Headed out to Osseo High School on this sunny March Saturday afternoon to take in the two Section 3AAA semifinal games; the first game pitting Fridley against number one-seeded and defending state champion Park Center. While I have seen the Pirates many times this season, of course, what I knew about the Tigers could easily fit into a glove compartment - with room to spare. Still, I did wonder if it might be hard for the Pirates to be fired up and clicking on all cylinders when they were playing at an unusual time of the day for them. Those fears were quickly put to rest.
A 10-0 Park Center run right out of the gate set the tone for this one as lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes got one score in the paint at the 17:32 mark and then surprisingly uncorked a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 17:06 mark. Senior guard McKenna DuBois also round the range from behind the arc from the top of the key as well at the 16:16 mark and a lay-up at the 15:44 mark by sophomore guard Danielle Schaub completed the opening run. Flashy Tiger junior point guard Suzanne Gilreath got Fridley on the board at the 15:06 mark with her "3" from the left top area but a 12-0 Pirate burst hightlighted by treys from both McKenna DuBois and sophomore guard Ann Simonet made it a 22-3 game by the 12:57 mark and a beleaguered Fridley Head Coach Erik Redepenning had no choice but to call a halt to the action. The Tigers were able to cut into sizable the Park Center cushion a bit as scores by junior forward Brooke Miller, fellow junior guard Brooke Teff and Gilreath reduced the Pirate lead to 25-11 with 9:29 left but Park Center was simply on fire from the perimeter; particularly in the first half and its transition game was clicking on all cylinders as well. Scores by Hayes with 5:56 and 5:15 left and one "3" from the left corner by freshman reserve guard Jada Buford with 4:41 left and another from fellow freshman reserve guard Summer Blakemore with 4:22 left helped inflate the lead to 40-13. A Blakemore jumper from the right elbow with 3:53 left and treys by both senior guard Hannah Schaub and senior reserve forward Camille McCoy in the last two minutes of the first half gave the Pirates a nearly insurmountable 46-13 lead at the half.
Gilreath tried to get her Fridley teammates off on the right foot at the beginning of the second half with her offensive rebound and putback of her own miss at the 17:11 mark but Park Center showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Another Hannah Schaub "3" from the left top area at the 15:40 mark and a short jumper by younger sis Danielle Schaub at the 13:42 mark had the Pirates up 53-15 and a lay-up in transition by McKenna DuBois at the 12:05 mark made it 57-17 and the Tiger's Redepenning called another timeout to try and save a sinking ship. Fridley certainly wasn't giving up; a drive and finish by Gilreath at the 10:27 mark that got her fouled and allowed to sink the obligatory free throw got some more points on the board for the Tigers but there was no hope of coming back in this one and when the "Mercy Rule" kicked in with 9:00 left, it was pretty much academic after that. Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde had mostly his reserves on the floor in the closing minutes and this gave them a chance to get their names in the book. Freshman reserve post Azsha Michael scored in the paint with 7:15 left and Buford connected with another "3" from the left top area with 5:58 left. Another Michael score in the paint with 5:29 left and a "3" from the left corner by freshman reserve guard Meghan DuBois with 3:31 left made it a 69-22 ballgame. Fridley junior guard Abbey Duehn got the last score of this game on a lay-up with 2:07 left but Park Center breezed into the Section3AAA final with a 69-24 victory.
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