead to 22-15. The Pirates tried to answer as Danielle Schaub uncorked a "3" from the right top area with 5:42 left but an offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve guard Grace Allen and a "3" from the left wing area by junior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 4:51 left made it a nine-point 27-18 Skipper lead. Another Shelquist three-point bomb - this one from the left top area with 4:20 left - made it a 30-18 game and Minnetonka would stretch the lead to fourteen at 34-20 when Odegard snared yet another offensive rebound for a putback with 2:57 left. Late scores by Park Center's Hayes and sophomore guard Ann Simonet helped close the gap a bit at the half but the Skippers still held a ten-point cushion at 36-26.
The Pirates got off on the right foot once the second half got underway as senior sharp-shooting guard McKenna DuBois finally found her touch and drilled a "3" from the top of the key at the 16:47 mark and a Hayes score in the paint at the 16:11 mark brought Park Center back to within five trailing 36-31 but once again Minnetonka woke up from its short siesta. Shelquist nailed a "3" from the left wing at the 15:55 mark and a short turnaround jumper by Fredrickson at the 13:34 mark re-established the ten-point advantage at 41-31. Allen uncorked a "3" from the right wing at the 12:43 mark for an eleven-point 44-33 lead and it looked at this point that the Skippers might be in position to finally run away with this one.
But the Pirates weren't quite ready to lay down their swords to enjoy all the holiday festivities just yet. Hayes connected on a pretty one-handed scoop lay-up at the 11:22 mark and then the always-dangerous Ayobamidele let loose with a "3" from the left corner with 9:44 left to get Park Center back to within six trailing 44-38. A drive and finish by Hayes with 9:06 left drew the Pirates to within four but alas, that's as close as Park Center would ever get in this one as Minnetonka always seemed to have an answer for every Pirate charge. A score in the paint by Hedstrom with 8:51 left along with another Shelquist three-point bomb; this one from the right top area with 8:21 left made it a nine-point 49-40 game and a Hedstrom steal and lay-up the other way with 8:08 left pushed the lead back into double-digit range. Park Center would twice get the deficit back into single-digit range on scores by both Ayobamidele and Danielle Schaub but the Pirates were never able to sustain any potential momentum. Scores by Fredrickson and Hestrom once again pushed the lead back into double digits at 57-45 with 4:26 left and Park Center's VanderHyde called a timeout to adjust his team's defensive approach to be more aggressive in the backcourt which did yield a few positive results albeit too little too late. Treys from Hannah Schaub and Simonet got the Pirates to within eight trailing 59-51 with 2:13 left but now Park Center was forced to foul as well which quickly had the Skippers in the double-bonus with 2:03 left. Minnetonka was very patient on offense knowing full and well that they were going to be sent to the charity stripe to finish this one off. Free throws by Shelquist and Fredrickson down the stretch offset a late "3" from DuBois and a short jumper by Danielle Schaub as the Skippers chalked up a big home win right before the holidays with a 65-56 victory.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
GAC vs Northwestern 12-20-14
Made my way over to Northwestern's Ericksen Center on this Saturday afternoon to take in yet another MIAC/UMAC clash - this one between visiting Gustavus Adolphus and host Northwestern. I was anxious to get my first look at the 2014-15 version of the Gusties and, as it seems with every venture GAC takes to the Twin Cities for a game, there is always a host of Gustie alums in the stands to cheer on their former teammates and today was no different. The Eagles on the other hand, were looking to rebound after their disastrous 78-45 loss at Augsburg two nights ago which was also their fourth loss in a row. No doubt Northwestern was going to have to turn it up a notch if they wanted to end this skid today.
Despite a sweet rendition of the National Anthem by Northwestern senior guard Chanel Madson, the Eagles looked as if they were still in hangover mode from Thursday night's debacle over at Augsburg as the Gusties raced out to a 15-3 lead. Freshman guard Mikayla Miller started things off with a lay-up in transition at the 18:55 mark and a "3" from willowy junior forward Lindsey Johnson had Northwestern reeling. Miller connected with another lay-up in transition at the 16:57 mark but the real show early on in this one was provided by sophomore guard Kelsey Carpenter. The St. Peter product first made a lay-up at the 16:31 mark to extend the GAC lead to 9-3 and then proceeded to light up Ericksen Center with her three-point prowess. One trey from the right corner at the 16:03 mark and another one at the 15:38 mark from the left wing made it a 15-3 Gustie lead and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had no choice but to call a halt to the action before his squad got run out of its own gym. The Eagles did get a bit of a reprieve junior forward Regan Cooper snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 13:45 mark but GAC's Carpenter continued to shoot the lights out as she drained another "3" - this one from the top of the key at the 13:21 mark for an 18-5 Gustie lead.
Despite the horrendous start, Northwestern gradually worked their way back into the contest; thanks in part to some smart play and a smattering of missed opportunities by the Gusties. Sophomore reserve post Rachel Hart connected with a lay-up at the 12:52 mark and a score in the paint by Cooper at the 11:36 mark got the Eagles back to within single digits trailing 18-9. Madson connected with a lay-up at the 10:34 mark and then sophomore reserve forward Emily VanLith maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 10:05 mark. VanLith was also able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 9:11 left and a Madson "3" from the top of the key with 6:30 left seemed to suck some of the early energy the Gusties had as Northwestern was back in this one trailing 26-18 and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly called a timeout in hopes of rejuvenating her squad. But the Eagles had other ideas as they kept chipping away. Sophomore guard Tiffany Stubbs drilled a "3" from the right top area with 5:19 left and Cooper added two charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 4:09 left as GAC curiously seemed stymied on offense. VanLith made good on a drive and finish with 3:15 left and then junior forward Kim Campbell connected on a lay-up in transition that trimmed the Gustie lead to a scant point at 28-27 and Kelly wasted no time in calling yet another timeout. A tough lay-up by Miller with 2:24 left increased GAC's lead back to three at 30-27 but a Campbell trey from the left top area with 2:11 left finally tied the score and two free throws by VanLith with :45.2 left finally had Northwestern up at the half 32-30.
The Eagles; determined not to have the second half letdown they suffered Thursday night at Augsburg, started out strong as Cooper made a hard drive and finish to get things going at the 19:24 mark for a 34-30 Northwestern lead but they never could quite shake the Gusties. Carpenter, who had set the Ericksen Center ablaze with her three-point shooting in the first half, dropped another bomb from the right corner at the 19:11 mark to draw GAC to within one and two scores by freshman forward Miranda Rice - an offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:26 mark and a score in the paint at the 15:49 mark - allowed the Gusties to reclaim the lead at 37-36. That lead was short-lived, however, as Northwestern's Stubbs banged home a "3" from the left wing area at the 15:40 mark but right back came GAC as senior reserve guard Maddie Ehrich connected with a jumper at the 15:17 mark and got fouled in the process and the ensuing charity stripe shot put the Gusties back out in front again 40-39. Two scores by strong freshman reserve forward Stephanie Klockmann allowed GAC to maintain a small lead and a lay-up in transition by the wily point guard Miller had the Gusties up 45-41 at the 13:47 mark. Northwestern would manage to battle back as VanLith scored in the paint at the 13:31 mark to make it a one possession game again at 45-43. In the span of twenty-two seconds, Cooper's heroics put the Eagles ahead once more. She connected with a lay-up after a long offensive rebound at the 12:21 mark and then got a score in the paint at the 11:59 mark that got her fouled in the process and her free throw had Northwestern with a 48-45 lead as GAC's Kelly had to burn a timeout to get her forces reorganized.
That timeout by Kelly seemed to do the trick for the Gusties as they came out with much more focus, energy and determination and they reclaimed the lead for good with a decisive 9-0 that turned things around. Rice made a hard drive along the left baseline and finished at the 11:46 mark and got fouled in the process and her freebie knotted things up at 48 a piece. A charity stripe shot by Ehrich at the 11:35 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Carpenter at the 11:12 mark had GAC up 52-48. A jumper in the lane by sophomore guard Hannah Howard with 9:41 left made it 54-48 and Northwestern's Kahl wasted no time in calling a halt to the action to get his team adjusted. Two freebies by Howard extended the lead to 56-48 with 9:06 left before the Eagles were finally able to make some inroads on the GAC lead. A jumper along the right baseline by lanky 6'2" senior post Jacki Smith with 7:59 left and a lay-up by VanLith with 7:25 left drew Northwestern to within four trailing 56-52 but they would not get that close again. A foul on GAC's Miller with 7:09 left was a double-whammy for the Eagles as not only did Smith foul out with only four points and five rebounds on the day but GAC was now in the double-bonus as well. An offensive rebound and putback by Rice with 6:36 left along with a score by Miller in the paint with 6:00 left gave the Gusties a six-point cushion at 61-55. Two free throws by freshman guard Siri Sviggum with 4:37 left and a jumper along the left baseline with 3:54 left by the former Kenyon-Wanamingo standout made it a ten-point game at 65-55. Northwestern was able to close the gap a bit on late scores by Madson and Campbell to get within six at 65-59 but now the Eagles were reduced to fouling and taking their slim chances at the GAC charity stripe where the Gusties came through as Ehrich, Miller and Johnson made their freebies and the Gusties claimed an important 71-62 non-conference victory.
A very happy and relieved Kelly afterward made note that those missed opportunities in the first half were definitely a sore spot but defensive adjustments made in the second half helped turned the tide for her team. She also pointed out that this was an incredibly tough week for her squad to prepare as players had four straight days of finals (ugh, I remember THOSE days all too well and don't miss 'em one bit) and really only one day (Friday) of true practice in preparation for this game. Still, the Gusties came through with flying colors when it counted and, sitting with a 7-2 record heading into the holiday break with a game looming over at UW-River Falls on December 30th before GAC dives head-first into MIAC play for the rest of the year is not a bad spot to be in. Kelly is building for the future with her young core of players and I definitely like what I see after today's game. The big question for them going into 2015 is can they make a move to secure, say, a fourth- or third-seed when the MIAC playoffs roll around? We'll see but the recent struggles of conference rival Concordia so far just may be the opening that the Gusties have been looking for to do just that.
Despite a sweet rendition of the National Anthem by Northwestern senior guard Chanel Madson, the Eagles looked as if they were still in hangover mode from Thursday night's debacle over at Augsburg as the Gusties raced out to a 15-3 lead. Freshman guard Mikayla Miller started things off with a lay-up in transition at the 18:55 mark and a "3" from willowy junior forward Lindsey Johnson had Northwestern reeling. Miller connected with another lay-up in transition at the 16:57 mark but the real show early on in this one was provided by sophomore guard Kelsey Carpenter. The St. Peter product first made a lay-up at the 16:31 mark to extend the GAC lead to 9-3 and then proceeded to light up Ericksen Center with her three-point prowess. One trey from the right corner at the 16:03 mark and another one at the 15:38 mark from the left wing made it a 15-3 Gustie lead and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had no choice but to call a halt to the action before his squad got run out of its own gym. The Eagles did get a bit of a reprieve junior forward Regan Cooper snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 13:45 mark but GAC's Carpenter continued to shoot the lights out as she drained another "3" - this one from the top of the key at the 13:21 mark for an 18-5 Gustie lead.
Despite the horrendous start, Northwestern gradually worked their way back into the contest; thanks in part to some smart play and a smattering of missed opportunities by the Gusties. Sophomore reserve post Rachel Hart connected with a lay-up at the 12:52 mark and a score in the paint by Cooper at the 11:36 mark got the Eagles back to within single digits trailing 18-9. Madson connected with a lay-up at the 10:34 mark and then sophomore reserve forward Emily VanLith maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 10:05 mark. VanLith was also able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 9:11 left and a Madson "3" from the top of the key with 6:30 left seemed to suck some of the early energy the Gusties had as Northwestern was back in this one trailing 26-18 and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly called a timeout in hopes of rejuvenating her squad. But the Eagles had other ideas as they kept chipping away. Sophomore guard Tiffany Stubbs drilled a "3" from the right top area with 5:19 left and Cooper added two charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 4:09 left as GAC curiously seemed stymied on offense. VanLith made good on a drive and finish with 3:15 left and then junior forward Kim Campbell connected on a lay-up in transition that trimmed the Gustie lead to a scant point at 28-27 and Kelly wasted no time in calling yet another timeout. A tough lay-up by Miller with 2:24 left increased GAC's lead back to three at 30-27 but a Campbell trey from the left top area with 2:11 left finally tied the score and two free throws by VanLith with :45.2 left finally had Northwestern up at the half 32-30.
The Eagles; determined not to have the second half letdown they suffered Thursday night at Augsburg, started out strong as Cooper made a hard drive and finish to get things going at the 19:24 mark for a 34-30 Northwestern lead but they never could quite shake the Gusties. Carpenter, who had set the Ericksen Center ablaze with her three-point shooting in the first half, dropped another bomb from the right corner at the 19:11 mark to draw GAC to within one and two scores by freshman forward Miranda Rice - an offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:26 mark and a score in the paint at the 15:49 mark - allowed the Gusties to reclaim the lead at 37-36. That lead was short-lived, however, as Northwestern's Stubbs banged home a "3" from the left wing area at the 15:40 mark but right back came GAC as senior reserve guard Maddie Ehrich connected with a jumper at the 15:17 mark and got fouled in the process and the ensuing charity stripe shot put the Gusties back out in front again 40-39. Two scores by strong freshman reserve forward Stephanie Klockmann allowed GAC to maintain a small lead and a lay-up in transition by the wily point guard Miller had the Gusties up 45-41 at the 13:47 mark. Northwestern would manage to battle back as VanLith scored in the paint at the 13:31 mark to make it a one possession game again at 45-43. In the span of twenty-two seconds, Cooper's heroics put the Eagles ahead once more. She connected with a lay-up after a long offensive rebound at the 12:21 mark and then got a score in the paint at the 11:59 mark that got her fouled in the process and her free throw had Northwestern with a 48-45 lead as GAC's Kelly had to burn a timeout to get her forces reorganized.
That timeout by Kelly seemed to do the trick for the Gusties as they came out with much more focus, energy and determination and they reclaimed the lead for good with a decisive 9-0 that turned things around. Rice made a hard drive along the left baseline and finished at the 11:46 mark and got fouled in the process and her freebie knotted things up at 48 a piece. A charity stripe shot by Ehrich at the 11:35 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Carpenter at the 11:12 mark had GAC up 52-48. A jumper in the lane by sophomore guard Hannah Howard with 9:41 left made it 54-48 and Northwestern's Kahl wasted no time in calling a halt to the action to get his team adjusted. Two freebies by Howard extended the lead to 56-48 with 9:06 left before the Eagles were finally able to make some inroads on the GAC lead. A jumper along the right baseline by lanky 6'2" senior post Jacki Smith with 7:59 left and a lay-up by VanLith with 7:25 left drew Northwestern to within four trailing 56-52 but they would not get that close again. A foul on GAC's Miller with 7:09 left was a double-whammy for the Eagles as not only did Smith foul out with only four points and five rebounds on the day but GAC was now in the double-bonus as well. An offensive rebound and putback by Rice with 6:36 left along with a score by Miller in the paint with 6:00 left gave the Gusties a six-point cushion at 61-55. Two free throws by freshman guard Siri Sviggum with 4:37 left and a jumper along the left baseline with 3:54 left by the former Kenyon-Wanamingo standout made it a ten-point game at 65-55. Northwestern was able to close the gap a bit on late scores by Madson and Campbell to get within six at 65-59 but now the Eagles were reduced to fouling and taking their slim chances at the GAC charity stripe where the Gusties came through as Ehrich, Miller and Johnson made their freebies and the Gusties claimed an important 71-62 non-conference victory.
A very happy and relieved Kelly afterward made note that those missed opportunities in the first half were definitely a sore spot but defensive adjustments made in the second half helped turned the tide for her team. She also pointed out that this was an incredibly tough week for her squad to prepare as players had four straight days of finals (ugh, I remember THOSE days all too well and don't miss 'em one bit) and really only one day (Friday) of true practice in preparation for this game. Still, the Gusties came through with flying colors when it counted and, sitting with a 7-2 record heading into the holiday break with a game looming over at UW-River Falls on December 30th before GAC dives head-first into MIAC play for the rest of the year is not a bad spot to be in. Kelly is building for the future with her young core of players and I definitely like what I see after today's game. The big question for them going into 2015 is can they make a move to secure, say, a fourth- or third-seed when the MIAC playoffs roll around? We'll see but the recent struggles of conference rival Concordia so far just may be the opening that the Gusties have been looking for to do just that.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Wartburg vs UST 12-19-14
Made my way over to UST's Anderson Athletic Center and Schoenecker Arena on this Friday night to take in this highly-anticipated match-up between visiting 8-0 Wartburg out of the IIAC against 7-0 UST. Certainly I was excited about this match-up because it could have huge implications for NCAA Tournament selections down the road and, in all fairness, I was excited to see a team from my home state of Iowa make the trip up as well. :)
The Tommies senior point guard, Jen Dockter, would draw first blood in this contest with her "3" from the right wing area but Wartburg would quickly answer that as senior guard Holly Halstead drained a "3" from the left wing area at the 19:12 mark. UST senior forward Anna Smith connected with a jumper from the left elbow at the 17:22 mark but Knight senior forward Mary Brown would knock down two free throws to help Wartburg knot the score at 5 a piece at the 17:06 mark and, at this point anyway, it appeared as if this could be a fairly tight contest. But it was at this point that the Tommies made their first move. Junior guard Katie Stone connected with a jumper from the left top area at the 16:58 mark and, with UST employing their deadly press defense, Smith was able to score on a lay-up after a steal at the 16:45 mark. Stone knocked down a "3" from the left wing area at the 15:39 mark for a 12-5 Tommie lead and this was enough to prompt Knight Head Coach Bob Amsberry to call a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down after the early UST run. To their credit, Wartburg was able to trim the Tommie lead down to five points at 14-9 by the 13:23 mark after scores by freshman guard Katie Sommer and junior post Kailey Kladivo that had UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn calling a timeout of her own to discuss this latest Knight surge. Sinn had even more reason for concern when senior post Maggie Weiers picked up her second foul at the 12:40 mark but the Tommies quickly put to rest any fears Sinn may have had. Dockter connected with a lay-up at the 10:57 mark and a short time later, Stone drained another trey; this one from the right top area that made it a 19-9 game and Wartburg's Amsberry called another thirty-second timeout.
The Knights tried to close the gap as junior guard Bobbi Burrows knocked down a "3" from the top of the key at the 10:08 mark but that was answered quickly by UST as Stone unleashed yet another "3"; this one from the top of the key with 9:57 left for a 22-12 Tommie advantage. Two scores by sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer - a score in the paint with 8:28 left and a lay-up with 7:13 left - upped the UST lead to 26-14. Wartburg looked lost on offense with several miscues and turnovers and about the only positive thing going in their direction at this point was that the Knights got into the bonus with 6:40 left. A score in the paint by senior reserve post Allison Emrich momentarily got Wartburg back to within ten trailing 26-16 with 6:17 left It was here, though, that the Tommies went on a game-changing 12-4 run down the home stretch of the first half. After Langer dropped two freebies at the 5:45 mark, Dockter made a drive and finish at the 5:19 mark for a 30-16 UST advantage. With 4:00 left, reserve freshman guard Lauren Fischer banged home a "3" from the left wing for a 33-16 Tommie lead and with 3:16 left, Fischer repeated the feat from the same exact spot. A lay-up in transition by senior guard Laura Margarit made it a 38-18 ballgame and the Knight's Amsberry had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Burrows would get two free throws to go down with 33.8 left but Wartburg was staring at a 38-20 deficit at the half.
The Knights set out to get off on good footing once the second half got underway and, for the first six minutes, it looked like they might claw their way back into the thick of things. Senior guard Holly Halstead connected with a lay-up at the 19:50 mark and Katie Sommer was able to knock down two shots from the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 17:27 mark. Burrows unleashed a "3" from the left top area at the 16:37 mark and at the 15:36 mark, the Bondurant (IA) native connected with a lay-up that cut the UST lead down to 42-29. A short turn-around jumper by Emrich at the 14:33 mark sliced the Tommie lead down to 42-31 and UST's Sinn didn't waste any time in calling a stoppage in play to talk to her team.
Whatever Sinn said in that huddle during the timeout sure seemed to have an impact on her squad as the Tommies came out with both a' blazing. Reserve lefty senior guard Hannah Hughes drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 13:44 mark and fellow senior reserve forward Elaine Warner muscled into the paint for a score at the 12:34 mark that pushed the lead back up to fourteen at 47-33. Weiers then connected on a lay-up at the 12:15 mark and this latest UST run had Wartburg's Amsberry calling a timeout. Again, the Knights tried to respond as freshman reserve guard Kristie Sommer knocked down a trey from the left corner at the 11:12 mark but the Tommies proceeded to go on a 15-0 run that, for all intents and purposes was the game. Senior reserve forward Alyssa (nothing vanilla) Favilla connected with a lay-up at the 10:57 mark and a "3" from ever-improving freshman reserve point guard Maddie Wolkow from the left corner made it a 54-36 ballgame. The three-point barrage continued as Hughes got another one to go down from the left corner with 9:33 left. A Weiers score in the paint for good measure with 8:52 left along with a Langer lay-up with 7:46 left made it 61-36 and the finishing touches were added by Fischer with her "3" from the top of the key with 6:46 left to make it 64-36. Sinn slowly started rotating out her normal chain-gang by this time to give others a chance to shine. Dockter was still kept out there for a while to provide the leadership on the floor and she was able to connect with a lay-up at the 5:39 mark and also knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 4:32 left. Wartburg would get late "3's" from freshman reserve guard Morgan Neuendorf and Burrows but UST recorded a resounded 78-50 victory.
A happy and relaxed Sinn; in a good mood with the win and with the holidays just around the corner, added some insight on the Tommie victory. Specifically, I asked her about what was said in the huddle during that first timeout of the second half when Wartburg made a run at them. "Control" Sinn said. The Knights like to play a fast tempo which is fine with Sinn but she noted that her squad got away from their game plan a bit and needed to concentrate first on getting looks down low - and then worry about the perimeter shots. While she seemed pleased with the defensive effort, the fouls that the Tommies committed in the first half were a sore spot; particularly when Wartburg got into the bonus. "We've GOT to stop fouling" she said. And those small details can and will be worked on. I also asked her if she thought the team was where she wanted them to be at this moment in time. I got the feeling that, for the most part, she felt that way but she also pointed out the fact that, unlike most years, the Tommies don't get that extra week between Christmas and New Year's to prepare for MIAC play. Instead, UST will be heading over to Kenosha, Wisconsin for a tournament on December 29 where they open up play against Manchester University of Indiana. Another game at that tournament the next day and - boom - right into MIAC play the first weekend in January. "We'll have to get 'em whipped back into shape right after Christmas" Sinn remarked. She also delivered a heap of praise on her group of seniors saying that "They get it!" Apparently they sure do and their zest for winning is quite strong.
The Tommies senior point guard, Jen Dockter, would draw first blood in this contest with her "3" from the right wing area but Wartburg would quickly answer that as senior guard Holly Halstead drained a "3" from the left wing area at the 19:12 mark. UST senior forward Anna Smith connected with a jumper from the left elbow at the 17:22 mark but Knight senior forward Mary Brown would knock down two free throws to help Wartburg knot the score at 5 a piece at the 17:06 mark and, at this point anyway, it appeared as if this could be a fairly tight contest. But it was at this point that the Tommies made their first move. Junior guard Katie Stone connected with a jumper from the left top area at the 16:58 mark and, with UST employing their deadly press defense, Smith was able to score on a lay-up after a steal at the 16:45 mark. Stone knocked down a "3" from the left wing area at the 15:39 mark for a 12-5 Tommie lead and this was enough to prompt Knight Head Coach Bob Amsberry to call a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down after the early UST run. To their credit, Wartburg was able to trim the Tommie lead down to five points at 14-9 by the 13:23 mark after scores by freshman guard Katie Sommer and junior post Kailey Kladivo that had UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn calling a timeout of her own to discuss this latest Knight surge. Sinn had even more reason for concern when senior post Maggie Weiers picked up her second foul at the 12:40 mark but the Tommies quickly put to rest any fears Sinn may have had. Dockter connected with a lay-up at the 10:57 mark and a short time later, Stone drained another trey; this one from the right top area that made it a 19-9 game and Wartburg's Amsberry called another thirty-second timeout.
The Knights tried to close the gap as junior guard Bobbi Burrows knocked down a "3" from the top of the key at the 10:08 mark but that was answered quickly by UST as Stone unleashed yet another "3"; this one from the top of the key with 9:57 left for a 22-12 Tommie advantage. Two scores by sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer - a score in the paint with 8:28 left and a lay-up with 7:13 left - upped the UST lead to 26-14. Wartburg looked lost on offense with several miscues and turnovers and about the only positive thing going in their direction at this point was that the Knights got into the bonus with 6:40 left. A score in the paint by senior reserve post Allison Emrich momentarily got Wartburg back to within ten trailing 26-16 with 6:17 left It was here, though, that the Tommies went on a game-changing 12-4 run down the home stretch of the first half. After Langer dropped two freebies at the 5:45 mark, Dockter made a drive and finish at the 5:19 mark for a 30-16 UST advantage. With 4:00 left, reserve freshman guard Lauren Fischer banged home a "3" from the left wing for a 33-16 Tommie lead and with 3:16 left, Fischer repeated the feat from the same exact spot. A lay-up in transition by senior guard Laura Margarit made it a 38-18 ballgame and the Knight's Amsberry had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Burrows would get two free throws to go down with 33.8 left but Wartburg was staring at a 38-20 deficit at the half.
The Knights set out to get off on good footing once the second half got underway and, for the first six minutes, it looked like they might claw their way back into the thick of things. Senior guard Holly Halstead connected with a lay-up at the 19:50 mark and Katie Sommer was able to knock down two shots from the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 17:27 mark. Burrows unleashed a "3" from the left top area at the 16:37 mark and at the 15:36 mark, the Bondurant (IA) native connected with a lay-up that cut the UST lead down to 42-29. A short turn-around jumper by Emrich at the 14:33 mark sliced the Tommie lead down to 42-31 and UST's Sinn didn't waste any time in calling a stoppage in play to talk to her team.
Whatever Sinn said in that huddle during the timeout sure seemed to have an impact on her squad as the Tommies came out with both a' blazing. Reserve lefty senior guard Hannah Hughes drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 13:44 mark and fellow senior reserve forward Elaine Warner muscled into the paint for a score at the 12:34 mark that pushed the lead back up to fourteen at 47-33. Weiers then connected on a lay-up at the 12:15 mark and this latest UST run had Wartburg's Amsberry calling a timeout. Again, the Knights tried to respond as freshman reserve guard Kristie Sommer knocked down a trey from the left corner at the 11:12 mark but the Tommies proceeded to go on a 15-0 run that, for all intents and purposes was the game. Senior reserve forward Alyssa (nothing vanilla) Favilla connected with a lay-up at the 10:57 mark and a "3" from ever-improving freshman reserve point guard Maddie Wolkow from the left corner made it a 54-36 ballgame. The three-point barrage continued as Hughes got another one to go down from the left corner with 9:33 left. A Weiers score in the paint for good measure with 8:52 left along with a Langer lay-up with 7:46 left made it 61-36 and the finishing touches were added by Fischer with her "3" from the top of the key with 6:46 left to make it 64-36. Sinn slowly started rotating out her normal chain-gang by this time to give others a chance to shine. Dockter was still kept out there for a while to provide the leadership on the floor and she was able to connect with a lay-up at the 5:39 mark and also knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 4:32 left. Wartburg would get late "3's" from freshman reserve guard Morgan Neuendorf and Burrows but UST recorded a resounded 78-50 victory.
A happy and relaxed Sinn; in a good mood with the win and with the holidays just around the corner, added some insight on the Tommie victory. Specifically, I asked her about what was said in the huddle during that first timeout of the second half when Wartburg made a run at them. "Control" Sinn said. The Knights like to play a fast tempo which is fine with Sinn but she noted that her squad got away from their game plan a bit and needed to concentrate first on getting looks down low - and then worry about the perimeter shots. While she seemed pleased with the defensive effort, the fouls that the Tommies committed in the first half were a sore spot; particularly when Wartburg got into the bonus. "We've GOT to stop fouling" she said. And those small details can and will be worked on. I also asked her if she thought the team was where she wanted them to be at this moment in time. I got the feeling that, for the most part, she felt that way but she also pointed out the fact that, unlike most years, the Tommies don't get that extra week between Christmas and New Year's to prepare for MIAC play. Instead, UST will be heading over to Kenosha, Wisconsin for a tournament on December 29 where they open up play against Manchester University of Indiana. Another game at that tournament the next day and - boom - right into MIAC play the first weekend in January. "We'll have to get 'em whipped back into shape right after Christmas" Sinn remarked. She also delivered a heap of praise on her group of seniors saying that "They get it!" Apparently they sure do and their zest for winning is quite strong.
CSB vs St. Kate's 12-13-14
After getting out of Augsburg's Si Melby Hall, I hopped back onto I-94 to head over to the St. Paul side of town and over to St. Kate's to catch their 3:00 P.M. game against visiting CSB. I got into the Butler Center and settled in around the 7:28 mark with the Blazers up 22-19.
CSB was able to extend its slim lead to as much as 28-19 on a smart 6-0 push highlighted by freshman guard Abby Miller's "3" from the left wing area with 7:12 left and a jumper from the right wing area by junior guard Mattie Lueck with 6:04 left. The Wildcats would respond, however, as they proceeded to go on a 7-0 run of their own. Sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings connected with a jumper near the free throw line with 5:49 left and then junior forward Shauna Horsch put down two freebies after getting fouled with 4:50 left. A short time later, Horsch struck again; this time with a "3" from the right top area that pulled St. Kate's back to within two trailing 28-26 and that prompted Blazer Head Coach Mike Durbin to call a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his squad. CSB appeared to respond as lanky 6'3" freshman post Niki Fokken connected with a lay-up with 3:59 left but the host 'Cats would soon erase the four-point deficit. Two free throws by sophomore LaShay Holt with 3:34 left and a "3" from willowy sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings from the top of the key with 2:44 left suddenly had St. Kate's out in front 31-30. An offensive rebound and putback by freshman Audra Clark with 1:00 left and two more charity stripe shots by Holt seemingly had the Wildcats in control at the half up 35-30.
The Blazer offense; which seemed to stagnate towards the end of the first half, looked to pick things up once the second half got going as early scores from the Lueck Sisters - Mattie and senior Emily - pulled CSB to within one trailing 35-34 at the 17:25 mark but, on a down note, Fokken went down with an apparent ankle injury at the 17:58 mark and she was helped back to the bench so the trainer could immediately start icing things down. As such, St. Kate's was able to stave off the early Blazer push and responded. Jennings scored on a pretty give-and-go play at the 17:00 mark and got fouled in the process as well and the obligatory free throw pushed the Wildcat lead back up to four at 38-34. Jennings; the former Dallas Center-Grimes (IA) product struck again at the 16:41 mark with a lay-up to increase the lead to 40-34 and a lay-up by Holt at the 16:12 mark kept the margin at six at 42-36. The Blazers made a huge mistake when they fouled Jennings behind the arc at the 15:27 mark with the shot clock winding down that sent her to the charity stripe for three shots. Jennings was able to get one of those to go down for a 43-36 St. Kate's lead. Reserve senior forward Mary Neumann connected with a jumper in the lane at the 14:55 mark that had the Wildcats up 45-36 and CSB looked to be in some serious doo-doo. But rather than break out the proverbial panic button, the Blazers hunkered down and went back to work. And it would be sturdy senior forward/post Elena Koch doing a lot of damage to get CSB right back into the thick of things. A score in the paint at the 14:35 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 14:21 mark along with a short jumper at the 13:44 mark by the Farmington native pulled the Blazers back to within three trailing 45-42. Koch snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 12:46 mark to help CSB get to within one and a "3" from the right corner off an inbounds pass by Emily Lueck completed a startling 11-0 Blazer blitz as CSB regained the lead at 47-45.
The stunned Wildcats appeared to have finally caught their breath when sophomore forward Mari Lee tied things up at 47-all with a score in the paint at the 11:12 mark but CSB would manage to take and hold a small lead as a lay-up in transition by the diminutive Miller and an offensive rebound and putback by Mattie Lueck had the Blazers up 51-47 with 8:17 left. A "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Annie Dittberner with 7:10 left put CSB up 55-49 and now the Blazers looked to be in control of things. But St. Kate's would soon strike back as a patented high-arcing three-point bomb from Horsch from the right top area found its mark with 6:56 left and two freebies by Holt with 6:31 left had the Wildcats back to within one trailing 55-54. A jumper by Emily Lueck along the right baseline with 6:11 left had CSB up 57-54 but the Wildcats would respond again as Jennings made a swift drive for a lay-up with 5:28 left and got fouled in the process and the ensuing free throw knotted things at 57 a piece. A jumper by Koch from the left corner put the Blazers up again 59-57 but then St. Kate's would re-take the lead at 60-59 with 4:59 left when Audra Clark drained a "3" from the right top area and she would also put down one freebie with 3:47 left after getting fouled for a 61-59 Wildcat lead. Both sides would then trade small leads over the next minute and then things would be knotted up again at 65-all with 2:31 left when Mattie Lueck connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and put down the obligatory free throw.
Durbin would call a timeout to get his squad calmed down for the last few frantic final minutes and this is where Mattie Lueck would shine. She made a sweet move down into the paint for another lay-up that got her fouled in the process and her free throw put the Blazers out in front 68-65 with 1:47 left. Still, the pesky Wildcats would not go away. Two freebies by Holt with 1:34 left pulled St. Kate's back to within one and, after Koch put the Blazers up 70-67 with her drive and finish along the right baseline with 1:11 left, the former St. Paul Humboldt standout would strike again as Holt uncorked a "3" from the right top area to tie things up at 70 and now Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had long ago shed his sportcoat in the heat of the battle, called a timeout to discuss strategy with his squad. CSB would make it point, though, to go to their hot hand coming down the stretch and Mattie Lueck would not disappoint for the Blazer faithful. CSB carefully worked the ball around on the ensuing possession and, like a cobra, the 6'0" junior struck swiftly as she found an opening in the Wildcat defense and slithered into the lane to connect with a jumper with :41.6 left to put the Blazers back out in front 72-70. St. Kate's still had plenty of time to respond and the Wildcats on the ensuing possession brought the ball down; looking for an opening. Holt got free in the left corner and uncorked a three-point attempt that missed its mark and CSB's Dittberner grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. Dittberner was able to get the front end to go down but the back end attempt caromed off the rim and Holt was there for the rebound for St. Kate's. With :07.1, Pinkerton called another timeout to set up a play to get someone free out on the perimeter for a three-point attempt that would send the game into overtime. And the 'Cats had their best three-point shooters out there - Horsch, Mary Neumann and Holt. With the final seconds ticking off, the ball finally went to Holt who was out near the top of the key and, with :02 left, she launched a three-point attempt that bounced off the rim and CSB escaped Butler Center with a precious 73-70 road win.
CSB was able to extend its slim lead to as much as 28-19 on a smart 6-0 push highlighted by freshman guard Abby Miller's "3" from the left wing area with 7:12 left and a jumper from the right wing area by junior guard Mattie Lueck with 6:04 left. The Wildcats would respond, however, as they proceeded to go on a 7-0 run of their own. Sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings connected with a jumper near the free throw line with 5:49 left and then junior forward Shauna Horsch put down two freebies after getting fouled with 4:50 left. A short time later, Horsch struck again; this time with a "3" from the right top area that pulled St. Kate's back to within two trailing 28-26 and that prompted Blazer Head Coach Mike Durbin to call a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his squad. CSB appeared to respond as lanky 6'3" freshman post Niki Fokken connected with a lay-up with 3:59 left but the host 'Cats would soon erase the four-point deficit. Two free throws by sophomore LaShay Holt with 3:34 left and a "3" from willowy sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings from the top of the key with 2:44 left suddenly had St. Kate's out in front 31-30. An offensive rebound and putback by freshman Audra Clark with 1:00 left and two more charity stripe shots by Holt seemingly had the Wildcats in control at the half up 35-30.
The Blazer offense; which seemed to stagnate towards the end of the first half, looked to pick things up once the second half got going as early scores from the Lueck Sisters - Mattie and senior Emily - pulled CSB to within one trailing 35-34 at the 17:25 mark but, on a down note, Fokken went down with an apparent ankle injury at the 17:58 mark and she was helped back to the bench so the trainer could immediately start icing things down. As such, St. Kate's was able to stave off the early Blazer push and responded. Jennings scored on a pretty give-and-go play at the 17:00 mark and got fouled in the process as well and the obligatory free throw pushed the Wildcat lead back up to four at 38-34. Jennings; the former Dallas Center-Grimes (IA) product struck again at the 16:41 mark with a lay-up to increase the lead to 40-34 and a lay-up by Holt at the 16:12 mark kept the margin at six at 42-36. The Blazers made a huge mistake when they fouled Jennings behind the arc at the 15:27 mark with the shot clock winding down that sent her to the charity stripe for three shots. Jennings was able to get one of those to go down for a 43-36 St. Kate's lead. Reserve senior forward Mary Neumann connected with a jumper in the lane at the 14:55 mark that had the Wildcats up 45-36 and CSB looked to be in some serious doo-doo. But rather than break out the proverbial panic button, the Blazers hunkered down and went back to work. And it would be sturdy senior forward/post Elena Koch doing a lot of damage to get CSB right back into the thick of things. A score in the paint at the 14:35 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 14:21 mark along with a short jumper at the 13:44 mark by the Farmington native pulled the Blazers back to within three trailing 45-42. Koch snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 12:46 mark to help CSB get to within one and a "3" from the right corner off an inbounds pass by Emily Lueck completed a startling 11-0 Blazer blitz as CSB regained the lead at 47-45.
The stunned Wildcats appeared to have finally caught their breath when sophomore forward Mari Lee tied things up at 47-all with a score in the paint at the 11:12 mark but CSB would manage to take and hold a small lead as a lay-up in transition by the diminutive Miller and an offensive rebound and putback by Mattie Lueck had the Blazers up 51-47 with 8:17 left. A "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Annie Dittberner with 7:10 left put CSB up 55-49 and now the Blazers looked to be in control of things. But St. Kate's would soon strike back as a patented high-arcing three-point bomb from Horsch from the right top area found its mark with 6:56 left and two freebies by Holt with 6:31 left had the Wildcats back to within one trailing 55-54. A jumper by Emily Lueck along the right baseline with 6:11 left had CSB up 57-54 but the Wildcats would respond again as Jennings made a swift drive for a lay-up with 5:28 left and got fouled in the process and the ensuing free throw knotted things at 57 a piece. A jumper by Koch from the left corner put the Blazers up again 59-57 but then St. Kate's would re-take the lead at 60-59 with 4:59 left when Audra Clark drained a "3" from the right top area and she would also put down one freebie with 3:47 left after getting fouled for a 61-59 Wildcat lead. Both sides would then trade small leads over the next minute and then things would be knotted up again at 65-all with 2:31 left when Mattie Lueck connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and put down the obligatory free throw.
Durbin would call a timeout to get his squad calmed down for the last few frantic final minutes and this is where Mattie Lueck would shine. She made a sweet move down into the paint for another lay-up that got her fouled in the process and her free throw put the Blazers out in front 68-65 with 1:47 left. Still, the pesky Wildcats would not go away. Two freebies by Holt with 1:34 left pulled St. Kate's back to within one and, after Koch put the Blazers up 70-67 with her drive and finish along the right baseline with 1:11 left, the former St. Paul Humboldt standout would strike again as Holt uncorked a "3" from the right top area to tie things up at 70 and now Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had long ago shed his sportcoat in the heat of the battle, called a timeout to discuss strategy with his squad. CSB would make it point, though, to go to their hot hand coming down the stretch and Mattie Lueck would not disappoint for the Blazer faithful. CSB carefully worked the ball around on the ensuing possession and, like a cobra, the 6'0" junior struck swiftly as she found an opening in the Wildcat defense and slithered into the lane to connect with a jumper with :41.6 left to put the Blazers back out in front 72-70. St. Kate's still had plenty of time to respond and the Wildcats on the ensuing possession brought the ball down; looking for an opening. Holt got free in the left corner and uncorked a three-point attempt that missed its mark and CSB's Dittberner grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. Dittberner was able to get the front end to go down but the back end attempt caromed off the rim and Holt was there for the rebound for St. Kate's. With :07.1, Pinkerton called another timeout to set up a play to get someone free out on the perimeter for a three-point attempt that would send the game into overtime. And the 'Cats had their best three-point shooters out there - Horsch, Mary Neumann and Holt. With the final seconds ticking off, the ball finally went to Holt who was out near the top of the key and, with :02 left, she launched a three-point attempt that bounced off the rim and CSB escaped Butler Center with a precious 73-70 road win.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
UST vs Augsburg Synopsis 12-13-14
The first stop on this Saturday afternoon was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall to take in the 1:00 P.M. clash between host Augsburg and visiting UST; ranked #6 in the nation. It wouldn't take long to understand why the Tommies enjoy that lofty national ranking either.
It was simply all UST from the outset as the Tommies used a quick 9-0 burst to set the tone. Senior forward Anna Smith drove along the right baseline and got a finish at the 19:42 mark and junior guard Katie Stone drained a "3" from the left corner at the 19:05 mark. Free throws by senior point guard Jen Dockter at the 17:13 mark and a lay-up by Weiers at the 15:46 mark completed the burst. Augsburg senior point guard Abbey Luger was able to get her team on the board at the 14:21 mark with a pretty one-handed shot in the lane but a score in the paint by Weiers at the 14:10 mark made it an 11-2 game and Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee knew he had a big problem on his hand and called a timeout to talk things over with his squad. But not even that stoppage in play could halt the Tommie Express. A score in the paint by senior reserve forward Alyssa (nothing vanilla) Favilla at the !3:27 mark plus lay-ups in transition by both senior reserve forward Elaine Warner and Weiers made it a 17-2 ballgame and Augsburg's McKee called a thirty-second timeout in an effort to halt the UST onslaught. Bad enough that the Auggies were suffering from a horrible shooting slump as they not only could not buy a basket but they were also presenting UST with several gift-wrapped opportunities; just in time for the holidays, with several turnovers as well.
To their credit, the Auggies were able to get an 8-0 burst of their own going midway through the first half as Luger snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up at the 10:53 mark and then knocked down a jumper from the left corner at the 10:17 mark. Junior forward Jessica Lillquist also got consecutive scores down low at both the 9:44 and 9:15 marks that cut the UST lead down to 19-10 but any hopes of a comeback in this one were quickly dashed. First, Smith showed her versatility as drilled a "3" from the right wing area with 8:52 left that put the Tommie lead back into double digits for good at 22-10. Then senior guard Laura Margarit maneuvered into the paint for a score with 7:46 left for a fourteen-point 24-10 UST lead. Smith would connect with a short jumper with 6:17 left and then Stone unleashed a three-point bomb from the top of the key that increased the lead to 29-13. Augsburg's Luger still had a few tricks left up her sleeve though as she snared a steal and streaked the other way for an easy lay-up with 3:11 left but it would not be nearly enough to offset the Tommie onslaught. With 1:57 left, Warner uncorked a "3" from the right wing as the shot clock was winding down to make it a 32-17 ballgame and freshman reserve guard Maddie Wolkow dropped a "3" of her own with 1:10 left. Favilla added another score in the paint with :37 left and UST had themselves a comfortable 37-16 halftime lead.
A Luger lay-up in transition at the 19:39 mark of the second half was a hopeful note for Augsburg but the Tommies were in no mood for an Auggie comeback. A score in the paint by Smith at the 19:15 mark along with a "3" from Stone from the right top area at the 16:52 mark gave UST a twenty-five point lead at 43-18. Smith continued on with her tear on this day as she connected with a lay-up and was fouled in the process and the obligatory freebie upped the lead to 46-18. Warner, however, put the early exclamation point on this Tommie victory when she first scored in the paint at the 14:30 mark and then blocked a three-point attempt by Augsburg junior guard Ashley Anfinson and snared the loose ball and raced the other way for an easy lay-up for a 50-18 lead which, for all intents and purposes, was the ballgame. McKee called a timeout to try and delay the inevitable but this one was over.
Still, the Auggies were not ready to lay down and simply concede defeat. Anfinson made up for the earlier blocked shot as she nailed a "3" from the left wing area at the 13:36 mark. The play of freshman reserve guard Bridget Bednar in the second half was one of the few bright spots on this otherwise gloomy afternoon for Augsburg. She was able to connect with a short jumper from the right side at the 11:46 mark and then connected with another short jumper off the glass at the 11:13 mark. At the 10:44 mark Bednar made good on a lay-up attempt and a score in the paint by Lillquist with 9:17 left made the score a bit more respectable as it cut the UST lead to 55-30. Another Lillquist score in the paint with 7:15 left and two Bednar freebies with 4:45 left had Augsburg in the bonus at least but by this time Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn had been pulling her normal rotation and started inserting her bench. Lanky freshman reserve guard Lauren Fischer knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 4:00 left and junior reserve forward Mykenzie Spaulding was able to get one charity stripe shot to go down with 2:48 left. Augsburg got three late scores - a "3" from junior reserve guard Destiny Scott from the right top area and a "3" from sophomore reserve guard Laykn Bauer from the left wing area - plus a Bednar lay-up with just :00.4 left but UST had the easy win on this day by a 69-45 count.
A disappointed but upbeat Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch tried to focus on the positives afterward. He pointed out that while disappointing, this game is certainly not the end of the world for this team or this season. Stressing comparitives, he pointed out what UST did to both GAC and CSB within the last week and a half and also said that "our goal is to get progressively better as a team and to make the playoffs." And those are definitely realistic goals for this Augsburg program which has been tantalizingly close the last few years but has been unable to get over the hump. On the UST ledger, I know it's only December but you have to like what you're seeing from this Tommie squad. Even more amazing is that I don't think that this team has even peaked yet. As UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn pointed out after the win over UW-Stevens Point back in late November it's going to be critical to keep the important cogs of this team healthy (read Smith, Weiers and Dockter). But as long as this team is at full strength, look out. They are going to be coming and they are going to be coming hard. They are playing with such a purpose and you can bet that loss to UW-Whitewater in the second round of the NCAA Tournament still leaves a sour taste in their mouths. I suspect they're going to avenge that loss and then some.
It was simply all UST from the outset as the Tommies used a quick 9-0 burst to set the tone. Senior forward Anna Smith drove along the right baseline and got a finish at the 19:42 mark and junior guard Katie Stone drained a "3" from the left corner at the 19:05 mark. Free throws by senior point guard Jen Dockter at the 17:13 mark and a lay-up by Weiers at the 15:46 mark completed the burst. Augsburg senior point guard Abbey Luger was able to get her team on the board at the 14:21 mark with a pretty one-handed shot in the lane but a score in the paint by Weiers at the 14:10 mark made it an 11-2 game and Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee knew he had a big problem on his hand and called a timeout to talk things over with his squad. But not even that stoppage in play could halt the Tommie Express. A score in the paint by senior reserve forward Alyssa (nothing vanilla) Favilla at the !3:27 mark plus lay-ups in transition by both senior reserve forward Elaine Warner and Weiers made it a 17-2 ballgame and Augsburg's McKee called a thirty-second timeout in an effort to halt the UST onslaught. Bad enough that the Auggies were suffering from a horrible shooting slump as they not only could not buy a basket but they were also presenting UST with several gift-wrapped opportunities; just in time for the holidays, with several turnovers as well.
To their credit, the Auggies were able to get an 8-0 burst of their own going midway through the first half as Luger snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up at the 10:53 mark and then knocked down a jumper from the left corner at the 10:17 mark. Junior forward Jessica Lillquist also got consecutive scores down low at both the 9:44 and 9:15 marks that cut the UST lead down to 19-10 but any hopes of a comeback in this one were quickly dashed. First, Smith showed her versatility as drilled a "3" from the right wing area with 8:52 left that put the Tommie lead back into double digits for good at 22-10. Then senior guard Laura Margarit maneuvered into the paint for a score with 7:46 left for a fourteen-point 24-10 UST lead. Smith would connect with a short jumper with 6:17 left and then Stone unleashed a three-point bomb from the top of the key that increased the lead to 29-13. Augsburg's Luger still had a few tricks left up her sleeve though as she snared a steal and streaked the other way for an easy lay-up with 3:11 left but it would not be nearly enough to offset the Tommie onslaught. With 1:57 left, Warner uncorked a "3" from the right wing as the shot clock was winding down to make it a 32-17 ballgame and freshman reserve guard Maddie Wolkow dropped a "3" of her own with 1:10 left. Favilla added another score in the paint with :37 left and UST had themselves a comfortable 37-16 halftime lead.
A Luger lay-up in transition at the 19:39 mark of the second half was a hopeful note for Augsburg but the Tommies were in no mood for an Auggie comeback. A score in the paint by Smith at the 19:15 mark along with a "3" from Stone from the right top area at the 16:52 mark gave UST a twenty-five point lead at 43-18. Smith continued on with her tear on this day as she connected with a lay-up and was fouled in the process and the obligatory freebie upped the lead to 46-18. Warner, however, put the early exclamation point on this Tommie victory when she first scored in the paint at the 14:30 mark and then blocked a three-point attempt by Augsburg junior guard Ashley Anfinson and snared the loose ball and raced the other way for an easy lay-up for a 50-18 lead which, for all intents and purposes, was the ballgame. McKee called a timeout to try and delay the inevitable but this one was over.
Still, the Auggies were not ready to lay down and simply concede defeat. Anfinson made up for the earlier blocked shot as she nailed a "3" from the left wing area at the 13:36 mark. The play of freshman reserve guard Bridget Bednar in the second half was one of the few bright spots on this otherwise gloomy afternoon for Augsburg. She was able to connect with a short jumper from the right side at the 11:46 mark and then connected with another short jumper off the glass at the 11:13 mark. At the 10:44 mark Bednar made good on a lay-up attempt and a score in the paint by Lillquist with 9:17 left made the score a bit more respectable as it cut the UST lead to 55-30. Another Lillquist score in the paint with 7:15 left and two Bednar freebies with 4:45 left had Augsburg in the bonus at least but by this time Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn had been pulling her normal rotation and started inserting her bench. Lanky freshman reserve guard Lauren Fischer knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 4:00 left and junior reserve forward Mykenzie Spaulding was able to get one charity stripe shot to go down with 2:48 left. Augsburg got three late scores - a "3" from junior reserve guard Destiny Scott from the right top area and a "3" from sophomore reserve guard Laykn Bauer from the left wing area - plus a Bednar lay-up with just :00.4 left but UST had the easy win on this day by a 69-45 count.
A disappointed but upbeat Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch tried to focus on the positives afterward. He pointed out that while disappointing, this game is certainly not the end of the world for this team or this season. Stressing comparitives, he pointed out what UST did to both GAC and CSB within the last week and a half and also said that "our goal is to get progressively better as a team and to make the playoffs." And those are definitely realistic goals for this Augsburg program which has been tantalizingly close the last few years but has been unable to get over the hump. On the UST ledger, I know it's only December but you have to like what you're seeing from this Tommie squad. Even more amazing is that I don't think that this team has even peaked yet. As UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn pointed out after the win over UW-Stevens Point back in late November it's going to be critical to keep the important cogs of this team healthy (read Smith, Weiers and Dockter). But as long as this team is at full strength, look out. They are going to be coming and they are going to be coming hard. They are playing with such a purpose and you can bet that loss to UW-Whitewater in the second round of the NCAA Tournament still leaves a sour taste in their mouths. I suspect they're going to avenge that loss and then some.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Northwestern vs St. Kate's 12-10-14
Made my way over to the Butler Center on this Wednesday evening to take in this intriguing UMAC/MIAC clash between visiting Northwestern and host St. Kate's. This promised to be a fun one to watch as both squads have an ability to light up the scoreboard like a pinball machine with prolific three-point threats. The Eagles, of course, were coming off a terrific season last year with a UMAC Championship and a trip to the Big Dance but had been hitting some stumbling blocks in the early part of the season. The Wildcats lost a tough one on the road at GAC last weekend so they were looking to bounce back in this important non-conference match-up.
It was all St. Kate's in the early going of this one as the 'Cats raced to an 8-0 lead by the 16:40 mark behind scores from flashy sophomore guard/forward LaShay Holt and fellow sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings. Northwestern, meanwhile, struggled mightily not only with their shooting touch but also just trying to keep possession of the ball as the Eagles were plagued by numerous turnovers in the games opening minutes. A Holt "3" from the right top area at the 15:33 mark plus two free throws by the former St. Paul Humboldt product along with a nice drive and finish off the glass by freshman guard Meg Clark propelled St. Kate's to a 15-3 lead before Northwestern began to slowly get untracked. An offensive rebound and putback by lanky senior post Jacki Smith at the 10:11 mark and a Smith jumper from the right corner with 9:37 left had the Eagles back to within eight trailing 15-7 and a "3" from the right wing area by sophomore guard Tiffany Stubbs cut the Wildcats lead to 15-10.
A score in the paint by Jennings with 8:46 left along with a jumper from the left elbow area by freshman guard Audra Clark with 7:34 left upped the St. Kate's lead to 19-10 before Northwestern could make another push. A jumper from Stubbs from the right wing area with 7:22 left along with free throws from sophomore reserve post Rachel Hart and senior guard Chanel Madson had the Eagles back to within four trailing 19-15. A Madson jumper from the left wing with 5:03 left along with a free throw by junior post Regan Cooper brought Northwestern to within one trailing 19-18 with 4:42 left. Seeing their once-sizable lead gone, the Wildcats promptly went back to work. Two treys from senior reserve sharpshooter Mary Neumann - one from the right corner with 3:22 left and the other from the top of the key with 2:39 left - helped push the St. Kate's lead back to six at 25-20 and a Holt "3" from the right wing area with 1:47 left made it a 28-20 game. Stubbs would get two charity stripe shots to go down with :18 left so while the six-point deficit at halftime certainly wasn't bad for Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl, you knew he'd have something to say about the early turnovers that arguably left some points off the board for the Eagles in the first half. And the ice-age shooting for Northwestern in the first half (6-31 FG for 19.4% and 2-20 from three-point land for 10%) was going to have to warm up considerably. Meanwhile, for St. Kate's, they were getting pounded on the boards (a 32-18 advantage for the Eagles here) and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton was not happy about it.
The Wildcats were off to another hot start once the second half got underway. Jennings scored off of an inbounds pass at the 18:12 mark and then also connected with a short shot at the 17:23 mark for a 32-24 St. Kate's lead. Holt's athleticism and speed allowed her to snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 17:00 mark for a ten-point 34-24 lead and Meg Clark drilled a "3" from the left wing at the 16:09 mark for a 37-24 'Cat lead. Northwestern's Kahl avoided reaching for the panic button just yet as Stubbs connected with a "3" from the top of the key at the 15:46 mark and struck again at the 15:08 mark with a "3" from the left top area that had the Eagles back to within single digits trailing 39-30. But a lay-up by Holt with 14:22 left plus a "3" from Audra Clark from the left top area riddled Northwestern's 2-3 zone defense to shambles and Kahl immediately called a halt to the action as the Eagles found themselves down by fourteen at 44-30.
St. Kate's would push the lead to as much as sixteen points on three occasions within the next four minutes and the Wildcats appeared to be on their way to getting an easy win. But Northwestern would gradually pull themselves back into this one. A Madson "3" from the left top area at the 10:52 mark along with a Smith score in the paint at the 10:22 mark sliced the deficit to fourteen at 51-37. Then, with 8:24 left Madson struck again from three-point land; this one from the right top area and a "3" from junior guard Kim Campbell from the right corner had the Eagles back to within ten trailing 53-43. A 6-0 push by the 'Cats; fueled by a jumper in the lane by Holt with 7:37 left along with a steal by Meg Clark that was immediately fed to twin sister Audra Clark for a score in the paint put St. Kate's up by sixteen at 59-43 with 5:59 left but Northwestern was not done yet. Scores in the paint by Smith and Campbell cut the deficit to twelve at 64-52 and a Smith jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc that kissed off the glass perfectly had the Eagles back to within ten at 64-54. Madson was fouled from behind the arc with :51.7 left and she calmly sank three free throws that now had Northwestern back to within single digits trailing 64-57. Jennings hauled in a long pass and put in an easy shot to up the Wildcat lead back to 66-57 but Madson banged home a "3" from the right wing with :32 left that brought the Eagles back to within six points trailing 66-60 and suddenly there was reason for nervousness inside the Butler Center. But now Northwestern was forced to foul and they wasted little time in sending freshman Audra Clark to the line. But the former Kenyon-Wanamingo product; fresh off of a state title game appearance last season, was calm and collected and she cooly sank two free throws. Madson missed a late lay-up attempt and St. Kate's recorded a 68-60 win.
A disappointed Kahl admitted afterward that the slow start his squad endured cost them despite the fact that they were able to get back into it later on in the first half. They left a lot of points off the board early on and one can only wonder how the complexion of the game might have been changed had they avoided the horrendous start. The Wildcats were still outrebounded in this one and that did not sit well with Pinkerton who used the term "ugly" more than once when describing this win. Still, it's a win and the victory pushes St. Kate's record to 6-2 on the year and the 'Cats seem to be gaining more and more confidence with each contest.
It was all St. Kate's in the early going of this one as the 'Cats raced to an 8-0 lead by the 16:40 mark behind scores from flashy sophomore guard/forward LaShay Holt and fellow sophomore forward Kennedy Jennings. Northwestern, meanwhile, struggled mightily not only with their shooting touch but also just trying to keep possession of the ball as the Eagles were plagued by numerous turnovers in the games opening minutes. A Holt "3" from the right top area at the 15:33 mark plus two free throws by the former St. Paul Humboldt product along with a nice drive and finish off the glass by freshman guard Meg Clark propelled St. Kate's to a 15-3 lead before Northwestern began to slowly get untracked. An offensive rebound and putback by lanky senior post Jacki Smith at the 10:11 mark and a Smith jumper from the right corner with 9:37 left had the Eagles back to within eight trailing 15-7 and a "3" from the right wing area by sophomore guard Tiffany Stubbs cut the Wildcats lead to 15-10.
A score in the paint by Jennings with 8:46 left along with a jumper from the left elbow area by freshman guard Audra Clark with 7:34 left upped the St. Kate's lead to 19-10 before Northwestern could make another push. A jumper from Stubbs from the right wing area with 7:22 left along with free throws from sophomore reserve post Rachel Hart and senior guard Chanel Madson had the Eagles back to within four trailing 19-15. A Madson jumper from the left wing with 5:03 left along with a free throw by junior post Regan Cooper brought Northwestern to within one trailing 19-18 with 4:42 left. Seeing their once-sizable lead gone, the Wildcats promptly went back to work. Two treys from senior reserve sharpshooter Mary Neumann - one from the right corner with 3:22 left and the other from the top of the key with 2:39 left - helped push the St. Kate's lead back to six at 25-20 and a Holt "3" from the right wing area with 1:47 left made it a 28-20 game. Stubbs would get two charity stripe shots to go down with :18 left so while the six-point deficit at halftime certainly wasn't bad for Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl, you knew he'd have something to say about the early turnovers that arguably left some points off the board for the Eagles in the first half. And the ice-age shooting for Northwestern in the first half (6-31 FG for 19.4% and 2-20 from three-point land for 10%) was going to have to warm up considerably. Meanwhile, for St. Kate's, they were getting pounded on the boards (a 32-18 advantage for the Eagles here) and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton was not happy about it.
The Wildcats were off to another hot start once the second half got underway. Jennings scored off of an inbounds pass at the 18:12 mark and then also connected with a short shot at the 17:23 mark for a 32-24 St. Kate's lead. Holt's athleticism and speed allowed her to snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 17:00 mark for a ten-point 34-24 lead and Meg Clark drilled a "3" from the left wing at the 16:09 mark for a 37-24 'Cat lead. Northwestern's Kahl avoided reaching for the panic button just yet as Stubbs connected with a "3" from the top of the key at the 15:46 mark and struck again at the 15:08 mark with a "3" from the left top area that had the Eagles back to within single digits trailing 39-30. But a lay-up by Holt with 14:22 left plus a "3" from Audra Clark from the left top area riddled Northwestern's 2-3 zone defense to shambles and Kahl immediately called a halt to the action as the Eagles found themselves down by fourteen at 44-30.
St. Kate's would push the lead to as much as sixteen points on three occasions within the next four minutes and the Wildcats appeared to be on their way to getting an easy win. But Northwestern would gradually pull themselves back into this one. A Madson "3" from the left top area at the 10:52 mark along with a Smith score in the paint at the 10:22 mark sliced the deficit to fourteen at 51-37. Then, with 8:24 left Madson struck again from three-point land; this one from the right top area and a "3" from junior guard Kim Campbell from the right corner had the Eagles back to within ten trailing 53-43. A 6-0 push by the 'Cats; fueled by a jumper in the lane by Holt with 7:37 left along with a steal by Meg Clark that was immediately fed to twin sister Audra Clark for a score in the paint put St. Kate's up by sixteen at 59-43 with 5:59 left but Northwestern was not done yet. Scores in the paint by Smith and Campbell cut the deficit to twelve at 64-52 and a Smith jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc that kissed off the glass perfectly had the Eagles back to within ten at 64-54. Madson was fouled from behind the arc with :51.7 left and she calmly sank three free throws that now had Northwestern back to within single digits trailing 64-57. Jennings hauled in a long pass and put in an easy shot to up the Wildcat lead back to 66-57 but Madson banged home a "3" from the right wing with :32 left that brought the Eagles back to within six points trailing 66-60 and suddenly there was reason for nervousness inside the Butler Center. But now Northwestern was forced to foul and they wasted little time in sending freshman Audra Clark to the line. But the former Kenyon-Wanamingo product; fresh off of a state title game appearance last season, was calm and collected and she cooly sank two free throws. Madson missed a late lay-up attempt and St. Kate's recorded a 68-60 win.
A disappointed Kahl admitted afterward that the slow start his squad endured cost them despite the fact that they were able to get back into it later on in the first half. They left a lot of points off the board early on and one can only wonder how the complexion of the game might have been changed had they avoided the horrendous start. The Wildcats were still outrebounded in this one and that did not sit well with Pinkerton who used the term "ugly" more than once when describing this win. Still, it's a win and the victory pushes St. Kate's record to 6-2 on the year and the 'Cats seem to be gaining more and more confidence with each contest.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Breakdown Tip-Off Classic - Eastview vs Hopkins Synopsis 12-6-14
The main entrée for this Saturday was the nighttime clash back over at the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic at Hopkins High School between defending Class AAAA Champion Eastview and perennial powerhouse (and host) Hopkins. The Lightning; ranked number one in the state defending its crown was looking to stave off a tough challenge from the number two-ranked Royals in what many considered to be a (very) early state tournament title preview. And this one wound up living up to the hype.
The opening minutes of this contest saw Hopkins controlling things with their fast-paced up-tempo style. Early scores by junior guard Ashley Bates and flashy senior guard TT Starks had the Royals up 4-2 by the 17:08 mark and a score in the paint by strong junior guard Nia Hollie made it a 6-4 game by the 16:33 mark. The Lightning would stay right in the thick of things, though, and their slower, deliberate style provided a stark contrast to that of their opponents. A lay-up at the 16:09 mark by super senior guard Madison Guebert tied things up at 6-all and a score in the paint by junior guard Erika Schlosser at the 15:04 mark made it 8-all. It was at this point that Hopkins was able to make the first major move as consecutive scores by Bates - a "3" from the left wing at the 14:21 mark along with a lay-up at the 13:43 mark - gave the Royals a 13-8 advantage. Eastview would manage to close the gap again down to two points trailing 14-12 after an offensive rebound and putback by strong senior forward Samantha Trammel at the 12:20 mark but a "3" from the right wing by junior reserve guard Evelyn Knox at the 11:18 mark and a drive and finish by Starks at the 10:30 mark had Hopkins in good shape up 19-13.
The Royals still enjoyed a seven point advantage at 22-15 when Starks made a hard drive and finish off the glass with 9:28 left but Eastview would chip away at the deficit. Free throws by senior reserve forward Hana Metoxen; back from that nasty ACL injury and Guebert had the Lightning back to within three trailing 22-19 with 7:18 left and a Guebert jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc with 6:36 mark completed a nice 6-0 Eastview push that suddenly reduced the Royal lead to 22-21. While the Royals managed to hang on to the lead for the rest of the first half, the chance to open up a sizable lead on the defending state champs had been whisked away and, in retrospect, I think this was a critical juncture in this game. Still, Hopkins managed to hold four- and five-point leads coming down the stretch. Free throws by both Hollie and Starks had the Royals up 30-25 with 3:00 left and a "3" from Knox with 1:07 left from the left top area maintained a five-point advantage at 33-28. Guebert did manage to knock down a "3" from the left corner with :40 left that had Eastview within two points again trailing 33-31 but Hopkins' Bates was able to fire the last cannon of this epic battle between two heavyweights when she scored after a drive along the left baseline with :07 left for a 35-31 Royal advantage at the halftime break.
Hopkins would get off to a solid start in the second half as lanky junior post Liz Bulver connected with a lay-up at the 17:48 mark and Hollie knocked down a pretty turnaround jumper at the 16:35 mark that put the Royals up by eight at 39-31 and could have had Eastview in a bad spot. But one thing we found out about the Lightning last season; particularly in the state championship game, is that this is a very resilient team that knows how to dig deep down when things look bleak and find a way to overcome formidable odds. Even down by eight points on a strong opponents home floor in front of a raucous crowd did not faze this squad. Rather, they relish these types of situations; especially Guebert who has an incredible ability to take over games. Trailing 41-33, Trammel was able to muscle into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her free throw trimmed the Hopkins lead down to 41-36. Then Guebert unleashed a "3" from the left corner at the 14:20 mark to bring the Lightning within two trailing 41-39. Another score in the paint by Trammel at the 13:07 mark tied the game at 41-all and then a Guebert jumper from near the free throw line at the 12:40 mark put Eastview out in front for the first time in this contest and Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted.
Hopkins would soon tie the score at 43-all on two charity stripe shots by Starks but the Lightning would soon take charge as three consecutive scores by Guebert - a "3" from the left wing at the 11:46 mark; a drive and finish at the 11:01 mark and two free throws at the 10:07 mark - put Eastview up 50-43. A 7-2 push by the Royals cut that advantage down to 52-50 with 8:36 left but the Lightning answered that with a 7-0 run of their own; highlighted by a Schlosser jumper along the right baseline with 7:52 left and a "3" by sophomore guard Rachel Ranke from the left top are with 6:36 left and a Schlosser lay-up with 6:05 left made it 59-50 Eastview and hope seemed to be dwindling for the home team.
But just when you thought that the Royals were going to be left for dead, they came back swinging. Two Hollie treys - with 5:52 and 5:35 left - sliced the Eastview lead down to 59-56 and a Hollie drive and finish in transition with 5:06 left cut the Lightning lead down to a scant point at 59-58 and now it was Eastview Head Coach Melissa Guebert's turn to call for a halt to the action. But Hopkins seemed to have caught a second wind by this point. Bates knocked down two free throws with 4:29 left and a lay-up in transition with 4:08 left by Starks by the Royals back out in front 62-61 and that lead expanded to 64-61 with 3:28 left on a drive and finish by Bates. Now, the Lightning had to respond again - and they did. And, not surprisingly, it would be Guebert leading the way. Two free throws with 3:08 and a drive and finish with 2:01 left that got her fouled and sent her to the line where she knocked down the charity stripe shot put Eastview back out in front 66-65. This was turning into the nail-biter that everyone had hoped for and both teams were looking for any opening on offense over the next couple of possessions - and finding little they could capitalize one. A Guebert free throw with :40.6 left upped Eastview's lead to 67-65 but now Cosgriff called a timeout to try and set something up to force overtime. The play worked to perfection and Bates connected with a lay-up with :18 seconds left to knot the game at 67-all. Neither squad was successful in their last-gasp bids to try and get a win before the end of regulation so on to overtime we went.
In the overtime period, the Lightning were very deliberate on offense; looking for the best possible opportunity to strike. That opportunity came with 1:57 left in the overtime period as junior reserve forward Emma Sinn was able to slither into the paint for a score that got her fouled. Although she couldn't convert on the obligatory freebie, this gave Eastview a precious 69-67 advantage with time becoming a factor. A Hollie free throw with 1:21 left narrowed the lead to a scant point at 69-68 but the clincher for Eastview may have come on their ensuing possession as Trammel was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback of her own miss that now had the Lightning up 71-68. Hopkins, being very careful on their next possession, finally saw Starks make a move that got her fouled with 1:04 left and her two free throws once again brought the Royals to within one trailing 71-70. Eastview's Trammel was fouled in a transition opportunity with :59.3 left but she was unable to get the obligatory charity stripe shot to go down and now Hopkins had their chance. But a rushed Hopkins team uncharacteristically turned the ball over with :53.9 left that killed their best chance. Ranke was immediately fouled and was able to get one free throw to go down that upped the Lightning lead to 72-70. Still, more than enough time for Hopkins to do something on offense but another failed possession resulted in an Eastview rebound that saw Ranke get fouled again with :19.8 left. Ranke was able to get one free throw to go down for a 73-70 lead but the Lightning were not out of the woods yet. Cosgriff called another timeout to set up a play that would (hopefully) result in a trey - and force a second overtime. With :15.7 left, Hopkins had that chance but again, another uncharacteristic turnover killed the Royals chances. Guebert was soon fouled and she made both free throws and the Eastview Lightning had prevailed in a barn-burner 75-70. Not surprisingly, Guebert was named POY of the game with her 35 points.
The opening minutes of this contest saw Hopkins controlling things with their fast-paced up-tempo style. Early scores by junior guard Ashley Bates and flashy senior guard TT Starks had the Royals up 4-2 by the 17:08 mark and a score in the paint by strong junior guard Nia Hollie made it a 6-4 game by the 16:33 mark. The Lightning would stay right in the thick of things, though, and their slower, deliberate style provided a stark contrast to that of their opponents. A lay-up at the 16:09 mark by super senior guard Madison Guebert tied things up at 6-all and a score in the paint by junior guard Erika Schlosser at the 15:04 mark made it 8-all. It was at this point that Hopkins was able to make the first major move as consecutive scores by Bates - a "3" from the left wing at the 14:21 mark along with a lay-up at the 13:43 mark - gave the Royals a 13-8 advantage. Eastview would manage to close the gap again down to two points trailing 14-12 after an offensive rebound and putback by strong senior forward Samantha Trammel at the 12:20 mark but a "3" from the right wing by junior reserve guard Evelyn Knox at the 11:18 mark and a drive and finish by Starks at the 10:30 mark had Hopkins in good shape up 19-13.
The Royals still enjoyed a seven point advantage at 22-15 when Starks made a hard drive and finish off the glass with 9:28 left but Eastview would chip away at the deficit. Free throws by senior reserve forward Hana Metoxen; back from that nasty ACL injury and Guebert had the Lightning back to within three trailing 22-19 with 7:18 left and a Guebert jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc with 6:36 mark completed a nice 6-0 Eastview push that suddenly reduced the Royal lead to 22-21. While the Royals managed to hang on to the lead for the rest of the first half, the chance to open up a sizable lead on the defending state champs had been whisked away and, in retrospect, I think this was a critical juncture in this game. Still, Hopkins managed to hold four- and five-point leads coming down the stretch. Free throws by both Hollie and Starks had the Royals up 30-25 with 3:00 left and a "3" from Knox with 1:07 left from the left top area maintained a five-point advantage at 33-28. Guebert did manage to knock down a "3" from the left corner with :40 left that had Eastview within two points again trailing 33-31 but Hopkins' Bates was able to fire the last cannon of this epic battle between two heavyweights when she scored after a drive along the left baseline with :07 left for a 35-31 Royal advantage at the halftime break.
Hopkins would get off to a solid start in the second half as lanky junior post Liz Bulver connected with a lay-up at the 17:48 mark and Hollie knocked down a pretty turnaround jumper at the 16:35 mark that put the Royals up by eight at 39-31 and could have had Eastview in a bad spot. But one thing we found out about the Lightning last season; particularly in the state championship game, is that this is a very resilient team that knows how to dig deep down when things look bleak and find a way to overcome formidable odds. Even down by eight points on a strong opponents home floor in front of a raucous crowd did not faze this squad. Rather, they relish these types of situations; especially Guebert who has an incredible ability to take over games. Trailing 41-33, Trammel was able to muscle into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her free throw trimmed the Hopkins lead down to 41-36. Then Guebert unleashed a "3" from the left corner at the 14:20 mark to bring the Lightning within two trailing 41-39. Another score in the paint by Trammel at the 13:07 mark tied the game at 41-all and then a Guebert jumper from near the free throw line at the 12:40 mark put Eastview out in front for the first time in this contest and Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted.
Hopkins would soon tie the score at 43-all on two charity stripe shots by Starks but the Lightning would soon take charge as three consecutive scores by Guebert - a "3" from the left wing at the 11:46 mark; a drive and finish at the 11:01 mark and two free throws at the 10:07 mark - put Eastview up 50-43. A 7-2 push by the Royals cut that advantage down to 52-50 with 8:36 left but the Lightning answered that with a 7-0 run of their own; highlighted by a Schlosser jumper along the right baseline with 7:52 left and a "3" by sophomore guard Rachel Ranke from the left top are with 6:36 left and a Schlosser lay-up with 6:05 left made it 59-50 Eastview and hope seemed to be dwindling for the home team.
But just when you thought that the Royals were going to be left for dead, they came back swinging. Two Hollie treys - with 5:52 and 5:35 left - sliced the Eastview lead down to 59-56 and a Hollie drive and finish in transition with 5:06 left cut the Lightning lead down to a scant point at 59-58 and now it was Eastview Head Coach Melissa Guebert's turn to call for a halt to the action. But Hopkins seemed to have caught a second wind by this point. Bates knocked down two free throws with 4:29 left and a lay-up in transition with 4:08 left by Starks by the Royals back out in front 62-61 and that lead expanded to 64-61 with 3:28 left on a drive and finish by Bates. Now, the Lightning had to respond again - and they did. And, not surprisingly, it would be Guebert leading the way. Two free throws with 3:08 and a drive and finish with 2:01 left that got her fouled and sent her to the line where she knocked down the charity stripe shot put Eastview back out in front 66-65. This was turning into the nail-biter that everyone had hoped for and both teams were looking for any opening on offense over the next couple of possessions - and finding little they could capitalize one. A Guebert free throw with :40.6 left upped Eastview's lead to 67-65 but now Cosgriff called a timeout to try and set something up to force overtime. The play worked to perfection and Bates connected with a lay-up with :18 seconds left to knot the game at 67-all. Neither squad was successful in their last-gasp bids to try and get a win before the end of regulation so on to overtime we went.
In the overtime period, the Lightning were very deliberate on offense; looking for the best possible opportunity to strike. That opportunity came with 1:57 left in the overtime period as junior reserve forward Emma Sinn was able to slither into the paint for a score that got her fouled. Although she couldn't convert on the obligatory freebie, this gave Eastview a precious 69-67 advantage with time becoming a factor. A Hollie free throw with 1:21 left narrowed the lead to a scant point at 69-68 but the clincher for Eastview may have come on their ensuing possession as Trammel was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback of her own miss that now had the Lightning up 71-68. Hopkins, being very careful on their next possession, finally saw Starks make a move that got her fouled with 1:04 left and her two free throws once again brought the Royals to within one trailing 71-70. Eastview's Trammel was fouled in a transition opportunity with :59.3 left but she was unable to get the obligatory charity stripe shot to go down and now Hopkins had their chance. But a rushed Hopkins team uncharacteristically turned the ball over with :53.9 left that killed their best chance. Ranke was immediately fouled and was able to get one free throw to go down that upped the Lightning lead to 72-70. Still, more than enough time for Hopkins to do something on offense but another failed possession resulted in an Eastview rebound that saw Ranke get fouled again with :19.8 left. Ranke was able to get one free throw to go down for a 73-70 lead but the Lightning were not out of the woods yet. Cosgriff called another timeout to set up a play that would (hopefully) result in a trey - and force a second overtime. With :15.7 left, Hopkins had that chance but again, another uncharacteristic turnover killed the Royals chances. Guebert was soon fouled and she made both free throws and the Eastview Lightning had prevailed in a barn-burner 75-70. Not surprisingly, Guebert was named POY of the game with her 35 points.
Concordia vs Hamline Synopsis 12-6-14
Made my way over to venerable Hutton Arena after getting out of Hopkins' Lindbergh Center. Got settled in at the 17:29 mark of the 1st half with Hamline holding a 5-3 lead.
It became obvious after I got settled in that Hamline was controlling the tempo in this contest early on and was making life miserable for the visiting Cobbers although Concordia managed to stay within striking distance. Trailing 9-5 after Piper senior sensation Jordan Sammons connected with a lay-up at the 15:03 mark, the Cobbers gradually clawed their way back into position. Lanky sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka connected with a lay-up at the 14:42 mark to cut the Hamline lead down to 9-7 and a drive and finish by steady senior guard Alley Fisher knotted things up at 9 a piece. Free throws by strong junior forward Olivia Johnson at the 13:01 and 10:48 marks not only had Concordia in the bonus but also gave the Cobbers their first lead of the contest at 12-11.
Hamline would take the lead back on a lay-up by freshman reserve guard Alison Bartak with 9:13 left and speedy sophomore guard Chloe Graves added a free throw and a lay-up to give the Pipers a 16-12 lead with 8:09 left. Concordia would strike back, however, as sophomore reserve guard Morgan Gunderson connected with a lay-up with 7:45 left and a "3" by fellow sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson from the left top area with 7:05 left gave Concordia a 17-16 advantage and, for a split second, it appeared that the Cobbers were ready to finally grasp control of this one. Alas, it would be Concordia's last lead of the game as things suddenly seemed to go awry for the maroon and gold-clad Cobbers. Sharp-shooting Piper sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante uncorked a "3" from the left wing area with 5:59 left to put Hamline back out in front for good at 19-17 and a Bonsante lay-up with 5:27 left made it a three-point Piper lead at 21-18. Bonsante would add two free throws with 4:43 left to increase the lead to 23-18. Moreover, the speedy and athletic Hamline attack was gradually breaking down the normally rock-solid Concordia defense and the Cobber faithful had even more reason to be worried when Johnson chased a loose ball and took a spill into the bleachers with 3:33 left. She did manage to get up under her own power but it was a painful walk back to the bench and things just seemed to spiral downward from there. Graves connected with a pull-up jumper in transition with 2:12 left and then the Denver, Colorado native knocked down a "3" from the right wing area with 1:25 left for a 30-23 Piper lead and Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Bonsante connected with a lay-up in transition with 1:05 left that increased the Piper lead to 32-23 before senior forward Erin Januschka was finally able to knock down a pair from the charity stripe after getting fouled with :27.3 left. Down by seven at 32-25 by the halftime break, the Cobbers had plenty of work - and adjustments - to make if they were going to slow the potent Hamline offense and take back the momentum the Pipers had built thus far.
Concordia sophomore guard Greta Walsh tried to get a positive vibe going for her teammates at the beginning of the second half as she connected with a lay-up in transition at the 19:43 mark that cut the deficit down to five points but every move made the Cobbers made was always answered - and then some - by Hamline. Bonsante drilled a "3" from the right wing area at the 19:02 mark and then Sammons showed her takeover ability as she slithered into the paint for a score at the 18:33 mark and then snared a steal and blazed the other way for an easy lay-up at the 17:54 mark for an eleven point 40-29 lead. Down double-digits, Concordia tried to counter as Walsh knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 17:03 mark that got the Cobbers back to within single digits trailing 40-32 and a short jumper by the Litchfield native at the 15:21 mark along with two free throws by reserve sophomore forward Mikayla Forness gave Concordia some hope as they whittled the Piper lead down to 42-36 by the 14:15 mark. But that hope soon vanished into thin air as Sammons uncorked a "3" from the right wing area at the 14:04 mark to up the Hamline lead back up to nine points at 45-36. A score in the paint by junior forward Mackenzie Lee at the 12:11 mark and two Bonsante free throws at the 12:05 mark put the Pipers back up by double digits again at 49-38 and, just like that, Concordia was back at Square One. A score in the paint by freshman forward Alex Peterson upped the Hamline lead to 51-38 at the 11:37 mark and Rahman had seen enough to know it was time to burn a timeout.
Hamline would maintain that double-digit advantage and, despite some worries when Sammons picked up foul number four at the 8:02 mark, the Pipers held firm. Another trey from Walsh (who had a solid second half for the Cobbers) with 6:44 left and two free throws by Fisher with 6:08 left did bring Concordia briefly back to within single digits again trailing 56-48 and provided a wisp of hope but the Cobbers could never narrow the gap. A jumper along the right baseline by junior guard Emily Behrman made it a ten-point Hamline lead at 60-50 but the deal was pretty much sealed when Graves made a nifty move and connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process. The obligatory freebies made it 63-52 Hamline and Concordia had no choice but to foul in a desperate effort to prolong the issue. Two more Graves free throws with :49.2 left along with a pair from Sammons; who had since returned to the game with those four fouls maintained the ten-point edge. Bonsante would add a pair with :30.2 left and the Pipers pulled off an upset of their own in this young MIAC season with a 69-61 victory.
Rahman wouldn't go as far as to admit that this team is trying to forge a new identity for itself without players like Alexandra Lippert (who was in attendance cheering her former teammates on) or Kelsey Walloch and Erika Jossart but clearly this squad has issues and the paltry 4-18 (22%) from three-point land along with an equally frigid 19-53 (35.8%) FG attempts is cause for concern. Also, with seven games completed they are already 4-3 and that is not a good sign for a squad that has NCAA tournament-aspirations. I'm not saying that it's time for the Cobbers to break out the proverbial panic button just yet but they'd better know where it's located at least because at the rate this season is going they may very well need it - soon. Meanwhile, I think this win solidifies Hamline as a playoff contender at the very least. Their athleticism and speed is tough to match-up against and when they bring their "A" game, they can be scary good. The question with this squad again is, can they find some consistency? Can they avoid the roller-coaster rides they've been on before and solidify their conference standing come mid/late-January? Time will tell.
It became obvious after I got settled in that Hamline was controlling the tempo in this contest early on and was making life miserable for the visiting Cobbers although Concordia managed to stay within striking distance. Trailing 9-5 after Piper senior sensation Jordan Sammons connected with a lay-up at the 15:03 mark, the Cobbers gradually clawed their way back into position. Lanky sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka connected with a lay-up at the 14:42 mark to cut the Hamline lead down to 9-7 and a drive and finish by steady senior guard Alley Fisher knotted things up at 9 a piece. Free throws by strong junior forward Olivia Johnson at the 13:01 and 10:48 marks not only had Concordia in the bonus but also gave the Cobbers their first lead of the contest at 12-11.
Hamline would take the lead back on a lay-up by freshman reserve guard Alison Bartak with 9:13 left and speedy sophomore guard Chloe Graves added a free throw and a lay-up to give the Pipers a 16-12 lead with 8:09 left. Concordia would strike back, however, as sophomore reserve guard Morgan Gunderson connected with a lay-up with 7:45 left and a "3" by fellow sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson from the left top area with 7:05 left gave Concordia a 17-16 advantage and, for a split second, it appeared that the Cobbers were ready to finally grasp control of this one. Alas, it would be Concordia's last lead of the game as things suddenly seemed to go awry for the maroon and gold-clad Cobbers. Sharp-shooting Piper sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante uncorked a "3" from the left wing area with 5:59 left to put Hamline back out in front for good at 19-17 and a Bonsante lay-up with 5:27 left made it a three-point Piper lead at 21-18. Bonsante would add two free throws with 4:43 left to increase the lead to 23-18. Moreover, the speedy and athletic Hamline attack was gradually breaking down the normally rock-solid Concordia defense and the Cobber faithful had even more reason to be worried when Johnson chased a loose ball and took a spill into the bleachers with 3:33 left. She did manage to get up under her own power but it was a painful walk back to the bench and things just seemed to spiral downward from there. Graves connected with a pull-up jumper in transition with 2:12 left and then the Denver, Colorado native knocked down a "3" from the right wing area with 1:25 left for a 30-23 Piper lead and Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Bonsante connected with a lay-up in transition with 1:05 left that increased the Piper lead to 32-23 before senior forward Erin Januschka was finally able to knock down a pair from the charity stripe after getting fouled with :27.3 left. Down by seven at 32-25 by the halftime break, the Cobbers had plenty of work - and adjustments - to make if they were going to slow the potent Hamline offense and take back the momentum the Pipers had built thus far.
Concordia sophomore guard Greta Walsh tried to get a positive vibe going for her teammates at the beginning of the second half as she connected with a lay-up in transition at the 19:43 mark that cut the deficit down to five points but every move made the Cobbers made was always answered - and then some - by Hamline. Bonsante drilled a "3" from the right wing area at the 19:02 mark and then Sammons showed her takeover ability as she slithered into the paint for a score at the 18:33 mark and then snared a steal and blazed the other way for an easy lay-up at the 17:54 mark for an eleven point 40-29 lead. Down double-digits, Concordia tried to counter as Walsh knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 17:03 mark that got the Cobbers back to within single digits trailing 40-32 and a short jumper by the Litchfield native at the 15:21 mark along with two free throws by reserve sophomore forward Mikayla Forness gave Concordia some hope as they whittled the Piper lead down to 42-36 by the 14:15 mark. But that hope soon vanished into thin air as Sammons uncorked a "3" from the right wing area at the 14:04 mark to up the Hamline lead back up to nine points at 45-36. A score in the paint by junior forward Mackenzie Lee at the 12:11 mark and two Bonsante free throws at the 12:05 mark put the Pipers back up by double digits again at 49-38 and, just like that, Concordia was back at Square One. A score in the paint by freshman forward Alex Peterson upped the Hamline lead to 51-38 at the 11:37 mark and Rahman had seen enough to know it was time to burn a timeout.
Hamline would maintain that double-digit advantage and, despite some worries when Sammons picked up foul number four at the 8:02 mark, the Pipers held firm. Another trey from Walsh (who had a solid second half for the Cobbers) with 6:44 left and two free throws by Fisher with 6:08 left did bring Concordia briefly back to within single digits again trailing 56-48 and provided a wisp of hope but the Cobbers could never narrow the gap. A jumper along the right baseline by junior guard Emily Behrman made it a ten-point Hamline lead at 60-50 but the deal was pretty much sealed when Graves made a nifty move and connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process. The obligatory freebies made it 63-52 Hamline and Concordia had no choice but to foul in a desperate effort to prolong the issue. Two more Graves free throws with :49.2 left along with a pair from Sammons; who had since returned to the game with those four fouls maintained the ten-point edge. Bonsante would add a pair with :30.2 left and the Pipers pulled off an upset of their own in this young MIAC season with a 69-61 victory.
Rahman wouldn't go as far as to admit that this team is trying to forge a new identity for itself without players like Alexandra Lippert (who was in attendance cheering her former teammates on) or Kelsey Walloch and Erika Jossart but clearly this squad has issues and the paltry 4-18 (22%) from three-point land along with an equally frigid 19-53 (35.8%) FG attempts is cause for concern. Also, with seven games completed they are already 4-3 and that is not a good sign for a squad that has NCAA tournament-aspirations. I'm not saying that it's time for the Cobbers to break out the proverbial panic button just yet but they'd better know where it's located at least because at the rate this season is going they may very well need it - soon. Meanwhile, I think this win solidifies Hamline as a playoff contender at the very least. Their athleticism and speed is tough to match-up against and when they bring their "A" game, they can be scary good. The question with this squad again is, can they find some consistency? Can they avoid the roller-coaster rides they've been on before and solidify their conference standing come mid/late-January? Time will tell.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Breakdown Tip-Off Classic - Delano vs Park Center Synopsis 12-6-14
Made my way over to Hopkins High School on this Saturday A.M. to take in the early action over at the annual Breakdown Tip-Off Classic; a premier event for girls high school basketball in Minnesota that showcases the top teams in the state. The first game on tap for me on this day would be a highly-anticipated match-up between defending Class AAA champ Park Center and Delano. This would be my first look at this Pirate team since their breath-taking triple overtime win over Marshall in the state title game this last March and I really didn't know what to expect.
It would be the underdog Tigers who would get off to a good start in this one; putting the defending state champs in an early hole. Lanky 6'1" post Alexandra Wittinger snared an offensive rebound for a putback for Delano's first score at the 17:35 mark and a drive and finish by fellow senior forward Bria Barfknecht at the 16:15 mark along with another offensive rebound and putback by Wittinger at the 15:55 mark not only gave Delano a quick 6-2 lead but also gave the Park Center contingent a reason for concern as to how the Pirates were going to cope with Delano's size in the paint. To their credit, however, the Pirates found a way after Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde called a timeout to discuss strategy with his assistants and team. First, senior sharpshooter guard McKenna DuBois knocked down a jumper from the right wing at the 15:28 mark and then DuBois struck again at the 14:27 mark with a "3" from the left wing that drew the Pirates to within one trailing 8-7. An offensive rebound for a putback by 6'1" sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 13:49 mark gave Park Center its first lead at 9-8. Things would stay relatively tight over the next three to four minutes as each team traded stabs and jabs. Senior point guard Hannah Schaub, back in action after the ACL injury suffered late in the regular season last year knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 12:25 mark as did sophomore guard Ann Simonet from the right top area at the 11:45 mark for a 15-14 Pirate lead. But Delano would proceed to go on an 8-2 run as "3's" from sophomore guard Erin Norling senior guard Brooke Lemke helped give the Tigers a 22-17 lead with 9:33 left as this contest was already giving us some unusual ebb and flow.
But the Pirates would gradually recover (again). DuBois drilled another "3"; this one from the right corner with 9:18 left and then Hayes scored in the paint with 7:54 left and got fouled in the process. Though she was unable to convert on the obligatory freebie, it drew Park Center back to within two trailing 24-22. Two free throws by sophomore guard Danielle Schaub with 7:44 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Simonet put the Pirates back out in front 26-24 and had Delano Head Coach Amy Gould calling a timeout as the air had seemed to come out of the proverbial balloon for the Tigers. But Park Center would not let their foot off the gas pedal coming down the stretch of the first half. Danielle Schaub connected with a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc with 7:07 left for a 28-24 Pirate advantage. A score in the paint by Hayes with 6:32 left and a lay-up in transition by flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele upped the Park Center lead to six at 32-26 as the Tigers struggled to establish anything offensively. Two more scores by the Hayes-Ayobamidele duo upped the Pirate lead to ten at 36-26 with 4:54 left that seemingly had Delano reeling. A "3" by Barfknecht from the left top area with 4:17 left appeared to give the Tigers a bit of a pulse and a Lemke lay-up with 2:29 left gave Delano a stronger heartbeat trailing 38-31. A free throw by senior forward Makenna Giese with 1:36 left and a jumper in the lane by Wittinger with just :05 left helped bring the Tigers to within six at the halftime break trailing 40-34.
The beginning of the second half saw yet another shift in momentum as Delano struck quickly. Two free throws by Barfknecht at the 17:49 mark and a lay-up by sophomore guard Erin Norling at the 16:50 mark cut the Pirate lead down to 42-38 then a short jumper off the glass by Giese at the 16:11 mark drew the Tigers to within two. Wittinger completed this early 9-2 run with a drive and finish at the 15:32 mark that suddenly had Delano back up 43-42 and now had Park Center's VanderHyde calling a timeout once again to get his troops re-assembled. The Tigers, however, would extend their lead as Wittinger was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 14:35 mark and both Barfknecht and Wittinger put down free throws by for a 47-43 Delano lead and things now looked uncertain for the defending state champs.
But, just as they had in the state championship game, the Pirates would show their resiliency and battle right back and - once again - take control of things. First, Danielle Schaub knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 11:20 mark that drew Park Center back to within one and two Simonet charity stripe shots gave the Pirates the lead back for good at 48-47 at the 10:45 mark. A score in the paint by Hayes at 10:11 mark and then two treys by Simonet - one at the 9:41 mark and another at the 8:52 mark - suddenly made it a 56-47 game and this decisive 13-0 burst by Park Center changed the tune of this one for good. Even more disconcerting for Delano was that the Pirates were getting their transition game going and things were starting to click for them. The Tigers tried to counter as Lemke knocked down a much-needed "3" from the right corner with 7:44 left but another "3" by Danielle Schaub from the left corner with 5:53 left upped the lead to nine again at 61-52 and not even another timeout by Delano's Gould could stem the tide. A lay-up in transition by DuBois with 4:16 left and a jumper from the left side of the rim by Ayobamidele with 2:58 left gave Park Center a 65-52 lead and put a choke-hold on the Tigers. The Pirates were able to close things out on charity stripe shots and, when the buzzer sounded, Park Center was able to claim a convincing 69-54 victory.
Unbeknownst to me until afterward was that Hannah Schaub was playing at something less than 100% for this one as she had been battling congestion in her chest area and her voice sounded very tired afterward. I did ask VanderHyde afterward about the unusual swings in momentum in this game and if the temporary letdown the Pirates had at the beginning of the second half would be an issue that the squad would have to guard against as the season progressed. While VanderHyde dismissed the notion, he did admit that there were other items that the team needs to work on. Despite a couple of shaky moments in this one, the Pirates seem on solid footing and they seem to be the popular choice to repeat as Class AAA state champs. Some very tough tests remain however, and this squad no longer has the dynamic Cayla McMorris who is now at Wisconsin but I suspect this squad will only get better as the season progresses and, if everyone can stay relatively healthy enough, it will be tough for anyone else out there to deny them another shot at the whole ball of wax.
It would be the underdog Tigers who would get off to a good start in this one; putting the defending state champs in an early hole. Lanky 6'1" post Alexandra Wittinger snared an offensive rebound for a putback for Delano's first score at the 17:35 mark and a drive and finish by fellow senior forward Bria Barfknecht at the 16:15 mark along with another offensive rebound and putback by Wittinger at the 15:55 mark not only gave Delano a quick 6-2 lead but also gave the Park Center contingent a reason for concern as to how the Pirates were going to cope with Delano's size in the paint. To their credit, however, the Pirates found a way after Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde called a timeout to discuss strategy with his assistants and team. First, senior sharpshooter guard McKenna DuBois knocked down a jumper from the right wing at the 15:28 mark and then DuBois struck again at the 14:27 mark with a "3" from the left wing that drew the Pirates to within one trailing 8-7. An offensive rebound for a putback by 6'1" sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 13:49 mark gave Park Center its first lead at 9-8. Things would stay relatively tight over the next three to four minutes as each team traded stabs and jabs. Senior point guard Hannah Schaub, back in action after the ACL injury suffered late in the regular season last year knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 12:25 mark as did sophomore guard Ann Simonet from the right top area at the 11:45 mark for a 15-14 Pirate lead. But Delano would proceed to go on an 8-2 run as "3's" from sophomore guard Erin Norling senior guard Brooke Lemke helped give the Tigers a 22-17 lead with 9:33 left as this contest was already giving us some unusual ebb and flow.
But the Pirates would gradually recover (again). DuBois drilled another "3"; this one from the right corner with 9:18 left and then Hayes scored in the paint with 7:54 left and got fouled in the process. Though she was unable to convert on the obligatory freebie, it drew Park Center back to within two trailing 24-22. Two free throws by sophomore guard Danielle Schaub with 7:44 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Simonet put the Pirates back out in front 26-24 and had Delano Head Coach Amy Gould calling a timeout as the air had seemed to come out of the proverbial balloon for the Tigers. But Park Center would not let their foot off the gas pedal coming down the stretch of the first half. Danielle Schaub connected with a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc with 7:07 left for a 28-24 Pirate advantage. A score in the paint by Hayes with 6:32 left and a lay-up in transition by flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele upped the Park Center lead to six at 32-26 as the Tigers struggled to establish anything offensively. Two more scores by the Hayes-Ayobamidele duo upped the Pirate lead to ten at 36-26 with 4:54 left that seemingly had Delano reeling. A "3" by Barfknecht from the left top area with 4:17 left appeared to give the Tigers a bit of a pulse and a Lemke lay-up with 2:29 left gave Delano a stronger heartbeat trailing 38-31. A free throw by senior forward Makenna Giese with 1:36 left and a jumper in the lane by Wittinger with just :05 left helped bring the Tigers to within six at the halftime break trailing 40-34.
The beginning of the second half saw yet another shift in momentum as Delano struck quickly. Two free throws by Barfknecht at the 17:49 mark and a lay-up by sophomore guard Erin Norling at the 16:50 mark cut the Pirate lead down to 42-38 then a short jumper off the glass by Giese at the 16:11 mark drew the Tigers to within two. Wittinger completed this early 9-2 run with a drive and finish at the 15:32 mark that suddenly had Delano back up 43-42 and now had Park Center's VanderHyde calling a timeout once again to get his troops re-assembled. The Tigers, however, would extend their lead as Wittinger was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 14:35 mark and both Barfknecht and Wittinger put down free throws by for a 47-43 Delano lead and things now looked uncertain for the defending state champs.
But, just as they had in the state championship game, the Pirates would show their resiliency and battle right back and - once again - take control of things. First, Danielle Schaub knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 11:20 mark that drew Park Center back to within one and two Simonet charity stripe shots gave the Pirates the lead back for good at 48-47 at the 10:45 mark. A score in the paint by Hayes at 10:11 mark and then two treys by Simonet - one at the 9:41 mark and another at the 8:52 mark - suddenly made it a 56-47 game and this decisive 13-0 burst by Park Center changed the tune of this one for good. Even more disconcerting for Delano was that the Pirates were getting their transition game going and things were starting to click for them. The Tigers tried to counter as Lemke knocked down a much-needed "3" from the right corner with 7:44 left but another "3" by Danielle Schaub from the left corner with 5:53 left upped the lead to nine again at 61-52 and not even another timeout by Delano's Gould could stem the tide. A lay-up in transition by DuBois with 4:16 left and a jumper from the left side of the rim by Ayobamidele with 2:58 left gave Park Center a 65-52 lead and put a choke-hold on the Tigers. The Pirates were able to close things out on charity stripe shots and, when the buzzer sounded, Park Center was able to claim a convincing 69-54 victory.
Unbeknownst to me until afterward was that Hannah Schaub was playing at something less than 100% for this one as she had been battling congestion in her chest area and her voice sounded very tired afterward. I did ask VanderHyde afterward about the unusual swings in momentum in this game and if the temporary letdown the Pirates had at the beginning of the second half would be an issue that the squad would have to guard against as the season progressed. While VanderHyde dismissed the notion, he did admit that there were other items that the team needs to work on. Despite a couple of shaky moments in this one, the Pirates seem on solid footing and they seem to be the popular choice to repeat as Class AAA state champs. Some very tough tests remain however, and this squad no longer has the dynamic Cayla McMorris who is now at Wisconsin but I suspect this squad will only get better as the season progresses and, if everyone can stay relatively healthy enough, it will be tough for anyone else out there to deny them another shot at the whole ball of wax.
Bethel vs St. Kate's 12-3-14
Made my over to the renovated Butler Center on this Wednesday night to take in the contest between visiting Bethel and host St. Kate's on the opening night of MIAC play. With an unblemished record so far, the Royals were looking to get off to a good start in conference play to bolster their lofty hopes and expectations while the Wildcats were looking to keep the beat going with their 4-1 record coming into conference play and to put last year's miseries behind them for good.
The early going in this one was all Bethel as junior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz banged home a "3" from off the glass on the Royals first possession for a quick 3-0 lead. Junior post Rachel Parupsky maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 18:41 mark and then sophomore sensation Kalli Zimmerman finished off this opening 9-0 spurt with two free throws at the 18:06 mark and a lay-up at the 17:42 mark. The 'Cats were finally able to get a little something going as sophomore phenom guard/forward LaShay Holt connected on a lay-up at the 17:42 mark to get St. Kate's on the board. Two free throws by junior guard Shauna Horsch at the 15:26 mark and a lay-up by freshman guard Audra Clark at the 14:22 mark helped to trim the Bethel lead down to 13-6 but the Royals then embarked on yet another 9-0 burst. Senior reserve forward Kailey Eid got a lay-up at the 14:09 mark and then junior reserve guard Lexi Friesen snared a steal and dashed the other way for an easy lay-up at the 13:34 mark. Parupsky got into the paint again for another score at the 11:59 mark and then freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff drained a "3" from the left corner for a commanding 22-6 Bethel lead. From a St. Kate's standpoint, it was the "Here we go again" automatic thought and Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had no choice but to call a halt to the action to search for answers.
The Wildcats would make incremental cuts into the deficit but Bethel was not willing relinquish control just yet. A drive into the lane and finish by Holt at the 10:53 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by willowy sophomore reserve forward Kennedy Jennings at the 10:36 mark cut the Bethel lead down to 22-10 but the Royals would turn up the heat again. Parupsky scored in the paint at the 10:15 mark and then two scores by super sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman - one in the paint with 8:28 left and a steal and lay-up the other way with 5:43 left pushed the Royal lead back to sixteen at 28-12. St. Kate's however, was able to make a push a temporarily trim the deficit back to single digits. Senior reserve forward Mary Neumann uncorked a "3" from the left corner with 5:22 left and then the other half of the Clark duo; freshman guard Meg, showed her three-point prowess by knocking one down from the left wing area with 4:50 left. A steal and lay-up the other way by the flashy Holt got the 'Cats back to within single digits trailing 29-20 and a score in the paint by Horsch pulled St. Kate's to within eight trailing 30-22 with 2:10 left. A "3" from the right top area sophomore reserve forward Alexis Garcia gave reason for hope for St. Kate's as that score cut the Royal lead down to seven at 32-25 but Bethel had one last little push left in them before the half. Parupsky knocked down a short jumper with :52 left and then sophomore guard Shanni Moorse made a hard drive and finish with :18 left on the clock that allowed the Royal to go into the locker room at the half with a 36-25 lead.
Bethel looked to be on their way again early on in the second half as Parupsky connected on a short turnaround jumper at the 16:57 mark and then was able to muscle into the paint for another score at the 16:28 mark that pushed the Royal lead to thirteen at 40-27 and St. Kate's Pinkerton had no choice but to burn a timeout at this juncture. The Wildcats would respond coming out of that stoppage in play. Horsch uncorked a "3" from the top of the key at the 15:43 mark and then Jennings connected on a lay-up in transition at the 13:53 mark that slimmed down the Bethel advantage to 42-32. Another Mary Nuemann "3" from the left corner area at the 13:01 mark and a score in the paint by Jennings at the 12:13 mark now had St. Kate's back to within seven trailing 44-37. The Royals would be able to douse these Wildcat hopes for a bit as "Bam Bam" Schultz canned a "3" from the left top area at the 11:54 mark and then Parupsky got into the paint for yet another score at the 10:54 mark for a 49-39 Bethel lead and it just looked like one of those nights where the 'Cats simply didn't have enough firepower (or willpower) to catch their opponent.
Unfortunately for the Royals, however, someone forgot to tell Holt & Co. that this one was out of reach. First, the former St. Paul Humboldt standout connected with a jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc at the 9:48 mark and then was able to snare a steal and dash the other way to the rim for a lay-up with 8:31 mark. A Meg Clark drive and finish with 7:58 left cut the Bethel lead down to 52-45 and two free throws by Garcia sliced the Royal lead down to five at 52-47 and also had St. Kate's in the bonus to boot. A jumper in the lane by Mary Neumann with 6:53 left now whittled the once-comfortable Bethel advantage down to 52-49 count and Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; now seeing all sorts of red flags, called a halt to the action with 6:53 left.
The Royals appeared to come out of the timeout with a renewed sense of determination as Zimmerman connected with a lay-up with 6:37 left and then Parupsky established herself in the paint again with a score with 5:25 left to give Bethel a bit more breathing room with a 56-49 advantage . But this one would unravel for the Royals like a bad dream; you know, where you try to run but can't or, more specifically from a basketball standpoint, where all you need to do is make free throws but can't. Junior guard Hannah Niewald was able to only get the front end of a 1-and-1 situation after getting fouled with 4:44 left. Meanwhile, the 'Cats clawed their way back and had Bethel treading water. Horsch connected with a lay-up with 4:15 left and then an Audra Clark lay-up with 3:49 left sliced the Bethel lead down to 57-53. Parupsky was fouled by St. Kate's with 3:27 left that now had the Royals in the double-bonus and seemingly in great shape to ice this thing away once and for all. But Parupsky was able to only get the front-end to go down. A pull-up jumper by Niewald did increase the Bethel lead back to seven at 60-53 with 2:53 left but those pesky Wildcats just refused to go away. Two free throws by Holt with 2:45 left and a short jumper with 2:04 left by Holt had St. Kate's back to within three trailing 60-57. With 1:22 left and Bethel hanging on for dear life, Horsch made a hard drive and finish that sliced the Royal lead down to a scant point at 60-59. Zimmerman's rebound and putback with 1:04 left increased the lead back to three at 62-59 but a turnaround jumper by Holt with :53.7 left and a jumper by Holt from the free throw line with :26 left after a failed Bethel possession now had the 'Cats in front for the first time in the contest at 63-62 and Herbrechtsmeyer used another timeout to keep his squad from reaching for the panic button. Niewald was sent to the line after getting fouled with :16.2 left but she was unable to connect on both attempts and now St. Kate's was in prime position to pull off the upset. Horsch was fouled with 11.2 and she made good on both attempts from the charity stripe for a 65-62 Wildcat lead. Bethel had one last chance to force overtime but their possession looked rushed; not smooth. Kirchoff launched an errant three-point attempt and the rebound fell into the arms of Audra Clark who was immediately fouled with just :00.6 left. She was able to get one of the ensuing freebies to go down and St. Kate's pulled off the first big upset of this young MIAC season with a stunning 66-62 victory.
Bethel Assistant Coach Steve Reiter couldn't say a whole lot afterward. He talked about the missed free throw attempts in the second half that left points off the board but he also said that this squad has some things to learn as well. The St. Kate's contingent (Pinkerton and assistants Tim Kjar and Tim Peper) meanwhile were all in a celebratory mood and rightfully so. I can't say if this is necessarily a "signature"-type win for the 'Cats but it's definitely a big step in the right direction considering what this squad went through last year and also after the curious departure of guard Gabby Zehrer who bolted for rival UST as she figured to be a major force for a resurgent St. Kate's program. But this win was a total team effort and they showed that they can win if they come together as a team. In the bigger picture, I think that this game shows that nothing can be taken for granted in this conference. That, even if you're an upper-echelon team, you'd bloody well better be prepared to bring your "A" game every day or night or else you'll likely get an "L" handed to you.
The early going in this one was all Bethel as junior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz banged home a "3" from off the glass on the Royals first possession for a quick 3-0 lead. Junior post Rachel Parupsky maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 18:41 mark and then sophomore sensation Kalli Zimmerman finished off this opening 9-0 spurt with two free throws at the 18:06 mark and a lay-up at the 17:42 mark. The 'Cats were finally able to get a little something going as sophomore phenom guard/forward LaShay Holt connected on a lay-up at the 17:42 mark to get St. Kate's on the board. Two free throws by junior guard Shauna Horsch at the 15:26 mark and a lay-up by freshman guard Audra Clark at the 14:22 mark helped to trim the Bethel lead down to 13-6 but the Royals then embarked on yet another 9-0 burst. Senior reserve forward Kailey Eid got a lay-up at the 14:09 mark and then junior reserve guard Lexi Friesen snared a steal and dashed the other way for an easy lay-up at the 13:34 mark. Parupsky got into the paint again for another score at the 11:59 mark and then freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff drained a "3" from the left corner for a commanding 22-6 Bethel lead. From a St. Kate's standpoint, it was the "Here we go again" automatic thought and Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had no choice but to call a halt to the action to search for answers.
The Wildcats would make incremental cuts into the deficit but Bethel was not willing relinquish control just yet. A drive into the lane and finish by Holt at the 10:53 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by willowy sophomore reserve forward Kennedy Jennings at the 10:36 mark cut the Bethel lead down to 22-10 but the Royals would turn up the heat again. Parupsky scored in the paint at the 10:15 mark and then two scores by super sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman - one in the paint with 8:28 left and a steal and lay-up the other way with 5:43 left pushed the Royal lead back to sixteen at 28-12. St. Kate's however, was able to make a push a temporarily trim the deficit back to single digits. Senior reserve forward Mary Neumann uncorked a "3" from the left corner with 5:22 left and then the other half of the Clark duo; freshman guard Meg, showed her three-point prowess by knocking one down from the left wing area with 4:50 left. A steal and lay-up the other way by the flashy Holt got the 'Cats back to within single digits trailing 29-20 and a score in the paint by Horsch pulled St. Kate's to within eight trailing 30-22 with 2:10 left. A "3" from the right top area sophomore reserve forward Alexis Garcia gave reason for hope for St. Kate's as that score cut the Royal lead down to seven at 32-25 but Bethel had one last little push left in them before the half. Parupsky knocked down a short jumper with :52 left and then sophomore guard Shanni Moorse made a hard drive and finish with :18 left on the clock that allowed the Royal to go into the locker room at the half with a 36-25 lead.
Bethel looked to be on their way again early on in the second half as Parupsky connected on a short turnaround jumper at the 16:57 mark and then was able to muscle into the paint for another score at the 16:28 mark that pushed the Royal lead to thirteen at 40-27 and St. Kate's Pinkerton had no choice but to burn a timeout at this juncture. The Wildcats would respond coming out of that stoppage in play. Horsch uncorked a "3" from the top of the key at the 15:43 mark and then Jennings connected on a lay-up in transition at the 13:53 mark that slimmed down the Bethel advantage to 42-32. Another Mary Nuemann "3" from the left corner area at the 13:01 mark and a score in the paint by Jennings at the 12:13 mark now had St. Kate's back to within seven trailing 44-37. The Royals would be able to douse these Wildcat hopes for a bit as "Bam Bam" Schultz canned a "3" from the left top area at the 11:54 mark and then Parupsky got into the paint for yet another score at the 10:54 mark for a 49-39 Bethel lead and it just looked like one of those nights where the 'Cats simply didn't have enough firepower (or willpower) to catch their opponent.
Unfortunately for the Royals, however, someone forgot to tell Holt & Co. that this one was out of reach. First, the former St. Paul Humboldt standout connected with a jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc at the 9:48 mark and then was able to snare a steal and dash the other way to the rim for a lay-up with 8:31 mark. A Meg Clark drive and finish with 7:58 left cut the Bethel lead down to 52-45 and two free throws by Garcia sliced the Royal lead down to five at 52-47 and also had St. Kate's in the bonus to boot. A jumper in the lane by Mary Neumann with 6:53 left now whittled the once-comfortable Bethel advantage down to 52-49 count and Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; now seeing all sorts of red flags, called a halt to the action with 6:53 left.
The Royals appeared to come out of the timeout with a renewed sense of determination as Zimmerman connected with a lay-up with 6:37 left and then Parupsky established herself in the paint again with a score with 5:25 left to give Bethel a bit more breathing room with a 56-49 advantage . But this one would unravel for the Royals like a bad dream; you know, where you try to run but can't or, more specifically from a basketball standpoint, where all you need to do is make free throws but can't. Junior guard Hannah Niewald was able to only get the front end of a 1-and-1 situation after getting fouled with 4:44 left. Meanwhile, the 'Cats clawed their way back and had Bethel treading water. Horsch connected with a lay-up with 4:15 left and then an Audra Clark lay-up with 3:49 left sliced the Bethel lead down to 57-53. Parupsky was fouled by St. Kate's with 3:27 left that now had the Royals in the double-bonus and seemingly in great shape to ice this thing away once and for all. But Parupsky was able to only get the front-end to go down. A pull-up jumper by Niewald did increase the Bethel lead back to seven at 60-53 with 2:53 left but those pesky Wildcats just refused to go away. Two free throws by Holt with 2:45 left and a short jumper with 2:04 left by Holt had St. Kate's back to within three trailing 60-57. With 1:22 left and Bethel hanging on for dear life, Horsch made a hard drive and finish that sliced the Royal lead down to a scant point at 60-59. Zimmerman's rebound and putback with 1:04 left increased the lead back to three at 62-59 but a turnaround jumper by Holt with :53.7 left and a jumper by Holt from the free throw line with :26 left after a failed Bethel possession now had the 'Cats in front for the first time in the contest at 63-62 and Herbrechtsmeyer used another timeout to keep his squad from reaching for the panic button. Niewald was sent to the line after getting fouled with :16.2 left but she was unable to connect on both attempts and now St. Kate's was in prime position to pull off the upset. Horsch was fouled with 11.2 and she made good on both attempts from the charity stripe for a 65-62 Wildcat lead. Bethel had one last chance to force overtime but their possession looked rushed; not smooth. Kirchoff launched an errant three-point attempt and the rebound fell into the arms of Audra Clark who was immediately fouled with just :00.6 left. She was able to get one of the ensuing freebies to go down and St. Kate's pulled off the first big upset of this young MIAC season with a stunning 66-62 victory.
Bethel Assistant Coach Steve Reiter couldn't say a whole lot afterward. He talked about the missed free throw attempts in the second half that left points off the board but he also said that this squad has some things to learn as well. The St. Kate's contingent (Pinkerton and assistants Tim Kjar and Tim Peper) meanwhile were all in a celebratory mood and rightfully so. I can't say if this is necessarily a "signature"-type win for the 'Cats but it's definitely a big step in the right direction considering what this squad went through last year and also after the curious departure of guard Gabby Zehrer who bolted for rival UST as she figured to be a major force for a resurgent St. Kate's program. But this win was a total team effort and they showed that they can win if they come together as a team. In the bigger picture, I think that this game shows that nothing can be taken for granted in this conference. That, even if you're an upper-echelon team, you'd bloody well better be prepared to bring your "A" game every day or night or else you'll likely get an "L" handed to you.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
UW-Stevens Point vs UST 11-30-14
Made my way over to the Anderson Athletic Complex and Schoenecker Arena on this Sunday afternoon to take in this huge contest between two powerhouse programs - visiting UW-Steven Point out of the WIAC and host UST of the MIAC. For an early season tilt, this one was definitely on my "to do" list and I wouldn't be disappointed.
The Tommies would get off to a great start in this one as two quick scores by senior post Maggie Weiers and a "3" from the right wing by senior point guard Jen Dockter had UST up 7-4 by the 16:01 mark. Despite the fact that Weiers picked up two quick personal fouls in the opening stages of the game that forced UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn to sit her for a spell, the Tommies were able to expand their lead to 16-6 by the 13:50 mark thanks to scores from junior guard Katie Stone, senior reserve forward Alyssa Favilla and senior forward Anna Smith whose "3" from the top of the key seemed to have the home team firmly in control. But the Pointers, who had trouble early on with that stifling Tommie pressure defense, were finally able to shake off some of the cobwebs and make a push. Sophomore guard Lauren Anklam made a pretty drive and finish at the 13:23 mark and then senior reserve guard Jamie Destache uncorked a "3" from the right wing that helped bring UW-Stevens Point back to within five trailing 16-11 by the 13:01 mark. The Tommies were able to get back up by ten points again when senior reserve forward Elaine Warner snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 12:39 mark along with a Dockter "3" from the top of the key at the 12:18 mark for a 21-11 Tommie advantage but UW-Stevens Point would answer as junior reserve post Allie Miceli was able to muscle into the paint for a score at the 11:56 mark and then the Roland twins - Mickey and Lexi (both freshmen) - would get back-to-back scores at the 10:59 mark and with 9:27 left that trimmed the UST lead to 21-17.
A turnaround jumper by senior post Kaitlyn Jacobs with 8:40 left drew the Pointers within two trailing 21-19 before the Tommies were able to step on the gas again. Weiers made a nifty move to snare an inbounds pass and score with 7:40 left and a running jumper by Dockter with 7:07 left put UST up 25-19. Newcomer freshman reserve post Lauren Fischer snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 5:41 left and then lefty senior reserve guard Hannah Hughes drained a "3" from the left wing area with 4:55 left that had the Tommies in command with a cozy 30-19 lead. The gap bulged to as much as fifteen points as Weiers was able to score in the paint with 4:21 left and got fouled in the process and got the "and one" and a Dockter "3" from the top of the key with 3:53 left had the Pointers in some serious trouble trailing 36-21. UW-Steven Point behind the work of Miceli did manage to chip away at that deficit some before the first half ended though. One free throw by the Marseilles, Illinois product with 3:34 left along with a hard drive and finish with 1:07 left plus a short jumper with :51 left allowed the Pointers to trim the UST lead to 37-26 by the time the first half buzzer sounded. A bit of a plus for UW-Stevens Point going into the locker room but you had to figure that Head Coach Shirley Egner was going to have something to say about her squad getting worked on the boards in the first half of play.
Whatever Egner said in the locker room during the halftime break sure seemed to have an effect on her squad as they look energized and much more determined once the second half got underway. Not only did they look that much more crisp on offense, they were also hitting the boards much harder than they were in the first half and this helped open up scoring opportunities for the Pointers as they gradually clawed back into the thick of things. A score in the paint by Miceli at the 19:42 mark along with a jumper from sophomore guard Taylor Douglas from the left corner at the 18:18 mark brought UW-Stevens Point back to within single digits trailing 39-30. Anklam was able to connect with a trey from the right top area at the 16:55 mark and "3's" from both Lexi Roland and Anklam helped cut the UST lead down to five points at 41-36 at the 16:04 mark. Pointer junior post Joann Wolfenberg, who struggled during the first half, finally got untracked at the 15:03 mark by snaring an offensive rebound for a putback that got UW-Stevens Point to within a single possession trailing 41-38 and an offensive rebound and putback by Mickey Roland helped keep the deficit manageable at three points trailing 43-40 at the 12:52 mark. The Tommies finally caught their collective breaths and found themselves again averting (at least for the moment anyway) total disaster. Hughes snared an offensive rebound with her strong 5'8" frame and proceeded to do a one-handed reverse lay-up that wowed the crowd on hand and there was nothing vanilla with Favilla's lay-up either at the 10:07 mark for a somewhat more secure 49-40 UST lead.
But just when it seemed like the Tommies had held off the strongest UW-Stevens Point threat, the purple-clad Pointers stormed right back to throw another scare into the home team. Jacobs knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 9:50 left and then Destache got loose in the right corner and she drilled a "3" with 9:20 left that cut the UST lead down to 49-45. A jumper from the left corner by Jacobs completed a 7-0 run with 8:30 left that now had cut the Tommie lead down to a scant two points at 49-47. Weiers; now saddled with three fouls, was able to increase the UST lead to 51-47 with her score in the paint with 6:13 left but with 4:31 left, Weiers picked up her fourth foul and now Sinn had no choice but to sit her star senior post and opt for lanky 6'3" sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer down low. At this point, the Tommies seemed ripe for picking as UW-Stevens Point seemed primed to zero in for the kill. Miceli scored in the paint with 4:00 left and a "3" by Anklam from the right top area with 3:04 left offset two earlier freebies by UST's Smith as the Pointers were now down by one trailing 53-52. Alas, that's as close as the Pointers could get to tasting ultimate victory. A jumper by Stone from the left top area with 2:47 left increased the lead to 55-52 and Weiers; now back in the game with those four fouls, laid it all on the line to muscle into the paint for a score with 1:50 left for a 57-52 Tommie lead. The Pointers had a last flicker of hope when Miceli was sent to the free throw line with 1:24 left but a lane violation committed by UW-Stevens Point effectively shut the curtain on their comeback bid. The Pointers; now forced to foul and preserve what little precious time that was left, saw Dockter and Favilla go to the free throw line to seal the deal for the Tommies as UST claimed a tough - and very important - 60-54 victory to improve their record to 4-0 while dropping UW-Stevens Point to 3-3 on this very young season.
I couldn't resist asking Sinn afterward how important a victory like this over a very tough WIAC opponent was heading into conference play. "It's very important" said Sinn. The always-congenial UST head coach had also told me earlier in the weekend during the Pat Patterson Thanksgiving Tournament how important it was for her squad's long-term goals to stay in one piece. "We've GOT to stay healthy; no doubt about it". Certainly having both Dockter and Smith back - and fully healthy - is huge for this squad if they intend to make yet another run at the whole ball of wax. I don't know if this team is as infallible as the group from 2012 that featured the likes of Taylor Young, Kelly Brandenburg and Ali Johnson. But this squad does have some nice playmakers coming off the bench in Hughes, senior reserve forward Elaine Warner, (nothing vanilla) Favilla, Langer along with two young freshmen who saw minutes in this contest - Fischer and point guard Maddie Wolkow. It is only early December of course and a lot can happen between now and late February/early March. Still, you have to like the makeup of this team and its chances not only in MIAC play but beyond as well.
The Tommies would get off to a great start in this one as two quick scores by senior post Maggie Weiers and a "3" from the right wing by senior point guard Jen Dockter had UST up 7-4 by the 16:01 mark. Despite the fact that Weiers picked up two quick personal fouls in the opening stages of the game that forced UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn to sit her for a spell, the Tommies were able to expand their lead to 16-6 by the 13:50 mark thanks to scores from junior guard Katie Stone, senior reserve forward Alyssa Favilla and senior forward Anna Smith whose "3" from the top of the key seemed to have the home team firmly in control. But the Pointers, who had trouble early on with that stifling Tommie pressure defense, were finally able to shake off some of the cobwebs and make a push. Sophomore guard Lauren Anklam made a pretty drive and finish at the 13:23 mark and then senior reserve guard Jamie Destache uncorked a "3" from the right wing that helped bring UW-Stevens Point back to within five trailing 16-11 by the 13:01 mark. The Tommies were able to get back up by ten points again when senior reserve forward Elaine Warner snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 12:39 mark along with a Dockter "3" from the top of the key at the 12:18 mark for a 21-11 Tommie advantage but UW-Stevens Point would answer as junior reserve post Allie Miceli was able to muscle into the paint for a score at the 11:56 mark and then the Roland twins - Mickey and Lexi (both freshmen) - would get back-to-back scores at the 10:59 mark and with 9:27 left that trimmed the UST lead to 21-17.
A turnaround jumper by senior post Kaitlyn Jacobs with 8:40 left drew the Pointers within two trailing 21-19 before the Tommies were able to step on the gas again. Weiers made a nifty move to snare an inbounds pass and score with 7:40 left and a running jumper by Dockter with 7:07 left put UST up 25-19. Newcomer freshman reserve post Lauren Fischer snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 5:41 left and then lefty senior reserve guard Hannah Hughes drained a "3" from the left wing area with 4:55 left that had the Tommies in command with a cozy 30-19 lead. The gap bulged to as much as fifteen points as Weiers was able to score in the paint with 4:21 left and got fouled in the process and got the "and one" and a Dockter "3" from the top of the key with 3:53 left had the Pointers in some serious trouble trailing 36-21. UW-Steven Point behind the work of Miceli did manage to chip away at that deficit some before the first half ended though. One free throw by the Marseilles, Illinois product with 3:34 left along with a hard drive and finish with 1:07 left plus a short jumper with :51 left allowed the Pointers to trim the UST lead to 37-26 by the time the first half buzzer sounded. A bit of a plus for UW-Stevens Point going into the locker room but you had to figure that Head Coach Shirley Egner was going to have something to say about her squad getting worked on the boards in the first half of play.
Whatever Egner said in the locker room during the halftime break sure seemed to have an effect on her squad as they look energized and much more determined once the second half got underway. Not only did they look that much more crisp on offense, they were also hitting the boards much harder than they were in the first half and this helped open up scoring opportunities for the Pointers as they gradually clawed back into the thick of things. A score in the paint by Miceli at the 19:42 mark along with a jumper from sophomore guard Taylor Douglas from the left corner at the 18:18 mark brought UW-Stevens Point back to within single digits trailing 39-30. Anklam was able to connect with a trey from the right top area at the 16:55 mark and "3's" from both Lexi Roland and Anklam helped cut the UST lead down to five points at 41-36 at the 16:04 mark. Pointer junior post Joann Wolfenberg, who struggled during the first half, finally got untracked at the 15:03 mark by snaring an offensive rebound for a putback that got UW-Stevens Point to within a single possession trailing 41-38 and an offensive rebound and putback by Mickey Roland helped keep the deficit manageable at three points trailing 43-40 at the 12:52 mark. The Tommies finally caught their collective breaths and found themselves again averting (at least for the moment anyway) total disaster. Hughes snared an offensive rebound with her strong 5'8" frame and proceeded to do a one-handed reverse lay-up that wowed the crowd on hand and there was nothing vanilla with Favilla's lay-up either at the 10:07 mark for a somewhat more secure 49-40 UST lead.
But just when it seemed like the Tommies had held off the strongest UW-Stevens Point threat, the purple-clad Pointers stormed right back to throw another scare into the home team. Jacobs knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 9:50 left and then Destache got loose in the right corner and she drilled a "3" with 9:20 left that cut the UST lead down to 49-45. A jumper from the left corner by Jacobs completed a 7-0 run with 8:30 left that now had cut the Tommie lead down to a scant two points at 49-47. Weiers; now saddled with three fouls, was able to increase the UST lead to 51-47 with her score in the paint with 6:13 left but with 4:31 left, Weiers picked up her fourth foul and now Sinn had no choice but to sit her star senior post and opt for lanky 6'3" sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer down low. At this point, the Tommies seemed ripe for picking as UW-Stevens Point seemed primed to zero in for the kill. Miceli scored in the paint with 4:00 left and a "3" by Anklam from the right top area with 3:04 left offset two earlier freebies by UST's Smith as the Pointers were now down by one trailing 53-52. Alas, that's as close as the Pointers could get to tasting ultimate victory. A jumper by Stone from the left top area with 2:47 left increased the lead to 55-52 and Weiers; now back in the game with those four fouls, laid it all on the line to muscle into the paint for a score with 1:50 left for a 57-52 Tommie lead. The Pointers had a last flicker of hope when Miceli was sent to the free throw line with 1:24 left but a lane violation committed by UW-Stevens Point effectively shut the curtain on their comeback bid. The Pointers; now forced to foul and preserve what little precious time that was left, saw Dockter and Favilla go to the free throw line to seal the deal for the Tommies as UST claimed a tough - and very important - 60-54 victory to improve their record to 4-0 while dropping UW-Stevens Point to 3-3 on this very young season.
I couldn't resist asking Sinn afterward how important a victory like this over a very tough WIAC opponent was heading into conference play. "It's very important" said Sinn. The always-congenial UST head coach had also told me earlier in the weekend during the Pat Patterson Thanksgiving Tournament how important it was for her squad's long-term goals to stay in one piece. "We've GOT to stay healthy; no doubt about it". Certainly having both Dockter and Smith back - and fully healthy - is huge for this squad if they intend to make yet another run at the whole ball of wax. I don't know if this team is as infallible as the group from 2012 that featured the likes of Taylor Young, Kelly Brandenburg and Ali Johnson. But this squad does have some nice playmakers coming off the bench in Hughes, senior reserve forward Elaine Warner, (nothing vanilla) Favilla, Langer along with two young freshmen who saw minutes in this contest - Fischer and point guard Maddie Wolkow. It is only early December of course and a lot can happen between now and late February/early March. Still, you have to like the makeup of this team and its chances not only in MIAC play but beyond as well.
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