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.
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