Happy Easter everybody! Just wanted to take the time to share some thoughts about this last season in both women's college and girls high school hoops. I wanted to wait just a bit after the season culminated with the Minnesota Girl's State Tournament to absorb a few things and think about them for a while.
1. First, let's talk about the Minnesota Girl's State Tournament that ended just a little more than a week ago. A memorable state tournament for sure but I think what made this one different from the ones in recent years was (a) the unpredictability and volatility of many of the games and (b) the emergence of young, new fresh talent that burst onto the scene during tournament week. While Goodhue rolled to the title in Class A without too much trouble, unheralded and unseeded New London-Spicer knocked off third-seeded Minnehaha Academy and second-seeded Sauk Centre before falling to top-seeded Plainview-Elgin-Millville in the Class AA title game. The Class AAA field was filled with even more land mines. How about TR Falls knocking off top-seeded Hutchinson or unheralded Becker pulling off a big upset by beating St. Paul Como Park? Second-seeded Winona made it through the first round unscathed and ultimately got to the title game but how many would have ever thought that fifth-seeded Holy Angels would come out of nowhere to grab the title? Then in Class AAAA, how about unseeded White Bear Lake taking out second-seeded STMA in the first round? The Hopkins - Minnetonka final did happen as many people thought that it would but I doubt many anticipated that it would be the Skippers setting the tone early and then holding off a valiant comeback attempt by Hopkins in the second half. The other big storyline of the 2016 tournament was the emergence of youth. When Roseau burst onto the scene last year, we found out about both Kiley and Kacie Borowicz but this year we found out there was still another sibling to be thrown into the mix - seventh-grader Katie Borowicz who got several minutes in the games that the Rams played. And how about Becker eighth-grader Mackenzie Kramer who played with no fear in the Bulldogs opening-round upset of St. Paul Como Park? Eighth-grader Paige Bueckers of Hopkins also had a few moments where she stole the spotlight and I think it's just one of the many signs that girl's high school basketball in Minnesota is alive and very well, thank you.
2. Just as a follow-up on the Girl's State Tournament front, I still find it a bit surprising (if not disturbing) that MSHSL still does not have a set concussion protocol. Instead, it is my understanding that this is left up to the individual schools. If anyone out there knows something I don't know, please feel free to chime in here but this is something that must change, IMHO.
3. A decent run by UST in getting to the Sweet 16 although you can bet they wish they could have copied the results of the men's team by winning it all this year. Still amazing how Wartburg out of the IIAC made that unbelievable run to the Final Four before falling to Tufts. Many (including yours truly) had left Wartburg for dead after they lost to Coe in the first round of the IIAC playoffs but once they got into the Dance they definitely made the most of their opportunity. I expect that the Knights will be very good next year but they won't be able to sneak up on people like they did this time around.
4. I think that, when you take a look at the unbalanced schedule that the MIAC has now adopted, it has done - for the most part anyway - what it's supposed to do; i.e., give these teams a chance to schedule quality opposition outside of conference play. That said, it's the responsibility of each school - particularly those in the upper echelon of the conference that have a realistic shot of reaching the NCAA Tournament - to schedule teams that will undoubtedly help strengthen the so-called "SOS" (strength of schedule) that is one of the critical items that the NCAA Tournament committee looks at when deciding which teams receive at-large bids over other teams. This is what likely did in SMU on Selection Monday (though I think they Cardinals deserved to be in anyway) and, to a lesser extent, GAC. You've just got to have either one or two "signature" victories that can tip the pendulum in your favor in front of the committee. That's why teams such as Wartburg and UW-Whitewater got in over SMU and GAC. So now you either have to somehow get into some holiday tournament that has a host of good teams in it or you have to find someone who's agreeable to do a "home-and-home". Both options can be dicey propositions filled with obstacles. Personally, I think a great solution (and potentially a "win-win" situation) would be to have a MIAC-WIAC or a MIAC-IIAC Challenge. There are different ways you could do this, of course, but I think it would be cool to have a venue such as UST's Schoenecker Arena hosting something one year and then have it at either a WIAC or an IIAC venue the next. I think it's something that could potentially stir a lot of interest while at the same time give these MIAC teams a real opportunity to raise that proverbial "SOS" to increase their chances of getting an at-large bid come tournament time.
5. While I'm on the subject of the NCAA Tournament, I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of turnout of MIAC coaches (and players for that matter) at the Sweet Sixteen pod that UST hosted earlier this month. If you're really looking to take things to the next level, this was an opportunity to take in the experience to see what needs to be done. It was an opportunity missed, IMHO.
6. I didn't get a chance to weigh in at all back in December on the sudden resignation of Concordia St. Paul Head Coach Paul Fessler. I must admit that I was taken aback when I heard the news and I did not see this coming at all. The timing made it all that much harder to accept. I think the Golden Bear program is in good hands with Amanda Behnke and whether the "interim" tag stays or not remains to be seen. Still, Fessler is one of the best coaches out there and this guy knows his "X's and O's" and I hope someone out there has the good sense to hire him when an opening comes up.
7. How can I close this out without saying something about Minnesota's Rachel Banham? In addition to being a candidate for the prestigious Wade Trophy, Banham was the second-leading scorer in the nation with her 28.6 ppg and she finished her Golden Gopher career in sixth place on the NCAA's all-time scoring list with 3,093 points. There were instances late in the season where she practically willed her team to unlikely victory. Ultimately, the loss to Northwestern in the B1G Tournament killed the Gophers chances of making the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully she'll be able to make up for that disappointment by doing big things in the WNBA.
Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Monday, March 21, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Championship Game - Minnetonka vs Hopkins 3-19-16
The grand finale of the 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament was truly a heavyweight battle - the Class AAAA Championship Game that pitted Minnetonka going up against Hopkins. These two bitter Lake Conference rivals split their regular season series and now the rubber match; the big enchilada, was to settle this thing once for all in the state title game.
Neither side could get any decided advantage early on with the score tied 6-6 at the 15:00 mark but the Royals finally did get a small four-point cushion on an offensive rebound and putback in transition by senior reserve forward Dominique McNeely at the 12:55 mark and on free throw by senior forward Nia Hollie at the 11:36 mark. An offensive rebound and putback by senior guard Ashley Bates at the 10:11 mark that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had Hopkins up 15-10 but the Skippers would manage to make their first decisive move. Trailing by five, Minnetonka shocked the crowd at Williams Arena on this Saturday by embarking on a 15-0 run over nearly four minutes; fueled primarily by scores in the paint by strong senior forward Lizzie Odegard to grab a stunning 25-15 lead with 5:19 left and a short jumper by left senior forward Courtney Fredrickson with 3:21 left stretched the lead to eleven at 28-17. Two free throws by willowy sophomore guard Chrissy Carr maintained the eleven point edge at 30-19 before the Royals finally a bit of solid footing and were able to chisel away at the deficit. Two free throws by Bates with 1:03 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Bates with :35 left cut the Skipper lead down to seven at 31-24 and a Bates lay-up with :07 left got Hopkins a bit closer trailing 32-26. Minnetonka senior guard Hannah Hedstrom got the last points of this unbelievable first half for the Skippers with her jumper off the glass with just :01 left as Minnetonka took a 34-26 lead into the locker room at the half.
Bates saved Hopkins bacon late in the first half with her scores and two more Bates scores in the early part of the second half cut the Minnetonka lead down to 34-30 by the 14:52 mark. A jumper from the free throw line by Fredrickson put the Skippers back up 36-30 at the 14:35 mark but the Royals would go on a slow 6-0 run; fueled by a lay-up in transition by Bates at the 12:09 mark and a Hollie score in the paint at the 10:23 mark that knotted the issue at 36 a piece that had the Hopkins student section at Williams Arena going nuts. The Skippers could have easily folded up like a house of cards right then and there but instead, they calmly responded and ever so slowly righted the ship; going on a 6-0 burst of their own. Two scores by Odegard - who was on her way to a monster night for Minnetonka - and a drive along the right baseline and finish by senior guard Grace Allen had Minnetonka up 42-36 by the 9:15 mark. A Hollie lay-up with 8:57 left and a Bates lay-up in transition that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie narrowed the Skipper lead down to three points at 43-40 with 8:06 left but then the Skippers Fredrickson; not necessarily known for her three-point shooting ability, buried a "3" from the left corner with 7:38 left that had Minnetonka back up by six at 46-40 - and a little more breathing room as well. Hopkins had no intentions of letting their opponent breathe easy though and the Royals managed to pick away at the deficit again. Complicating things for Hopkins, however, was that Bates had picked up her fourth foul by this point and the Royals could ill-afford to lose her. Hollie connected with a tip-in shot off of a lob pass inside and an offensive rebound and putback by senior guard K'Aezha Wubben got Hopkins back to within a single possession trailing 48-45 but with 5:41 left, Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff's worst fears were realized when Bates picked up her fifth and final foul of the evening on a questionable call that sent his leading scorer on this night helplessly to the bench. That seemed to have a deflating effect on Hopkins as the Skippers were able to stretch the lead out to seven points at 52-45 with 4:59 left but you knew the Royals were not going to let this one go away without a fight. Two Hollie free throws with 4:50 left and a short jumper by Hollie with 3:36 left had Hopkins right back within striking distance trailing 52-49 and although Minnetonka would get the lead back out to 54-49 with 2:34 left on freebies by both Hedstrom and Fredrickson, the Royals were not finished yet. Hollie would make a powerful drive into the lane for a finish that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory free throw and suddenly it was a 54-52 ballgame with 2:28 left. The Skippers got the ball back but a subsequent turnover now gave Hopkins a chance to tie or reclaim the lead. Eighth-grade reserve guard Paige Bueckers got fouled with 1:55 left and was sent to the charity stripe for a one-and-one situation. But Bueckers couldn't get the front-end attempt to go down and Minnetonka's Odegard was right there for the rebound and with the Skippers carefully working the ball around the court; trying to melt off as much time as possible, Allen found a hint of an opening in the Hopkins defense and made a hard drive for a finish that drew a foul with 1:08 left. Allen couldn't put down the ensuing freebie but Fredrickson was right there for a key offensive rebound; denying a chance for the Royals to get things back to a single possession right away. Now forced to foul, Hopkins sent Carr to the line with :49.9 left and the sophomore responded with two free throws that now had Minnetonka out in front 58-52. On the ensuing Royals possession, Bueckers was unable to connect on three-point shot attempt and Fredrickson was right there for the defensive rebound and she was immediately fouled with :21.8 left. Although Fredrickson was able to only get the front-end of the two-shot situation to go down, Hopkins was now truly in desperation mode trailing 59-52 and the sands of time running out on them. Royal sophomore reserve guard Raena Suggs did get sent to the line with :10.3 left but was unable to connect with either free throw attempt. Minnetonka's Odegard was right there for the rebound and was immediately fouled by Hollie with :08.4 left which was Hollie's fifth and final foul of the night. Odegard sank the two free throws and the Skippers shocked the Twin Cities and the world with their 61-52 victory to claim their first-ever state title.
Hopkins' Cosgriff expressed disappointment afterward in the press conference afterward saying simply, "We got outrebounded and we didn't make free throws." Indeed, the rebounding difference in this game was utterly astonishing as Minnetonka won the battle of the boards by an eye-opening 64-33 margin and the Royals were 14-27 from the charity stripe. "In a game like this you can't do that.....You can't outrebounded 2-to-1 in a possession game....You will lose every time." I asked Cosgriff about the key 15-0 run that the Skippers embarked on near the midway point of the first half. "I thought we gave up too much penetration.....We weren't as strong as we needed to be." Cosgriff also expressed his frustrations on the number of fouls called in the contest as he felt it disrupted the "flow" of the game itself. The common theme of the response I received when I asked the Minnetonka players in the press conference (Hedstrom, Odegard, Fredrickson and Carr) on how they maintained their composure in the second half when Hopkins made a run at them was simply "Staying calm....Staying focused." Fredrickson: "I just think we came out ready to go.....That was a really big thing; getting that lead early....And at halftime we kept saying that we have to make sure that we maintain this....But we knew if we held on we were gonna win this game." Skipper Head Coach Leah Dasovich talked about how special it was to be able to win a state title for the first time; noting that it was likely the first time that two Lake Conference teams played in the state title. She noted that this squad had faced several obstacles along the way and was so impressed with how this group overcame those obstacles to get to this point. "We knew it was going to be 'blow for blow'....It was never going to be widespread on either side.....Defensively I felt that we've done the best job in defending Hopkins in the state this year." She had high praises for Odegard who led Minnetonka on this night with her 17 points and monstrous 23 rebounds. "I am amazed at how she is able to clear space with her 6-foot frame....She plays like she's 6'5"......If the ball goes up and it doesn't go in, she's getting it." I asked Dasovich about what this state title means going forward for this Minnetonka program. "I think this is a phenomenal victory; not only for these girls but for this team....Minnetonka has always been hovering at that level" She talked about some of the players that have gone through the program and have helped lay the foundation. "It helped establish the groundwork for this team." In addition to Odegards heroics on this night, Carr chipped in with 12 points and Fredrickson had 11 points. For Hopkins, Bates' 28 points led the way while Hollie had 18 points in the losing effort.
Neither side could get any decided advantage early on with the score tied 6-6 at the 15:00 mark but the Royals finally did get a small four-point cushion on an offensive rebound and putback in transition by senior reserve forward Dominique McNeely at the 12:55 mark and on free throw by senior forward Nia Hollie at the 11:36 mark. An offensive rebound and putback by senior guard Ashley Bates at the 10:11 mark that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had Hopkins up 15-10 but the Skippers would manage to make their first decisive move. Trailing by five, Minnetonka shocked the crowd at Williams Arena on this Saturday by embarking on a 15-0 run over nearly four minutes; fueled primarily by scores in the paint by strong senior forward Lizzie Odegard to grab a stunning 25-15 lead with 5:19 left and a short jumper by left senior forward Courtney Fredrickson with 3:21 left stretched the lead to eleven at 28-17. Two free throws by willowy sophomore guard Chrissy Carr maintained the eleven point edge at 30-19 before the Royals finally a bit of solid footing and were able to chisel away at the deficit. Two free throws by Bates with 1:03 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Bates with :35 left cut the Skipper lead down to seven at 31-24 and a Bates lay-up with :07 left got Hopkins a bit closer trailing 32-26. Minnetonka senior guard Hannah Hedstrom got the last points of this unbelievable first half for the Skippers with her jumper off the glass with just :01 left as Minnetonka took a 34-26 lead into the locker room at the half.
Bates saved Hopkins bacon late in the first half with her scores and two more Bates scores in the early part of the second half cut the Minnetonka lead down to 34-30 by the 14:52 mark. A jumper from the free throw line by Fredrickson put the Skippers back up 36-30 at the 14:35 mark but the Royals would go on a slow 6-0 run; fueled by a lay-up in transition by Bates at the 12:09 mark and a Hollie score in the paint at the 10:23 mark that knotted the issue at 36 a piece that had the Hopkins student section at Williams Arena going nuts. The Skippers could have easily folded up like a house of cards right then and there but instead, they calmly responded and ever so slowly righted the ship; going on a 6-0 burst of their own. Two scores by Odegard - who was on her way to a monster night for Minnetonka - and a drive along the right baseline and finish by senior guard Grace Allen had Minnetonka up 42-36 by the 9:15 mark. A Hollie lay-up with 8:57 left and a Bates lay-up in transition that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie narrowed the Skipper lead down to three points at 43-40 with 8:06 left but then the Skippers Fredrickson; not necessarily known for her three-point shooting ability, buried a "3" from the left corner with 7:38 left that had Minnetonka back up by six at 46-40 - and a little more breathing room as well. Hopkins had no intentions of letting their opponent breathe easy though and the Royals managed to pick away at the deficit again. Complicating things for Hopkins, however, was that Bates had picked up her fourth foul by this point and the Royals could ill-afford to lose her. Hollie connected with a tip-in shot off of a lob pass inside and an offensive rebound and putback by senior guard K'Aezha Wubben got Hopkins back to within a single possession trailing 48-45 but with 5:41 left, Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff's worst fears were realized when Bates picked up her fifth and final foul of the evening on a questionable call that sent his leading scorer on this night helplessly to the bench. That seemed to have a deflating effect on Hopkins as the Skippers were able to stretch the lead out to seven points at 52-45 with 4:59 left but you knew the Royals were not going to let this one go away without a fight. Two Hollie free throws with 4:50 left and a short jumper by Hollie with 3:36 left had Hopkins right back within striking distance trailing 52-49 and although Minnetonka would get the lead back out to 54-49 with 2:34 left on freebies by both Hedstrom and Fredrickson, the Royals were not finished yet. Hollie would make a powerful drive into the lane for a finish that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory free throw and suddenly it was a 54-52 ballgame with 2:28 left. The Skippers got the ball back but a subsequent turnover now gave Hopkins a chance to tie or reclaim the lead. Eighth-grade reserve guard Paige Bueckers got fouled with 1:55 left and was sent to the charity stripe for a one-and-one situation. But Bueckers couldn't get the front-end attempt to go down and Minnetonka's Odegard was right there for the rebound and with the Skippers carefully working the ball around the court; trying to melt off as much time as possible, Allen found a hint of an opening in the Hopkins defense and made a hard drive for a finish that drew a foul with 1:08 left. Allen couldn't put down the ensuing freebie but Fredrickson was right there for a key offensive rebound; denying a chance for the Royals to get things back to a single possession right away. Now forced to foul, Hopkins sent Carr to the line with :49.9 left and the sophomore responded with two free throws that now had Minnetonka out in front 58-52. On the ensuing Royals possession, Bueckers was unable to connect on three-point shot attempt and Fredrickson was right there for the defensive rebound and she was immediately fouled with :21.8 left. Although Fredrickson was able to only get the front-end of the two-shot situation to go down, Hopkins was now truly in desperation mode trailing 59-52 and the sands of time running out on them. Royal sophomore reserve guard Raena Suggs did get sent to the line with :10.3 left but was unable to connect with either free throw attempt. Minnetonka's Odegard was right there for the rebound and was immediately fouled by Hollie with :08.4 left which was Hollie's fifth and final foul of the night. Odegard sank the two free throws and the Skippers shocked the Twin Cities and the world with their 61-52 victory to claim their first-ever state title.
Hopkins' Cosgriff expressed disappointment afterward in the press conference afterward saying simply, "We got outrebounded and we didn't make free throws." Indeed, the rebounding difference in this game was utterly astonishing as Minnetonka won the battle of the boards by an eye-opening 64-33 margin and the Royals were 14-27 from the charity stripe. "In a game like this you can't do that.....You can't outrebounded 2-to-1 in a possession game....You will lose every time." I asked Cosgriff about the key 15-0 run that the Skippers embarked on near the midway point of the first half. "I thought we gave up too much penetration.....We weren't as strong as we needed to be." Cosgriff also expressed his frustrations on the number of fouls called in the contest as he felt it disrupted the "flow" of the game itself. The common theme of the response I received when I asked the Minnetonka players in the press conference (Hedstrom, Odegard, Fredrickson and Carr) on how they maintained their composure in the second half when Hopkins made a run at them was simply "Staying calm....Staying focused." Fredrickson: "I just think we came out ready to go.....That was a really big thing; getting that lead early....And at halftime we kept saying that we have to make sure that we maintain this....But we knew if we held on we were gonna win this game." Skipper Head Coach Leah Dasovich talked about how special it was to be able to win a state title for the first time; noting that it was likely the first time that two Lake Conference teams played in the state title. She noted that this squad had faced several obstacles along the way and was so impressed with how this group overcame those obstacles to get to this point. "We knew it was going to be 'blow for blow'....It was never going to be widespread on either side.....Defensively I felt that we've done the best job in defending Hopkins in the state this year." She had high praises for Odegard who led Minnetonka on this night with her 17 points and monstrous 23 rebounds. "I am amazed at how she is able to clear space with her 6-foot frame....She plays like she's 6'5"......If the ball goes up and it doesn't go in, she's getting it." I asked Dasovich about what this state title means going forward for this Minnetonka program. "I think this is a phenomenal victory; not only for these girls but for this team....Minnetonka has always been hovering at that level" She talked about some of the players that have gone through the program and have helped lay the foundation. "It helped establish the groundwork for this team." In addition to Odegards heroics on this night, Carr chipped in with 12 points and Fredrickson had 11 points. For Hopkins, Bates' 28 points led the way while Hollie had 18 points in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Championship Game - Holy Angels vs Winona 3-19-16
The first game of the evening session on this Championship Saturday was the Class AAA Championship Game that pitted upstart Holy Angels going up against second-seeded Winona.
Defense and perhaps a case of the nerves seemed to be the watchwords early on as a score in the paint by Stars senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinch at the 17:00 mark made it a 2-0 game but Winona's 2-3 "match-up" zone was making life miserable for Holy Angels down low. The Winhawks were their own worst enemy in the early going with questionable shot selection and turnovers bogging them down. A Bagwell-Katalinich trey from the left corner at the 13:20 mark gave the Stars a 5-1 lead before Winona was finally able to shake off some of the early cobwebs. Junior reserve guard Justine Schultz banged home a trey from the left wing area at the 13:01 mark that got the Winhawks back to a single point trailing 5-4. Holy Angels would extend the lead to 8-4 by the 12:26 mark on the power of a jumper from the right elbow by Bagwell-Katalinich but a bigger fly in the ointment for Winona at the time was the fact that lanky junior post Danneka Voegeli got tagged with her second foul at the 11:50 mark and was forced to sit a spell. The Winhawks would cut it to one point again on a "3" from the left corner by senior forward Hallee Hoeppner at the 11:15 mark and a score in the paint by Schultz at the 10:41 mark and one Hoeppner freebie with 8:39 left helped forge a 10-10 tie. Winona, however, was having a tough go of it on the defensive side; even with their 2-3 "match-up" zone, in stopping the Stars Bagwell-Katalinich as back-to-back scores helped Holy Angels grab an 18-12 lead. The Winhawks were having a tough time as well trying to put the ball in the hole and after another Bagwell-Katalinich score with 1:28 left and a drive along the left baseline and reverse lay-up by freshman forward Destinee Oberg that made it a 22-14 ballgame, Winona looked like it might be in an uphill battle. But the Winhawks hunkered down right before halftime and managed to close the gap a bit. A jumper along the left baseline by Voegeli with those two fouls with :34 left and a lay-up in transition by Hoeppner with :14 left cut Holy Angels lead down to 22-18 at halftime.
Winona hoped to keep that "feel good" feeling alive once the second half rolled around but the Stars quickly put the orange-clad Winhawks in yet another hole early on. A score in the paint by Oberg at the 17:29 mark and a score in the paint by senior forward Sarah Spanier that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie upped the Holy Angels lead to nine at 27-18. A "3" from the left wing area by the Winhawks Hoeppner at the 15:26 mark trimmed the deficit down to six at 29-23 and a drive along the left baseline and finish by sophomore reserve guard Selena Lor at the 13:13 mark still had Winona down by only six at 31-25. But a 4-0 Star burst in the form of two free throws by sophomore forward Megan Meyer and another Bagwell-Katalinich score in the paint got the lead up to ten at 35-25 and two Bagwell-Katalinich freebies at the 10:41 mark maintained the ten-point edge at 37-27. A "3" by Hoeppner from the left wing area at the 10:22 mark had Winona back to within single digits again at 37-30 but this is where things really started to fall apart for the Winhawks. A key 6-0 burst in the form of another Bagwell-Katalinich score in the paint, a Bagwell-Katalinich jumper in the lane and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Riley Thalhuber now had the Stars up 43-30 and Winona Head Coach Tim Gleason had no choice but to call a full timeout to get his squad reorganized and to stop the bleeding. The Winhawks tried desperately to turn things around but mistakes such as errant passes and defensive lapses did in Winona on this night; not to mention a great performance by the Stars Bagwell-Katalinich who always seemed to have an answer when Holy Angels needed it. Trailing 46-32, Winona did make one last-gasp attempt to try and get back in this one. Hoeppner unleashed another trey; this one from the left wing area with 1:52 left and a Voegeli score in the paint with :41 left trimmed the Holy Angels lead down to 50-37 and a three-point bomb from the right wing off the glass with :33.4 left by junior reserve guard Maria Appicelli cut the Star lead down to ten at 50-40 and a "3" from the left corner by freshman reserve guard Brittin Winter with :11 left got the deficit back to single digits again at 51-43 but it would not be nearly enough as Holy Angels ran out the clock to claim their first-ever state title.
The two fouls that Winona's Voegeli picked up early on in the first half was the first real sign of big trouble for the Winhawks down the road and I asked her what her mindset was when she came back into the contest after having to sit for a spell. "Just stay behind my girl....and try to not let her get any shots." Gleason; despite the loss, called this tournament - indeed this season - "one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life." Gleason calls the Section 1 area in which his team is located "a pretty darn good place to play basketball in the state of Minnesota." I asked Gleason about the key run that Holy Angels had right around the midway point that turned a single-digit deficit into a double-digit deficit that his team was never able to recover from. "I remember it being 37-30 and it not going our way after that" Gleason attributed this sequence where things started going downhill to turnovers and Holy Angels offensive rebounding that led to second-chance points. Emotions spilled over when Hoeppner talked about her Winona career. "I am just really proud of the team we are and it's been just such fun to play with these girls....I told them in the locker room 'Don't be sad'....They were so fun to play with and we have so many memories on and off the court.....I am so grateful for all the opportunities I had." Gleason, too, became emotional when he talked about how the last month or so has been hard for him as he mentioned that his father passed away in mid-February and how he was one of the team's biggest supporters. Holy Angels Head Coach Dan Woods said the win tonight "It means everything for Holy Angels.....It let's people know we're state champs and it puts us on the map." Bagwell-Katalinich talked about how previous disappointments in section losses was used as motivation to work hard and help get her team into a position to not only get to the state tournament but also to make a determined run once they were in. Bagwell-Katalinich talked about how the squad was mired in winning 5-6 games a year and how easy it would be to just keep it that way. But the hard work payed off and "now here we are!". Indeed, Bagwell-Katalinich's 25 points led all scorers but her 16 total rebounds (7 offensive, 9 defensive) played a big part as well. Winona was led by Hoeppner's 15 points.
Defense and perhaps a case of the nerves seemed to be the watchwords early on as a score in the paint by Stars senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinch at the 17:00 mark made it a 2-0 game but Winona's 2-3 "match-up" zone was making life miserable for Holy Angels down low. The Winhawks were their own worst enemy in the early going with questionable shot selection and turnovers bogging them down. A Bagwell-Katalinich trey from the left corner at the 13:20 mark gave the Stars a 5-1 lead before Winona was finally able to shake off some of the early cobwebs. Junior reserve guard Justine Schultz banged home a trey from the left wing area at the 13:01 mark that got the Winhawks back to a single point trailing 5-4. Holy Angels would extend the lead to 8-4 by the 12:26 mark on the power of a jumper from the right elbow by Bagwell-Katalinich but a bigger fly in the ointment for Winona at the time was the fact that lanky junior post Danneka Voegeli got tagged with her second foul at the 11:50 mark and was forced to sit a spell. The Winhawks would cut it to one point again on a "3" from the left corner by senior forward Hallee Hoeppner at the 11:15 mark and a score in the paint by Schultz at the 10:41 mark and one Hoeppner freebie with 8:39 left helped forge a 10-10 tie. Winona, however, was having a tough go of it on the defensive side; even with their 2-3 "match-up" zone, in stopping the Stars Bagwell-Katalinich as back-to-back scores helped Holy Angels grab an 18-12 lead. The Winhawks were having a tough time as well trying to put the ball in the hole and after another Bagwell-Katalinich score with 1:28 left and a drive along the left baseline and reverse lay-up by freshman forward Destinee Oberg that made it a 22-14 ballgame, Winona looked like it might be in an uphill battle. But the Winhawks hunkered down right before halftime and managed to close the gap a bit. A jumper along the left baseline by Voegeli with those two fouls with :34 left and a lay-up in transition by Hoeppner with :14 left cut Holy Angels lead down to 22-18 at halftime.
Winona hoped to keep that "feel good" feeling alive once the second half rolled around but the Stars quickly put the orange-clad Winhawks in yet another hole early on. A score in the paint by Oberg at the 17:29 mark and a score in the paint by senior forward Sarah Spanier that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie upped the Holy Angels lead to nine at 27-18. A "3" from the left wing area by the Winhawks Hoeppner at the 15:26 mark trimmed the deficit down to six at 29-23 and a drive along the left baseline and finish by sophomore reserve guard Selena Lor at the 13:13 mark still had Winona down by only six at 31-25. But a 4-0 Star burst in the form of two free throws by sophomore forward Megan Meyer and another Bagwell-Katalinich score in the paint got the lead up to ten at 35-25 and two Bagwell-Katalinich freebies at the 10:41 mark maintained the ten-point edge at 37-27. A "3" by Hoeppner from the left wing area at the 10:22 mark had Winona back to within single digits again at 37-30 but this is where things really started to fall apart for the Winhawks. A key 6-0 burst in the form of another Bagwell-Katalinich score in the paint, a Bagwell-Katalinich jumper in the lane and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Riley Thalhuber now had the Stars up 43-30 and Winona Head Coach Tim Gleason had no choice but to call a full timeout to get his squad reorganized and to stop the bleeding. The Winhawks tried desperately to turn things around but mistakes such as errant passes and defensive lapses did in Winona on this night; not to mention a great performance by the Stars Bagwell-Katalinich who always seemed to have an answer when Holy Angels needed it. Trailing 46-32, Winona did make one last-gasp attempt to try and get back in this one. Hoeppner unleashed another trey; this one from the left wing area with 1:52 left and a Voegeli score in the paint with :41 left trimmed the Holy Angels lead down to 50-37 and a three-point bomb from the right wing off the glass with :33.4 left by junior reserve guard Maria Appicelli cut the Star lead down to ten at 50-40 and a "3" from the left corner by freshman reserve guard Brittin Winter with :11 left got the deficit back to single digits again at 51-43 but it would not be nearly enough as Holy Angels ran out the clock to claim their first-ever state title.
The two fouls that Winona's Voegeli picked up early on in the first half was the first real sign of big trouble for the Winhawks down the road and I asked her what her mindset was when she came back into the contest after having to sit for a spell. "Just stay behind my girl....and try to not let her get any shots." Gleason; despite the loss, called this tournament - indeed this season - "one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life." Gleason calls the Section 1 area in which his team is located "a pretty darn good place to play basketball in the state of Minnesota." I asked Gleason about the key run that Holy Angels had right around the midway point that turned a single-digit deficit into a double-digit deficit that his team was never able to recover from. "I remember it being 37-30 and it not going our way after that" Gleason attributed this sequence where things started going downhill to turnovers and Holy Angels offensive rebounding that led to second-chance points. Emotions spilled over when Hoeppner talked about her Winona career. "I am just really proud of the team we are and it's been just such fun to play with these girls....I told them in the locker room 'Don't be sad'....They were so fun to play with and we have so many memories on and off the court.....I am so grateful for all the opportunities I had." Gleason, too, became emotional when he talked about how the last month or so has been hard for him as he mentioned that his father passed away in mid-February and how he was one of the team's biggest supporters. Holy Angels Head Coach Dan Woods said the win tonight "It means everything for Holy Angels.....It let's people know we're state champs and it puts us on the map." Bagwell-Katalinich talked about how previous disappointments in section losses was used as motivation to work hard and help get her team into a position to not only get to the state tournament but also to make a determined run once they were in. Bagwell-Katalinich talked about how the squad was mired in winning 5-6 games a year and how easy it would be to just keep it that way. But the hard work payed off and "now here we are!". Indeed, Bagwell-Katalinich's 25 points led all scorers but her 16 total rebounds (7 offensive, 9 defensive) played a big part as well. Winona was led by Hoeppner's 15 points.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Championship Game Recap - New London-Spicer vs Plainview-Elgin-Millville 3-19-16
The second game on tap on this Championship Saturday at Williams Arena was the Class AA Championship game that promised to be a good one - unheralded (and unseeded New London-Spicer taking on top-seeded Plainview-Elgin-Millville. The Bulldogs had to hold off a stubborn Roseau team while the Wildcats pulled off a big upset in knocking off Sauk Centre so that set the stage for a good one here in the late afternoon session.
Both teams struggled offensively in the opening minutes but the Bulldogs would forge a 5-0 advantage by the 14:58 mark on the strength of on free throw by senior guard Tessa Hubbard and a jumper in the lane off the glass in transition by fellow senior guard Sarah Hart. What was becoming apparent, however, was that Plainview-Elgin-Millville was ruling the paint and getting rebounds and second chance points not to mention big defensive plays as well that had New London-Spicer on its heels. A block of Wildcat junior forward Kabrie Weber's shot by Bulldog senior forward Chloe Holtz seemed to give Plainview-Elgin-Millville a big shot of confidence and the Bulldogs extended the lead to 10-0 thanks to a score in the paint by sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner and two Dessner free throws before New London-Spicer finally got on the board at the 12:13 mark when senior guard Alyssa Fredrick drained a "3" from the right wing area. But Plainview-Elgin-Millville was just getting started as a 10-2 run over the next three minutes; capped by a lay-up by Hubbard at the 9:24 mark made it a 20-5 game. The Wildcats appeared to awake from their mid-afternoon slumber at that point as they proceeded to go on a 7-1 run thanks to two scores by junior reserve guard Brooke Beuning - a short jumper from the right side and a score in the paint - that got New London-Spicer back to within single digits trailing 21-12 with 7:51 left. At that point, you would have figured that the Wildcats had finally settled down and were back in the groove to presumably get close again. But New London-Spicer Head Coach Mike Dreier could not have counted on the Bulldogs going on an 18-2 blitz to take full command of this contest. In transition, junior guard Megan Shindelar got a pretty lay-up with 5:54 left. In the paint, junior post Emmaline Polson ruled; getting scores with 5:03, 4:28 and 2:27 left along with a lay-up with 1:09 left. From three-point land, junior reserve guard Baighley Standinger drilled one from the right wing area with :30 left for a 39-14 lead that Plainview-Elgin-Millville took into the locker room at the half and New London-Spicer looked like it had been hit with nuclear weapons.
The Wildcats just needed something positive at the beginning of the second half but the only positive they could likely come up with was just trying to keep the game from going into "Running Time" by the midway point. Two quick Bulldog buckets - a short jumper by Holtz and a "3" from the right wing area by Fredrick got Plainview-Elgin-Millville out to a 41-17 lead by the 16:42 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up in transition by Hart at the 14:31 mark made it a 44-17 ballgame. A "3" from the right wing at the 11:26 mark by Hubbard had the Bulldogs up 47-19 but New London-Spicer managed to avoid the "Running Time" dilemma on timely scores by senior forward Megan Thorson. Still, down 51-29 with 8:30 left, any Wildcat comeback attempt appeared highly unlikely as Plainview-Elgin-Millville continued its complete and utter domination in the paint. A Hart lay-up and a score in the paint by Polson had the Bulldogs safely up 59-36 with 4:51 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Shindelar made it 61-36 and New London-Spicer's fate was sealed as Plainview-Elgin-Millville completed a fabulous 31-1 season and a Class AA state title with a resounding 72-42 victory.
I was unable to attend the postgame press conference for this game but the box score for this one reveals some very telling numbers. Plainview-Elgin-Millville had a 45-37 advantage in total rebounds and only had nine turnovers compared to 17 for New London-Spicer. Thanks to a great defensive effort by the Bulldogs, New London-Spicer shot only 26.3% from FG range and an even icier 17.6% from three-point land. Polson's 22 points led the way for Plainview-Elgin-Millville on this day while Hart added 13 points. Thorson's 13 points led the way for New London-Spicer in the losing effort while Fredrick had nine points.
Both teams struggled offensively in the opening minutes but the Bulldogs would forge a 5-0 advantage by the 14:58 mark on the strength of on free throw by senior guard Tessa Hubbard and a jumper in the lane off the glass in transition by fellow senior guard Sarah Hart. What was becoming apparent, however, was that Plainview-Elgin-Millville was ruling the paint and getting rebounds and second chance points not to mention big defensive plays as well that had New London-Spicer on its heels. A block of Wildcat junior forward Kabrie Weber's shot by Bulldog senior forward Chloe Holtz seemed to give Plainview-Elgin-Millville a big shot of confidence and the Bulldogs extended the lead to 10-0 thanks to a score in the paint by sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner and two Dessner free throws before New London-Spicer finally got on the board at the 12:13 mark when senior guard Alyssa Fredrick drained a "3" from the right wing area. But Plainview-Elgin-Millville was just getting started as a 10-2 run over the next three minutes; capped by a lay-up by Hubbard at the 9:24 mark made it a 20-5 game. The Wildcats appeared to awake from their mid-afternoon slumber at that point as they proceeded to go on a 7-1 run thanks to two scores by junior reserve guard Brooke Beuning - a short jumper from the right side and a score in the paint - that got New London-Spicer back to within single digits trailing 21-12 with 7:51 left. At that point, you would have figured that the Wildcats had finally settled down and were back in the groove to presumably get close again. But New London-Spicer Head Coach Mike Dreier could not have counted on the Bulldogs going on an 18-2 blitz to take full command of this contest. In transition, junior guard Megan Shindelar got a pretty lay-up with 5:54 left. In the paint, junior post Emmaline Polson ruled; getting scores with 5:03, 4:28 and 2:27 left along with a lay-up with 1:09 left. From three-point land, junior reserve guard Baighley Standinger drilled one from the right wing area with :30 left for a 39-14 lead that Plainview-Elgin-Millville took into the locker room at the half and New London-Spicer looked like it had been hit with nuclear weapons.
The Wildcats just needed something positive at the beginning of the second half but the only positive they could likely come up with was just trying to keep the game from going into "Running Time" by the midway point. Two quick Bulldog buckets - a short jumper by Holtz and a "3" from the right wing area by Fredrick got Plainview-Elgin-Millville out to a 41-17 lead by the 16:42 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up in transition by Hart at the 14:31 mark made it a 44-17 ballgame. A "3" from the right wing at the 11:26 mark by Hubbard had the Bulldogs up 47-19 but New London-Spicer managed to avoid the "Running Time" dilemma on timely scores by senior forward Megan Thorson. Still, down 51-29 with 8:30 left, any Wildcat comeback attempt appeared highly unlikely as Plainview-Elgin-Millville continued its complete and utter domination in the paint. A Hart lay-up and a score in the paint by Polson had the Bulldogs safely up 59-36 with 4:51 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Shindelar made it 61-36 and New London-Spicer's fate was sealed as Plainview-Elgin-Millville completed a fabulous 31-1 season and a Class AA state title with a resounding 72-42 victory.
I was unable to attend the postgame press conference for this game but the box score for this one reveals some very telling numbers. Plainview-Elgin-Millville had a 45-37 advantage in total rebounds and only had nine turnovers compared to 17 for New London-Spicer. Thanks to a great defensive effort by the Bulldogs, New London-Spicer shot only 26.3% from FG range and an even icier 17.6% from three-point land. Polson's 22 points led the way for Plainview-Elgin-Millville on this day while Hart added 13 points. Thorson's 13 points led the way for New London-Spicer in the losing effort while Fredrick had nine points.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class A Championship Game Recap - Maranatha Christian Academy vs Goodhue 3-19-16
The first game on Championship Saturday at Williams Arena of the 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament was the Class A Championship Game that featured a finalist from last year's title game - Maranatha Christian Academy - going up against a first-timer in this event - top-seeded Goodhue. The Mustangs advanced to today's final by virtue of its thrilling overtime victory on Friday over second-seeded Mountain Iron-Buhl while the Wildcats advanced by demolishing Wheaton/Herman-Norcross. Going into this contest, I had to wonder what Maranatha Christian Academy had left in the tank; at least emotionally anyway, after the draining win over the Rangers. But, as Head Coach Chris Buerman stated in yesterday's postgame press conference, "We're going to bring defense to this game."
The one thing I was looking for early on in this contest was how well the Mustangs could take care of the rock given the plethora of turnovers that Wheaton/Herman-Norcross suffered at the hands of the suffocating Wildcat defense yesterday. While Maranatha Christian Academy did a better job than Goodhue's previous opponent, the Wildcats still bolted out to an 8-2 lead by the 15:55 mark thanks to a lay-up in transition by junior guard Mckenzie Ryan and a score in the paint by versatile sophomore forward Sydney Lodermeier. The Mustangs would close the gap to two points at 8-6 when junior forward Elise Moore got into the paint for a score at the 15:22 mark. Goodhue would widen the gap to 17-10 by the 13:06 mark when junior forward Maddy Miller made a hard drive into the lane for a finish off the glass at the 13:06 mark. Maranatha Christian Academy; using its run-and-gun style, managed to narrow the margin to three points at 18-15 with 8:59 left on one free throw by senior guard Alaina Jarnot and an Alaina Jarnot lay-up in transition and a pair of lay-ups in transition by Moore kept the Mustangs in the thick of things trailing 22-19 with 6:22 left. The Wildcats, however, went on a 10-2 spurt over the next two minutes; fueled by a Ryan "3" from the right wing area and two scores by Miller - a lay up and a score in the paint - had Goodhue up 32-20. A Sydney Lodermeier score in the paint maintained the cushion at twelve at 34-22 and a lay-up by senior forward Taylor Larson with 1:01 left made it a 37-24 Wildcat lead and Maranatha Christian Academy looked to be in a serious hole by this point. Even worse was that willowy sophomore forward Jacklyn Jarnot had to come off with an apparent ankle injury that had to be taped up. To their credit, the Mustangs managed to get the deficit whacked down to ten points at 39-29 with :12.7 left thanks to a drive and finish off the glass in transition by Alaina Jarnot and two Jacklyn Jarnot freebies but a defensive lapse on Goodhue's last possession before the half allowed Miller to connect with a lay-up to make it a 41-29 ballgame going into the locker room. While Maranatha Christian Academy was still in this one, they were hanging by a thread and they needed to make adjustments to avoid getting beat up in the paint.
The Wildcats wasted little time in creating more separation between themselves and their opponent once the second half began. Sydney Lodermeier drained a "3" from the left top area at the 17:38 mark and a lay-up by the wily Miller at the 16:37 mark pushed Goodhue's lead up to 46-31. Sydney Lodermeier showed her dominance in the paint when she snared an offensive rebound for at putback at the 15:40 mark and a jumper in the lane at the 15:13 mark that made it a 50-34 ballgame and although Maranatha Christian Academy's Alaina Jarnot was able to connect on a lay-up in transition that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie, the Mustangs did indeed to be buried by this point; down 50-37 at the 14:35 mark. To their credit, Maranatha Christian Academy managed to whittle the deficit down to ten points at 50-40 by the 13:35 mark with that up-tempo run-and-gun style that they thrive on but the Mustangs just could not seem to crack that inside game of Sydney Lodermeier/Miller/Larson and a 9-2 Wildcat spurt over the next two minutes pretty much made the main hatchway give in for Maranatha Christian Academy. Free throws by Sydney Lodermeier and Larson and a lay-up in transition by Miller gave Goodhue a 59-42 advantage. Two Miller free throws at the 9:47 mark and a Miller lay-up after a steal made it a 63-45 ballgame and the Wildcats were now firmly in control. Worse yet for the Mustangs, Jacklyn Jarnot was now carrying four fouls that effectively limited her ability on defense as did both Moore and sophomore guard Kylie Post. Two Larson free throws with 8:06 left gave Goodhue a seemingly insurmountable lead at 67-46 and although the Jarnot sisters were not going to let their team go down without a fight, even the sisterly magic could not save the Mustangs on this day. Too many turnovers and too much domination in the paint by the Wildcats. Alaina Jarnot would get two more score down the stretch - a jumper in the lane with 4:34 left and, fittingly, a three-point bomb from the left top area with 1:28 left before Mustang Head Coach Chris Buerman took her out with :49.7 left to a standing ovation as did Goodhue's Miller a bit later as the Wildcats snared the Class A title with an 89-64 victory.
Maranatha Christian Academy's Buerman summed things up when I brought up the issue of points in the paint and second chance points - both vastly in favor of Goodhue on this day (44-26 and 21-6 respectively). "They did a great job, especially on the offensive boards.....We gave them 3,4,5 shots on some of the possessions which made it really hard for us to get out and run.....They limited us to one shot and often it was a bit of a force where we just weren't moving." Buerman also pooh-poohed the notion that the officiating in this one may have resulted in his team's demise on this day and, as far as foul trouble: "That's on us.....We've always had a 'next person up' mentality." I also asked Alaina Jarnot on what it's been like to be able to play at Maranatha Christian Academy and play alongside her younger sister Jacklyn as well. "I'm so blessed to play here and I've got an amazing coach......It's been amazing as I've been to the state tournament since I've been in the eighth grade....I'm really going to miss playing with her (Jacklyn)." On the Goodhue side, Head Coach Josh Wieme said that "This whole week has literally some of our best basketball the whole season.....I think what we saw today was just a tremendous focus, especially by the gals playing up top, our guards......Those girls just did a fantastic job of executing about what we talked about.....Just the focus of our kids this week has been incredible. Wieme also talked about past players in his program when I brought up the question of what this state title means for his program going forward and how they helped lay the foundation for what happened this season and how they also helped foster a culture that has created a winning program and a winning attitude. He also talked about how the southeast portion of the state is such a hotbed for girls high school basketball and how many good teams there are in the area and how it's all helped strengthened the program at Goodhue. The one-two punch of Miller and Sydney Lodermeier and their 28 and 24 points, respectively, led the Wildcats on this day while junior guard Ryan Mckenzie added 13 points and Larson had 12 points. On the Maranatha Christian side, both Alaina Jarnot and Moore had 18 points a piece junior forward Sami Payne had 10 points.
The one thing I was looking for early on in this contest was how well the Mustangs could take care of the rock given the plethora of turnovers that Wheaton/Herman-Norcross suffered at the hands of the suffocating Wildcat defense yesterday. While Maranatha Christian Academy did a better job than Goodhue's previous opponent, the Wildcats still bolted out to an 8-2 lead by the 15:55 mark thanks to a lay-up in transition by junior guard Mckenzie Ryan and a score in the paint by versatile sophomore forward Sydney Lodermeier. The Mustangs would close the gap to two points at 8-6 when junior forward Elise Moore got into the paint for a score at the 15:22 mark. Goodhue would widen the gap to 17-10 by the 13:06 mark when junior forward Maddy Miller made a hard drive into the lane for a finish off the glass at the 13:06 mark. Maranatha Christian Academy; using its run-and-gun style, managed to narrow the margin to three points at 18-15 with 8:59 left on one free throw by senior guard Alaina Jarnot and an Alaina Jarnot lay-up in transition and a pair of lay-ups in transition by Moore kept the Mustangs in the thick of things trailing 22-19 with 6:22 left. The Wildcats, however, went on a 10-2 spurt over the next two minutes; fueled by a Ryan "3" from the right wing area and two scores by Miller - a lay up and a score in the paint - had Goodhue up 32-20. A Sydney Lodermeier score in the paint maintained the cushion at twelve at 34-22 and a lay-up by senior forward Taylor Larson with 1:01 left made it a 37-24 Wildcat lead and Maranatha Christian Academy looked to be in a serious hole by this point. Even worse was that willowy sophomore forward Jacklyn Jarnot had to come off with an apparent ankle injury that had to be taped up. To their credit, the Mustangs managed to get the deficit whacked down to ten points at 39-29 with :12.7 left thanks to a drive and finish off the glass in transition by Alaina Jarnot and two Jacklyn Jarnot freebies but a defensive lapse on Goodhue's last possession before the half allowed Miller to connect with a lay-up to make it a 41-29 ballgame going into the locker room. While Maranatha Christian Academy was still in this one, they were hanging by a thread and they needed to make adjustments to avoid getting beat up in the paint.
The Wildcats wasted little time in creating more separation between themselves and their opponent once the second half began. Sydney Lodermeier drained a "3" from the left top area at the 17:38 mark and a lay-up by the wily Miller at the 16:37 mark pushed Goodhue's lead up to 46-31. Sydney Lodermeier showed her dominance in the paint when she snared an offensive rebound for at putback at the 15:40 mark and a jumper in the lane at the 15:13 mark that made it a 50-34 ballgame and although Maranatha Christian Academy's Alaina Jarnot was able to connect on a lay-up in transition that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie, the Mustangs did indeed to be buried by this point; down 50-37 at the 14:35 mark. To their credit, Maranatha Christian Academy managed to whittle the deficit down to ten points at 50-40 by the 13:35 mark with that up-tempo run-and-gun style that they thrive on but the Mustangs just could not seem to crack that inside game of Sydney Lodermeier/Miller/Larson and a 9-2 Wildcat spurt over the next two minutes pretty much made the main hatchway give in for Maranatha Christian Academy. Free throws by Sydney Lodermeier and Larson and a lay-up in transition by Miller gave Goodhue a 59-42 advantage. Two Miller free throws at the 9:47 mark and a Miller lay-up after a steal made it a 63-45 ballgame and the Wildcats were now firmly in control. Worse yet for the Mustangs, Jacklyn Jarnot was now carrying four fouls that effectively limited her ability on defense as did both Moore and sophomore guard Kylie Post. Two Larson free throws with 8:06 left gave Goodhue a seemingly insurmountable lead at 67-46 and although the Jarnot sisters were not going to let their team go down without a fight, even the sisterly magic could not save the Mustangs on this day. Too many turnovers and too much domination in the paint by the Wildcats. Alaina Jarnot would get two more score down the stretch - a jumper in the lane with 4:34 left and, fittingly, a three-point bomb from the left top area with 1:28 left before Mustang Head Coach Chris Buerman took her out with :49.7 left to a standing ovation as did Goodhue's Miller a bit later as the Wildcats snared the Class A title with an 89-64 victory.
Maranatha Christian Academy's Buerman summed things up when I brought up the issue of points in the paint and second chance points - both vastly in favor of Goodhue on this day (44-26 and 21-6 respectively). "They did a great job, especially on the offensive boards.....We gave them 3,4,5 shots on some of the possessions which made it really hard for us to get out and run.....They limited us to one shot and often it was a bit of a force where we just weren't moving." Buerman also pooh-poohed the notion that the officiating in this one may have resulted in his team's demise on this day and, as far as foul trouble: "That's on us.....We've always had a 'next person up' mentality." I also asked Alaina Jarnot on what it's been like to be able to play at Maranatha Christian Academy and play alongside her younger sister Jacklyn as well. "I'm so blessed to play here and I've got an amazing coach......It's been amazing as I've been to the state tournament since I've been in the eighth grade....I'm really going to miss playing with her (Jacklyn)." On the Goodhue side, Head Coach Josh Wieme said that "This whole week has literally some of our best basketball the whole season.....I think what we saw today was just a tremendous focus, especially by the gals playing up top, our guards......Those girls just did a fantastic job of executing about what we talked about.....Just the focus of our kids this week has been incredible. Wieme also talked about past players in his program when I brought up the question of what this state title means for his program going forward and how they helped lay the foundation for what happened this season and how they also helped foster a culture that has created a winning program and a winning attitude. He also talked about how the southeast portion of the state is such a hotbed for girls high school basketball and how many good teams there are in the area and how it's all helped strengthened the program at Goodhue. The one-two punch of Miller and Sydney Lodermeier and their 28 and 24 points, respectively, led the Wildcats on this day while junior guard Ryan Mckenzie added 13 points and Larson had 12 points. On the Maranatha Christian side, both Alaina Jarnot and Moore had 18 points a piece junior forward Sami Payne had 10 points.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Semifinal Game Recap - New London-Spicer vs Sauk Centre 3-18-16
The nightcap on this Friday night at Williams Arena was the second Class AA semifinal game that pitted upstart New London-Spicer taking on second-seeded Sauk Centre. The Wildcats got here by virtue of the upset victory over Minnehaha Academy while Sauk Centre easily disposed of Norwood-Young America. The Mainstreeters made it to the Class AA title game last year and were hoping to do not only that again but take it another step as well.
Compared to the offensive back-and-forth pace of the last game, defense took center stage in the early going in this contest. 'Streeter junior guard Jill Klaphake finally broke the scoreless tie with her score in the paint at the 15:30 mark but New London-Spicer would come back and grab a 4-3 advantage on the power of a score in the paint by junior forward Nicole Tebben at the 14:51 mark. The contest would be knotted up at six a piece when Wildcat junior post Morgan Swenson grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback at the 13:03 mark. Sauk Centre would grab a small lead at 9-6 on a pretty trey by sophomore guard Kelsey Peschel at the 12:24 mark and the Mainstreeters would get the lead to five points on two free throws by sophomore guard Maesyn Theisen with 7:35 left. But New London-Spicer would go on an 8-0 run; fueled by a jumper along the left baseline by junior forward Kabrie Weber and a pretty one-handed shot in the lane by senior forward Megan Thorson to grab an 18-15 lead with 3:51 left. A three-point bomb by Theisen from the left top area with 2:48 left tied the game at 18 and Theisen would follow that up with a pretty floater in the lane with 2:14 left to give the Mainstreeters a 20-18 advantage. A short jumper by Weber along the right baseline with :52 left tied the game once again at 20 a piece for the Wildcats but junior guard Taylor Borgerding's "3" from the left corner with :38 left gave Sauk Centre a 23-20 advantage that they took into the locker room with them at the half.
New London-Spicer came out on a bit of a hot streak at the beginning of the second half. Sophomore guard Shea Oman nailed one trey from the left top area at the 17:26 mark that tied the game at 23 a piece and another "3" from the same left top area by Weber at the 16:28 mark gave the Wildcats a 26-25 advantage and a Thorson lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 15:03 mark allowed New London-Spicer to maintain that one-point advantage at 28-27. The Wildcats would increase their lead to 30-27 before Sauk Centre was able to regain some control. One free throw by senior post Rebecca Weir at the 12:45 mark and a lay-up in transition by Klaphake tied the score at 30-all and free throws by both eighth grade reserve guard Victoria Peschel and senior reserve guard Madison Greenwaldt gave the 'Streeters a 35-32 lead with 8:54 left. Sauk Centre stretched the lead to seven points at 42-35 with 5:56 left on the power of two scores by Klaphake and a "3" by Theisen and the Mainstreeters appeared to be in position to possibly close out this game but New London-Spicer managed to battle its way back from the brink with an astonishing 9-0 run. A short shot inside by senior reserve guard Lindsay Vagle with 5:21 left and a score in the paint by the always-reliable Thorson got the Wildcats back to within a single possession trailing 42-39. Two free throws by sophomore guard Shea Oman and a three-point bomb from the right corner by Weber capped this unlikely burst and it thrust the Wildcats back out in front 44-42. Sauk Centre would manage to get things tied up at 46-all with :50 left after Theisen snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up and a Weber turnover shortly thereafter gave the 'Streeters a chance to take the lead but Greenwaldt wasn't able to connect with her three-point bomb attempt and Thorson was there for the rebound for New London-Spicer. The Wildcats got the ball up the court and carefully worked the ball around the perimeter; looking for any possible nook or cranny in the Mainstreeter defense that might be there for a last-second shot. Wildcat Head Coach Mike Dreier; not liking how this was shaping up for his squad, called a timeout with :10.6 left to draw up an option or two for a last-second scoring attempt. With time winding down, Oman got the ball and, with the ice-cold mentality of a tightrope walker, did a between-the-leg dribble and drove into the lane and put up a one-handed shot that kissed just perfectly off the glass and into the cylinder and drew a foul as well with :04.5 left. Her free throw was good making it a 49-46 game. Sauk Centre's Scott Bergman called a timeout to try and draw up a last-second play but a desperation three-point attempt by Theisen missed its mark and the Wildcats pulled off a stunner with a 49-46 victory over a very good (and heartbroken) Sauk Centre team.
A disappointed Bergman tried to put things in perspective after this heartbreaking loss. "You know....When you've got a lead (I think we were up by five with three minutes to go)......It felt pretty good but give them credit....They made big plays, they made big shots, got big stops, got big rebounds...So, yeah, it's tough....We're big rivals....It seems like one of us ends the other's season." On the New London-Spicer side, I got to ask Oman about her daredevil drive into the lane for the winning basket with time winding down. "We just had to run our play that we practice all the time and I just happened to make the final play." Dreier added afterward that "When it works that's exactly how we draw it up" that drew a laugh from all in the press conference. I also asked Weber about her big trey down the stretch that got her team back out in front and she admitted that it was definitely a "big shot". A check of the box score shows how balanced the Wildcat scoring was on this night. Both Thorson and Weber led the way with their 12 points and Oman was right behind with her 10 points; with the biggest contribution in the game's waning moments. Sauk Centre was led by Theisen and her 20 points and nine rebounds while Klaphake had 10 points in the losing effort.
Compared to the offensive back-and-forth pace of the last game, defense took center stage in the early going in this contest. 'Streeter junior guard Jill Klaphake finally broke the scoreless tie with her score in the paint at the 15:30 mark but New London-Spicer would come back and grab a 4-3 advantage on the power of a score in the paint by junior forward Nicole Tebben at the 14:51 mark. The contest would be knotted up at six a piece when Wildcat junior post Morgan Swenson grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback at the 13:03 mark. Sauk Centre would grab a small lead at 9-6 on a pretty trey by sophomore guard Kelsey Peschel at the 12:24 mark and the Mainstreeters would get the lead to five points on two free throws by sophomore guard Maesyn Theisen with 7:35 left. But New London-Spicer would go on an 8-0 run; fueled by a jumper along the left baseline by junior forward Kabrie Weber and a pretty one-handed shot in the lane by senior forward Megan Thorson to grab an 18-15 lead with 3:51 left. A three-point bomb by Theisen from the left top area with 2:48 left tied the game at 18 and Theisen would follow that up with a pretty floater in the lane with 2:14 left to give the Mainstreeters a 20-18 advantage. A short jumper by Weber along the right baseline with :52 left tied the game once again at 20 a piece for the Wildcats but junior guard Taylor Borgerding's "3" from the left corner with :38 left gave Sauk Centre a 23-20 advantage that they took into the locker room with them at the half.
New London-Spicer came out on a bit of a hot streak at the beginning of the second half. Sophomore guard Shea Oman nailed one trey from the left top area at the 17:26 mark that tied the game at 23 a piece and another "3" from the same left top area by Weber at the 16:28 mark gave the Wildcats a 26-25 advantage and a Thorson lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 15:03 mark allowed New London-Spicer to maintain that one-point advantage at 28-27. The Wildcats would increase their lead to 30-27 before Sauk Centre was able to regain some control. One free throw by senior post Rebecca Weir at the 12:45 mark and a lay-up in transition by Klaphake tied the score at 30-all and free throws by both eighth grade reserve guard Victoria Peschel and senior reserve guard Madison Greenwaldt gave the 'Streeters a 35-32 lead with 8:54 left. Sauk Centre stretched the lead to seven points at 42-35 with 5:56 left on the power of two scores by Klaphake and a "3" by Theisen and the Mainstreeters appeared to be in position to possibly close out this game but New London-Spicer managed to battle its way back from the brink with an astonishing 9-0 run. A short shot inside by senior reserve guard Lindsay Vagle with 5:21 left and a score in the paint by the always-reliable Thorson got the Wildcats back to within a single possession trailing 42-39. Two free throws by sophomore guard Shea Oman and a three-point bomb from the right corner by Weber capped this unlikely burst and it thrust the Wildcats back out in front 44-42. Sauk Centre would manage to get things tied up at 46-all with :50 left after Theisen snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up and a Weber turnover shortly thereafter gave the 'Streeters a chance to take the lead but Greenwaldt wasn't able to connect with her three-point bomb attempt and Thorson was there for the rebound for New London-Spicer. The Wildcats got the ball up the court and carefully worked the ball around the perimeter; looking for any possible nook or cranny in the Mainstreeter defense that might be there for a last-second shot. Wildcat Head Coach Mike Dreier; not liking how this was shaping up for his squad, called a timeout with :10.6 left to draw up an option or two for a last-second scoring attempt. With time winding down, Oman got the ball and, with the ice-cold mentality of a tightrope walker, did a between-the-leg dribble and drove into the lane and put up a one-handed shot that kissed just perfectly off the glass and into the cylinder and drew a foul as well with :04.5 left. Her free throw was good making it a 49-46 game. Sauk Centre's Scott Bergman called a timeout to try and draw up a last-second play but a desperation three-point attempt by Theisen missed its mark and the Wildcats pulled off a stunner with a 49-46 victory over a very good (and heartbroken) Sauk Centre team.
A disappointed Bergman tried to put things in perspective after this heartbreaking loss. "You know....When you've got a lead (I think we were up by five with three minutes to go)......It felt pretty good but give them credit....They made big plays, they made big shots, got big stops, got big rebounds...So, yeah, it's tough....We're big rivals....It seems like one of us ends the other's season." On the New London-Spicer side, I got to ask Oman about her daredevil drive into the lane for the winning basket with time winding down. "We just had to run our play that we practice all the time and I just happened to make the final play." Dreier added afterward that "When it works that's exactly how we draw it up" that drew a laugh from all in the press conference. I also asked Weber about her big trey down the stretch that got her team back out in front and she admitted that it was definitely a "big shot". A check of the box score shows how balanced the Wildcat scoring was on this night. Both Thorson and Weber led the way with their 12 points and Oman was right behind with her 10 points; with the biggest contribution in the game's waning moments. Sauk Centre was led by Theisen and her 20 points and nine rebounds while Klaphake had 10 points in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Semifinal Game Recap - Roseau vs Plainview-Elgin-Millville 3-18-16
After catching my breath over the exhilarating finish of the second Class A semifinal (AND heaving a HUGE sigh of relief over Iowa's 72-70 win over Temple in the NCAA Tournament), I readied myself for the Friday night session at Williams Arena that featured the two Class AA semifinal games - the first that pitted fourth-seeded Roseau going up against top-seed Plainview-Elgin-Millville which rolled past Holy Family on Wednesday. I was anxious to be able to get another glimpse of the trio of Borowicz sisters for the Rams - junior Kylie, freshman Kacie and seventh-grader Katie - and to see if they could help their team take things one step further than last year.
After two scores by junior post Emmaline Polson put the Bulldogs out in front 4-2 by the 16:34 mark, Roseau was able to respond with, who else, the Borowicz sisters. Kylie Borowicz drained one trey from the left corner at the 16:15 mark and then younger sister Kacie drilled a "3" from the right wing area off of an inbounds pass at the 15:20 mark and Kacie would strike again less than twenty seconds later on a lay-up in transition at the 15:02 mark that got the Rams out to a 10-6 lead. Plainview-Elgin-Millville would respond with a 10-2 run over the next three minutes; fueled by a Polson lay-up that had the Bulldogs back up 16-12 by the 12:34 mark. Roseau would close the gap to one point at 18-17 by the 11:24 mark and the Rams would stay within one point over the next three minutes. With Plainview-Elgin-Millville hanging on to a 25-24 advantage, the Bulldogs went on 7-0 run fueled by a "3" from the left wing area by senior guard Sarah Hart to take a 32-24 lead with 6:31 left. Right back came those pesky green-clad Rams on a 6-0 push with Kylie Borowicz connecting with a short shot with 5:39 left and one Kylie Borowicz free throw with 5:17 left that closed the gap to two points at 32-30. Plainview-Elgin-Millville looked to be off and running again when it built a 34-30 lead on a lay-up in transition by senior guard Chloe Holtz with 3:30 left but the Roseau tied the score at 34 on a 4-0 push highlighted by a lay-up in transition with 2:52 left by Kacie Borowicz. With the score tied at 35-all with over a minute and a half left, sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner gave the Bulldogs a 37-35 lead with her short turnaround jumper with 1:01 left which is what Plainview-Elgin-Millville took in with them into the locker room at the half in an eighteen minute stanza that could only be described as a game of runs.
The Bulldogs set out to get more separation between themselves and their opponent once the second half got underway. A "3" from the top of the key at the 17:33 mark by Hart and a coast-to-coast lay-up by junior guard Morgan Shindelar at the 16:44 mark had Plainview-Elgin-Millville up 42-35 and a Holtz score in the paint at the 15:46 mark increased the margin to nine at 15:46 and an offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve guard Baighley Standinger maintained the nine-point edge at 50-41 and Roseau finally started showing the first signs of wearing down; particularly in trying to keep the Bulldogs out of the paint. By the 12:45 mark, Plainview-Elgin-Millville had increased the lead to double-digits at 57-45 and the Bulldogs managed to maintain the double-digit cushion over the next four minutes. Roseau could have easily decided to pack up their bags and go home at that point but this fun, run-and-gun, never-say-die Rams squad caught a second wind down the stretch and put a scare in the number one-seeded Bulldogs; thanks largely in part to the trio of Borowicz sisters. A jumper in the lane by junior guard Ivy Braaten cut Plainview-Elgin-Millville's lead down to seven at 70-63 with 7:19 left and a Kylie Borowicz freebie with 6:28 left and a lay-up in transition with 5:29 left got the deficit down to six points at 74-68. Free throws by Kacie Borowicz with 4:27 left and sophomore reserve forward McKayla Christianson with 3:45 left had the Bulldog lead down to four at 76-72 and an attacking Kylie Borowicz drew a foul with 3:16 left that sent her to the line for two more freebies that got Roseau back to within a single possession trailing 76-74 before Plainview-Elgin-Miller was finally able to dig in and stop the valiant Ram comeback attempt. Shindelar connected with a pretty reverse lay-up with 3:02 left that got the lead back to four at 78-74 and two scores by sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner got the lead back up to eight at 82-74 that effectively ended Roseau's hope for a comeback. A Shindelar lay-up off of a long baseball pass downcourt sealed the deal and the Bulldogs punched their ticket to Saturday's championship game with a tough 87-78 victory.
In the press conference afterward, Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson felt that "we played good 'team basketball', we boxed out hard....we were going to put ourselves in position to win this game....It's not supposed to be easy this this time of the year....We forced shots in the paint in the first half.....I felt that early in the first half, our 'help side' defense wasn't there." On the other side, Plainview-Elgin-Millville's said that "We haven't seen a team like that this year....44 (Kylie Borowicz) is unstoppable....We tried three different players on her....and we still couldn't stop her." I got to ask Dessner about how her rebounding down the stretch really played a big part of her team's victory on this night. "They really needed me to contribute to the team by playing my role...getting a lot of rebounds, putbacks, finishing really well." The Bulldogs had a very balanced scoring attack on this night. Dessner's 23 points led the way while Holtz had 20 points, Hart had 14 points and Polson had 12 points. For Roseau, it was the Kylie Borowicz show who finished the night with an amazing 35 points and 12 boards which Kacie Borowicz had 23 points and sophomore forward Victoria Johnson finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
After two scores by junior post Emmaline Polson put the Bulldogs out in front 4-2 by the 16:34 mark, Roseau was able to respond with, who else, the Borowicz sisters. Kylie Borowicz drained one trey from the left corner at the 16:15 mark and then younger sister Kacie drilled a "3" from the right wing area off of an inbounds pass at the 15:20 mark and Kacie would strike again less than twenty seconds later on a lay-up in transition at the 15:02 mark that got the Rams out to a 10-6 lead. Plainview-Elgin-Millville would respond with a 10-2 run over the next three minutes; fueled by a Polson lay-up that had the Bulldogs back up 16-12 by the 12:34 mark. Roseau would close the gap to one point at 18-17 by the 11:24 mark and the Rams would stay within one point over the next three minutes. With Plainview-Elgin-Millville hanging on to a 25-24 advantage, the Bulldogs went on 7-0 run fueled by a "3" from the left wing area by senior guard Sarah Hart to take a 32-24 lead with 6:31 left. Right back came those pesky green-clad Rams on a 6-0 push with Kylie Borowicz connecting with a short shot with 5:39 left and one Kylie Borowicz free throw with 5:17 left that closed the gap to two points at 32-30. Plainview-Elgin-Millville looked to be off and running again when it built a 34-30 lead on a lay-up in transition by senior guard Chloe Holtz with 3:30 left but the Roseau tied the score at 34 on a 4-0 push highlighted by a lay-up in transition with 2:52 left by Kacie Borowicz. With the score tied at 35-all with over a minute and a half left, sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner gave the Bulldogs a 37-35 lead with her short turnaround jumper with 1:01 left which is what Plainview-Elgin-Millville took in with them into the locker room at the half in an eighteen minute stanza that could only be described as a game of runs.
The Bulldogs set out to get more separation between themselves and their opponent once the second half got underway. A "3" from the top of the key at the 17:33 mark by Hart and a coast-to-coast lay-up by junior guard Morgan Shindelar at the 16:44 mark had Plainview-Elgin-Millville up 42-35 and a Holtz score in the paint at the 15:46 mark increased the margin to nine at 15:46 and an offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve guard Baighley Standinger maintained the nine-point edge at 50-41 and Roseau finally started showing the first signs of wearing down; particularly in trying to keep the Bulldogs out of the paint. By the 12:45 mark, Plainview-Elgin-Millville had increased the lead to double-digits at 57-45 and the Bulldogs managed to maintain the double-digit cushion over the next four minutes. Roseau could have easily decided to pack up their bags and go home at that point but this fun, run-and-gun, never-say-die Rams squad caught a second wind down the stretch and put a scare in the number one-seeded Bulldogs; thanks largely in part to the trio of Borowicz sisters. A jumper in the lane by junior guard Ivy Braaten cut Plainview-Elgin-Millville's lead down to seven at 70-63 with 7:19 left and a Kylie Borowicz freebie with 6:28 left and a lay-up in transition with 5:29 left got the deficit down to six points at 74-68. Free throws by Kacie Borowicz with 4:27 left and sophomore reserve forward McKayla Christianson with 3:45 left had the Bulldog lead down to four at 76-72 and an attacking Kylie Borowicz drew a foul with 3:16 left that sent her to the line for two more freebies that got Roseau back to within a single possession trailing 76-74 before Plainview-Elgin-Miller was finally able to dig in and stop the valiant Ram comeback attempt. Shindelar connected with a pretty reverse lay-up with 3:02 left that got the lead back to four at 78-74 and two scores by sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner got the lead back up to eight at 82-74 that effectively ended Roseau's hope for a comeback. A Shindelar lay-up off of a long baseball pass downcourt sealed the deal and the Bulldogs punched their ticket to Saturday's championship game with a tough 87-78 victory.
In the press conference afterward, Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson felt that "we played good 'team basketball', we boxed out hard....we were going to put ourselves in position to win this game....It's not supposed to be easy this this time of the year....We forced shots in the paint in the first half.....I felt that early in the first half, our 'help side' defense wasn't there." On the other side, Plainview-Elgin-Millville's said that "We haven't seen a team like that this year....44 (Kylie Borowicz) is unstoppable....We tried three different players on her....and we still couldn't stop her." I got to ask Dessner about how her rebounding down the stretch really played a big part of her team's victory on this night. "They really needed me to contribute to the team by playing my role...getting a lot of rebounds, putbacks, finishing really well." The Bulldogs had a very balanced scoring attack on this night. Dessner's 23 points led the way while Holtz had 20 points, Hart had 14 points and Polson had 12 points. For Roseau, it was the Kylie Borowicz show who finished the night with an amazing 35 points and 12 boards which Kacie Borowicz had 23 points and sophomore forward Victoria Johnson finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class A Semifinal Game Recap - Maranatha Christian Academy vs Mountain Iron-Buhl 3-18-16
The second Class A semifinal game on this Friday afternoon featured at least one team that I was familiar with - third-seeded Maranatha Christian Academy going up against Mountain Iron Buhl. The Mustangs made it to the Class A title game last year and were definitely hoping to take it one step further this time around. The Rangers have been to state many times before and they know this setting extremely well.
Things got off on a bit of a scary note for Mountain Iron-Buhl from the get-go when sophomore post Mary Burke suffered what appeared to be a bloody nose at the 17:46 mark that forced her to sit a spell. Although she was able to return a short time later, the Mustangs had already forged a 6-0 lead by the 15:10 mark on the strength of scores in the paint by junior forward Sami Payne and one by freshman reserve forward Sophia Montgomery off of an inbounds pass. The Rangers would gradually chip away at the deficit from the charity stripe and then a "3" from the right corner by junior guard Chelsea Mason at the 13:08 mark put Mountain Iron-Buhl out in front 7-6. Another trey - this one by freshman reserve guard Macy Savela from the left corner at the 11:54 mark gave the Rangers a 10-8 advantage but an offensive rebound and putback by junior forward Sami Payne at the 11:29 mark forged a 10-10 tie. Mountain Iron-Buhl would then go on a 7-2 run to get a 17-12 lead and many of the Mustang faithful in attendance were wondering when the superstar sister duo of senior guard Alaina Jarnot and sophomore forward Jacklyn Jarnot were going to show up to save their team. Jacklyn Jarnot would get two freebies to fall at the 11:02 mark and a "3" by older sister Alaina Jarnot trimmed the Ranger lead down to 20-17 and the Mustangs would eventually close the gap to a scant point at 22-21 with 6:30 left. Maranatha Christian would finally grab a one-point lead of its own with 3:45 left at 25-24 on two free throws by sophomore guard Kylie Post but the usually high-octane Mustang offense seemed to be sputtering and Mountain Iron-Buhl would seize an opportunity to grab a small lead down the stretch. Savela would drain another "3" - this one from the right top area with 1:51 left and another trey by Mason - this one from the top of the key that got a very friendly bounce on the rim - allowed the Rangers to take a 34-30 advantage into the locker room at the half. Although certainly a close game at this point, Maranatha Christian Academy Head Coach Chris Buerman had to be concerned about the hot-shooting Savela-Mason duo that was becoming a thorn in the side to his Mustang team.
Mountain Iron-Buhl put the Mustangs further in the hole as scores in the paint by willowy senior forward Tatum Primeau and Burke had the Rangers up 38-32 by the 16:59 mark and a jumper from the left wing area by Mason at the 16:32 mark made it a 40-32 game before the Mustangs were able to jump-start their stagnant offense. Two Payne free throws at the 15:10 mark along with one Alaina Jarnot free throw at the 14:46 mark trimmed the deficit to three at 42-39 and an offensive rebound and putback by Jacklyn Jarnot that drew a foul and sent the lanky sophomore to the line for the obligatory freebie knotted the score at 42-all. But another Ranger push fueled by 2 Burke free throws and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve guard Allie Negen had Mountain Iron-Buhl up 52-44 with 8:13 left and now the Mustangs needed some major magic before the sands of time ran out on this fun and exciting team. Complicating the situation even more for Maranatha Christian Academy was that both Post and Jacklyn Jarnot had both been whistled for their third foul by this point and both had to be careful the rest of the way. The Mustangs tried desperately to try and turn the tide but when Mason was able to connect on a drive and finish with 4:04 left for a 56-49 Mountain Iron-Buhl advantage, Maranatha Christian Academy definitely appeared doomed.
Somehow, just when things looked the most bleak for Buerman's squad, this never-say-die Mustang team rallied from the brink of extinction. A score in the paint by Post with 3:38 left cut the Ranger lead down to five at 56-51 and then Mountain Iron-Buhl may have made its first major mistake of the game. Instead of attacking with a little over two minutes left, they decided to carefully nurse the five-point advantage by working the clock in a vain attempt to run this one out. Maranatha Christian Academy would have none of it and would get the ball back with plenty of time left. Jacklyn Jarnot slithered into the paint for one score with 1:44 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie and, after a Ranger turnover, Alaina Jarnot knocked down a jumper from the top of the key that sliced Mountain Iron-Buhl's lead down to a scant two points at 58-56 with 1:40 left. A somewhat shaken Mountain Iron-Buhl team tried to bring the ball upcourt but a thieving Mustang team forced a turnover and Post was able to connect on a lay-up with 1:29 left that suddenly and shockingly tied the game at 58 a piece. The Rangers got the ball back and junior guard Mya Buffetta was fouled with 1:27 left and her two free throws put Mountain Iron-Buhl up 60-58. Two more Buffetta freebies with :57.3 left had the Rangers up 62-59. But Maranatha Christian Academy brought the ball upcourt on their next possession and Alaina Jarnot got free behind the arc and calmly drilled an ice water in my veins trey with :54 left that again tied the game at 62 a piece. Both teams were unable to take advantage of last possessions in regulation so off to overtime we went tied at 62.
A short jumper in the paint by Payne with 3:46 left in the extra period pushed the Mustangs back out in front 64-62 for the first time since the first half but that lead didn't last long as Negen buried a "3" from the top of the key with 3:27 left for a 65-64 Mountain Iron-Buhl lead. Free throws by senior reserve forward Cora Peterson and Mason extended the Ranger lead to 67-64 and put the pressure right back on Maranatha Christian Academy - which was then promptly answered by yet another dagger trey from Alaina Jarnot; this one from the left wing area with 1:44 left that tied the issue at 67-all. Buffetta would get sent to the line on Mountain Iron-Buhl's next possession where she sank both free throws for a 69-67 Ranger lead but Alaina Jarnot would come to the rescue again for her team when, with 1:07 left, she made a drive into the lane and got a finish off the glass that tied the score once again at 69-all. One the next Ranger possession, the daring Buffetta would make a move to get into the lane for a score where she drew a foul and her two free throws with 1:01 left had Mountain Iron-Buhl up 71-69. Guess who would come to the rescue for the Mustangs - yet again? That's right. Alaina Jarnot as she drained a "3" from the left wing with :49 left to put Maranatha Christian Academy up 72-71. The Rangers would promptly turn the ball over and give the Mustangs a chance to add a little breathing room to that one-point advantage and sophomore reserve guard Jayzryn Thompson was fouled and she got the back-end of the two shot foul situation to go down for a 73-71 advantage with :36.8 left. Ordinarily, that would have had Maranatha Christian sitting in a pretty decent spot but on Mountain Iron-Buhl's ensuing possession, the Mustangs committed a terrible mistake by fouling the Ranger's Negen behind the arc with just :08.1 left. The freshman went to the charity stripe with no fear and calmly dropped all free throw attempts that put Mountain Iron-Buhl up 74-73 and now the burden shifted squarely on the Mustangs to try and dig themselves out of this grave that they had dug for themselves. On Maranatha Christian Academy's ensuing possession, Post was able to get down low for a scoring attempt and was fouled in the process with :03.2 left. Perhaps sheer nerves got the best of Post on her first free throw attempt as it was way off the mark.
Post's second attempt at least drew rim but the miss all but seemed to seal the Mustang's fate. But what the Rangers could not have counted on was Jayzryn Thompson of Maranatha Christian Academy sneaking around the block and snaring an unlikely offensive rebound and getting a putback out of it before a shocked and stunned Williams Arena crowd that put the Mustangs up 75-74 with just under two seconds left. Mountain Iron-Buhl tried desperately to get a shot off in the waning seconds to no avail and Maranatha Christian Academy amazingly stole a 75-74 victory to advance to Saturday's championship finale.
A disappointed and emotionally drained Mountain Iron-Buhl Head Coach Jeff Buffetta said afterward that "it was an emotional game....a lot of energy....they (our team) did everything we could ask of them......in the end it came down to somebody making the last play and unfortunately that had the last second to make the last play." Buffetta did say (confirming some of my suspicions) that at that critical late stage of the second half when they were nursing that small lead that "at times we were protecting instead of attacking." Maranatha Christian Academy's Buerman spoke about some of the adjustments he made at the beginning of the second half when things weren't going the Mustangs way. He admitted that Mountain Iron-Buhl did a good job of penetrating the lane "so we went to a 'five out' offense.....we relied on our post moving out to the perimeter and taking that extra defender away and we got some of the one-on-one matchups we were looking for." Alaina Jarnot admitted that she felt a "little frustrated" with how things were going with her shooting performance in the first half but said that she started feeling a lot better once her shots started falling when they really counted. Not surprisingly, it was Alaina Jarnot's 21 points that led the way for the Mustangs on this afternoon while Post had 17 points and Jacklyn Jarnot chipped in with 13 points and Payne had 12 points. Jayzryn Thompson only contributed three points but the most important two of those came right at the end for the win. For Mountain Iron Buhl, Mason led the way with 17 points while Buffetta had 15 points and Negen had 12 points in the losing effort. One of the stats that stands out to me in this one was that Maranatha Christian Academy had a 40-20 advantage in points in the paint and obviously shot much better from both FG and three-point land in the second half as well.
Things got off on a bit of a scary note for Mountain Iron-Buhl from the get-go when sophomore post Mary Burke suffered what appeared to be a bloody nose at the 17:46 mark that forced her to sit a spell. Although she was able to return a short time later, the Mustangs had already forged a 6-0 lead by the 15:10 mark on the strength of scores in the paint by junior forward Sami Payne and one by freshman reserve forward Sophia Montgomery off of an inbounds pass. The Rangers would gradually chip away at the deficit from the charity stripe and then a "3" from the right corner by junior guard Chelsea Mason at the 13:08 mark put Mountain Iron-Buhl out in front 7-6. Another trey - this one by freshman reserve guard Macy Savela from the left corner at the 11:54 mark gave the Rangers a 10-8 advantage but an offensive rebound and putback by junior forward Sami Payne at the 11:29 mark forged a 10-10 tie. Mountain Iron-Buhl would then go on a 7-2 run to get a 17-12 lead and many of the Mustang faithful in attendance were wondering when the superstar sister duo of senior guard Alaina Jarnot and sophomore forward Jacklyn Jarnot were going to show up to save their team. Jacklyn Jarnot would get two freebies to fall at the 11:02 mark and a "3" by older sister Alaina Jarnot trimmed the Ranger lead down to 20-17 and the Mustangs would eventually close the gap to a scant point at 22-21 with 6:30 left. Maranatha Christian would finally grab a one-point lead of its own with 3:45 left at 25-24 on two free throws by sophomore guard Kylie Post but the usually high-octane Mustang offense seemed to be sputtering and Mountain Iron-Buhl would seize an opportunity to grab a small lead down the stretch. Savela would drain another "3" - this one from the right top area with 1:51 left and another trey by Mason - this one from the top of the key that got a very friendly bounce on the rim - allowed the Rangers to take a 34-30 advantage into the locker room at the half. Although certainly a close game at this point, Maranatha Christian Academy Head Coach Chris Buerman had to be concerned about the hot-shooting Savela-Mason duo that was becoming a thorn in the side to his Mustang team.
Mountain Iron-Buhl put the Mustangs further in the hole as scores in the paint by willowy senior forward Tatum Primeau and Burke had the Rangers up 38-32 by the 16:59 mark and a jumper from the left wing area by Mason at the 16:32 mark made it a 40-32 game before the Mustangs were able to jump-start their stagnant offense. Two Payne free throws at the 15:10 mark along with one Alaina Jarnot free throw at the 14:46 mark trimmed the deficit to three at 42-39 and an offensive rebound and putback by Jacklyn Jarnot that drew a foul and sent the lanky sophomore to the line for the obligatory freebie knotted the score at 42-all. But another Ranger push fueled by 2 Burke free throws and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve guard Allie Negen had Mountain Iron-Buhl up 52-44 with 8:13 left and now the Mustangs needed some major magic before the sands of time ran out on this fun and exciting team. Complicating the situation even more for Maranatha Christian Academy was that both Post and Jacklyn Jarnot had both been whistled for their third foul by this point and both had to be careful the rest of the way. The Mustangs tried desperately to try and turn the tide but when Mason was able to connect on a drive and finish with 4:04 left for a 56-49 Mountain Iron-Buhl advantage, Maranatha Christian Academy definitely appeared doomed.
Somehow, just when things looked the most bleak for Buerman's squad, this never-say-die Mustang team rallied from the brink of extinction. A score in the paint by Post with 3:38 left cut the Ranger lead down to five at 56-51 and then Mountain Iron-Buhl may have made its first major mistake of the game. Instead of attacking with a little over two minutes left, they decided to carefully nurse the five-point advantage by working the clock in a vain attempt to run this one out. Maranatha Christian Academy would have none of it and would get the ball back with plenty of time left. Jacklyn Jarnot slithered into the paint for one score with 1:44 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie and, after a Ranger turnover, Alaina Jarnot knocked down a jumper from the top of the key that sliced Mountain Iron-Buhl's lead down to a scant two points at 58-56 with 1:40 left. A somewhat shaken Mountain Iron-Buhl team tried to bring the ball upcourt but a thieving Mustang team forced a turnover and Post was able to connect on a lay-up with 1:29 left that suddenly and shockingly tied the game at 58 a piece. The Rangers got the ball back and junior guard Mya Buffetta was fouled with 1:27 left and her two free throws put Mountain Iron-Buhl up 60-58. Two more Buffetta freebies with :57.3 left had the Rangers up 62-59. But Maranatha Christian Academy brought the ball upcourt on their next possession and Alaina Jarnot got free behind the arc and calmly drilled an ice water in my veins trey with :54 left that again tied the game at 62 a piece. Both teams were unable to take advantage of last possessions in regulation so off to overtime we went tied at 62.
A short jumper in the paint by Payne with 3:46 left in the extra period pushed the Mustangs back out in front 64-62 for the first time since the first half but that lead didn't last long as Negen buried a "3" from the top of the key with 3:27 left for a 65-64 Mountain Iron-Buhl lead. Free throws by senior reserve forward Cora Peterson and Mason extended the Ranger lead to 67-64 and put the pressure right back on Maranatha Christian Academy - which was then promptly answered by yet another dagger trey from Alaina Jarnot; this one from the left wing area with 1:44 left that tied the issue at 67-all. Buffetta would get sent to the line on Mountain Iron-Buhl's next possession where she sank both free throws for a 69-67 Ranger lead but Alaina Jarnot would come to the rescue again for her team when, with 1:07 left, she made a drive into the lane and got a finish off the glass that tied the score once again at 69-all. One the next Ranger possession, the daring Buffetta would make a move to get into the lane for a score where she drew a foul and her two free throws with 1:01 left had Mountain Iron-Buhl up 71-69. Guess who would come to the rescue for the Mustangs - yet again? That's right. Alaina Jarnot as she drained a "3" from the left wing with :49 left to put Maranatha Christian Academy up 72-71. The Rangers would promptly turn the ball over and give the Mustangs a chance to add a little breathing room to that one-point advantage and sophomore reserve guard Jayzryn Thompson was fouled and she got the back-end of the two shot foul situation to go down for a 73-71 advantage with :36.8 left. Ordinarily, that would have had Maranatha Christian sitting in a pretty decent spot but on Mountain Iron-Buhl's ensuing possession, the Mustangs committed a terrible mistake by fouling the Ranger's Negen behind the arc with just :08.1 left. The freshman went to the charity stripe with no fear and calmly dropped all free throw attempts that put Mountain Iron-Buhl up 74-73 and now the burden shifted squarely on the Mustangs to try and dig themselves out of this grave that they had dug for themselves. On Maranatha Christian Academy's ensuing possession, Post was able to get down low for a scoring attempt and was fouled in the process with :03.2 left. Perhaps sheer nerves got the best of Post on her first free throw attempt as it was way off the mark.
Post's second attempt at least drew rim but the miss all but seemed to seal the Mustang's fate. But what the Rangers could not have counted on was Jayzryn Thompson of Maranatha Christian Academy sneaking around the block and snaring an unlikely offensive rebound and getting a putback out of it before a shocked and stunned Williams Arena crowd that put the Mustangs up 75-74 with just under two seconds left. Mountain Iron-Buhl tried desperately to get a shot off in the waning seconds to no avail and Maranatha Christian Academy amazingly stole a 75-74 victory to advance to Saturday's championship finale.
A disappointed and emotionally drained Mountain Iron-Buhl Head Coach Jeff Buffetta said afterward that "it was an emotional game....a lot of energy....they (our team) did everything we could ask of them......in the end it came down to somebody making the last play and unfortunately that had the last second to make the last play." Buffetta did say (confirming some of my suspicions) that at that critical late stage of the second half when they were nursing that small lead that "at times we were protecting instead of attacking." Maranatha Christian Academy's Buerman spoke about some of the adjustments he made at the beginning of the second half when things weren't going the Mustangs way. He admitted that Mountain Iron-Buhl did a good job of penetrating the lane "so we went to a 'five out' offense.....we relied on our post moving out to the perimeter and taking that extra defender away and we got some of the one-on-one matchups we were looking for." Alaina Jarnot admitted that she felt a "little frustrated" with how things were going with her shooting performance in the first half but said that she started feeling a lot better once her shots started falling when they really counted. Not surprisingly, it was Alaina Jarnot's 21 points that led the way for the Mustangs on this afternoon while Post had 17 points and Jacklyn Jarnot chipped in with 13 points and Payne had 12 points. Jayzryn Thompson only contributed three points but the most important two of those came right at the end for the win. For Mountain Iron Buhl, Mason led the way with 17 points while Buffetta had 15 points and Negen had 12 points in the losing effort. One of the stats that stands out to me in this one was that Maranatha Christian Academy had a 40-20 advantage in points in the paint and obviously shot much better from both FG and three-point land in the second half as well.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class A Semifinal Game Recap - Wheaton/Herman-Norcross vs Goodhue 3-18-16
Semifinal Friday at the 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament had me over at Williams Arena again on a day where the smaller Class A and Class AA schools have a chance to shine. The first semifinal game in Class A featured two teams that I'm not familiar with - fifth-seeded Wheaton/Herman-Norcross going up against number one seed Goodhue. On paper anyway, the Wildcats appeared as a clear favorite but we all know how much things on paper matter the way this 2016 state tournament has been going.
Goodhue employed a 2-3 zone early on in the contest which caused a plethora of problems offensively for the Warriors and the Wildcats were only too happy to cash in on the many turnovers their defense created as a 7-0 run highlighted by a "3" from the right corner by junior guard Mckenzie Ryan gave Goodhue an early cushion. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross appeared to be enroute to make inroads on the deficit shortly thereafter, though as two free throws by sophomore guard Anna Rinke at the 15:10 mark and a Rinke three-point bomb from the left corner at the 13:53 mark had the Warriors back to within a single possession trailing 11-8. The Wildcats, however, then put Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in a huge hole; embarking on a 14-0 blitz that saw sophomore forward Sydney Lodermeier and junior guard Maddy Miller doing most of the damage for Goodhue. Miller sank two free throws at the 13:40 mark and connected with a lay-up at the 13:23 mark that extended the lead to 15-8 and then Lodermeier dropped one free throw at the 12:40 mark and snared an offensive rebound and putback at the 12:08 mark for a ten-point 18-8 Goodhue lead. Lodermeier capped this game-changing run with her jumper in the lane that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie that had the Wildcats up 25-8 and Wheaton/Herman-Norcross was clearly reeling at this point. Complicating the Warriors situation was that Goodhue was already in the bonus by this point making their chore of trying to defend the paint that much more difficult. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross tried desperately to make inroads on the deficit and a short jumper in the lane by senior guard Jordan Stafford with 5:45 left trimmed the Wildcat lead down to 29-18 but then Goodhue went on 9-0 push; highlighted by a Miller lay-up in transition after a steal that made it 38-18 with 4:31 left and Warriors Head Coach Tim Gail had no choice but to call a timeout to try and get his troops reorganized. The Miller/Lodermeier tandem proved to be a headache for Wheaton/Herman-Norcross and no amount of Excedrin was going to change this feeling for Gail and his staff and the duo did most of their damage in the paint down the stretch of the first half. Warrior senior guard Jordan Stafford managed to alleviate a bit of the pain with her two free throws with :11.3 left but with Goodhue up 50-25 in this Stalingrad-esque first half for Wheaton/Herman-Norcross at halftime, the Warriors appeared buried.
The Goodhue steamroller was fueled up and ready to roll at the beginning of the second half as a Lodermeier drive into the lane and finish in transition and a "3" from the right top area by senior forward Taylor Larson had the Wildcats up 57-27 and the rout was officially on. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross certainly wasn't giving up the fight and a "3" from the top of the key by junior forward Hannah Gail at the 15:07 mark indicated that but the Warriors were simply outmatched on this day and they never could sustain any meaningful run that could have made things interesting. The MSHSL "Running Time" rule was becoming a very real possibility with Goodhue safely up 65-32 by the 11:15 mark and a jumper from the right side by sophomore reserve guard Emily Benrud at the 10:10 mark and a score in the paint by junior reserve guard Haley Lexvold at the 9:10 mark insured that possibility with the Warriors now up 69-32. Both Gail and Goodhue Head Coach Josh Wieme were able to unload their benches late in the contest which gave the reserves on both teams a chance to shine. Senior reserve forward Kailey Diercks nailed a "3" from the left corner for Goodhue with 3:28 left and junior reserve guard Megan Ryan connected with a lay-up with 1:21 left as the Warriors sailed into Saturday's Class A Championship Game with a 74-35 romp.
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross' Gail couldn't say too much beyond the obvious afterward. I asked him about the 14-0 run that Goodhue had early in the second half that changed the complexion of this for good; referring to it as an "avalanche." "It was an avalanche all right" he replied. "An avalance of turnovers"; referring to the 31 turnovers his team suffered in the ballgame - 21 of them in the first half. Even Stafford admitted that "it was scary out there". I asked Goodhue's Wieme afterward if he was in agreement that his squad was efficient on both ends of the floor today. Wieme: "I don't know if I've thought of that word (efficient) but I think that a lot of times we've talked about we're going to wear teams down but I would agree that these last couple of days we've been very efficient; especially shot selection." I also asked Miller if she tries to pattern her game from her older sister Mikayla who is a standout point guard at GAC. Miller: ".......Growing up with her and watching her, I was like, 'Oooh, that's a good move!'....And she's helped me with moves and stuff so a lot of credit to her I guess!" It looks like little sister is a good learner as she led all scorers in this game with her 24 points while Lodermeier chipped in with 18 points. Stafford was the only Wheaton/Herman-Norcross player in double figures on this day with her 12 points.
Goodhue employed a 2-3 zone early on in the contest which caused a plethora of problems offensively for the Warriors and the Wildcats were only too happy to cash in on the many turnovers their defense created as a 7-0 run highlighted by a "3" from the right corner by junior guard Mckenzie Ryan gave Goodhue an early cushion. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross appeared to be enroute to make inroads on the deficit shortly thereafter, though as two free throws by sophomore guard Anna Rinke at the 15:10 mark and a Rinke three-point bomb from the left corner at the 13:53 mark had the Warriors back to within a single possession trailing 11-8. The Wildcats, however, then put Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in a huge hole; embarking on a 14-0 blitz that saw sophomore forward Sydney Lodermeier and junior guard Maddy Miller doing most of the damage for Goodhue. Miller sank two free throws at the 13:40 mark and connected with a lay-up at the 13:23 mark that extended the lead to 15-8 and then Lodermeier dropped one free throw at the 12:40 mark and snared an offensive rebound and putback at the 12:08 mark for a ten-point 18-8 Goodhue lead. Lodermeier capped this game-changing run with her jumper in the lane that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie that had the Wildcats up 25-8 and Wheaton/Herman-Norcross was clearly reeling at this point. Complicating the Warriors situation was that Goodhue was already in the bonus by this point making their chore of trying to defend the paint that much more difficult. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross tried desperately to make inroads on the deficit and a short jumper in the lane by senior guard Jordan Stafford with 5:45 left trimmed the Wildcat lead down to 29-18 but then Goodhue went on 9-0 push; highlighted by a Miller lay-up in transition after a steal that made it 38-18 with 4:31 left and Warriors Head Coach Tim Gail had no choice but to call a timeout to try and get his troops reorganized. The Miller/Lodermeier tandem proved to be a headache for Wheaton/Herman-Norcross and no amount of Excedrin was going to change this feeling for Gail and his staff and the duo did most of their damage in the paint down the stretch of the first half. Warrior senior guard Jordan Stafford managed to alleviate a bit of the pain with her two free throws with :11.3 left but with Goodhue up 50-25 in this Stalingrad-esque first half for Wheaton/Herman-Norcross at halftime, the Warriors appeared buried.
The Goodhue steamroller was fueled up and ready to roll at the beginning of the second half as a Lodermeier drive into the lane and finish in transition and a "3" from the right top area by senior forward Taylor Larson had the Wildcats up 57-27 and the rout was officially on. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross certainly wasn't giving up the fight and a "3" from the top of the key by junior forward Hannah Gail at the 15:07 mark indicated that but the Warriors were simply outmatched on this day and they never could sustain any meaningful run that could have made things interesting. The MSHSL "Running Time" rule was becoming a very real possibility with Goodhue safely up 65-32 by the 11:15 mark and a jumper from the right side by sophomore reserve guard Emily Benrud at the 10:10 mark and a score in the paint by junior reserve guard Haley Lexvold at the 9:10 mark insured that possibility with the Warriors now up 69-32. Both Gail and Goodhue Head Coach Josh Wieme were able to unload their benches late in the contest which gave the reserves on both teams a chance to shine. Senior reserve forward Kailey Diercks nailed a "3" from the left corner for Goodhue with 3:28 left and junior reserve guard Megan Ryan connected with a lay-up with 1:21 left as the Warriors sailed into Saturday's Class A Championship Game with a 74-35 romp.
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross' Gail couldn't say too much beyond the obvious afterward. I asked him about the 14-0 run that Goodhue had early in the second half that changed the complexion of this for good; referring to it as an "avalanche." "It was an avalanche all right" he replied. "An avalance of turnovers"; referring to the 31 turnovers his team suffered in the ballgame - 21 of them in the first half. Even Stafford admitted that "it was scary out there". I asked Goodhue's Wieme afterward if he was in agreement that his squad was efficient on both ends of the floor today. Wieme: "I don't know if I've thought of that word (efficient) but I think that a lot of times we've talked about we're going to wear teams down but I would agree that these last couple of days we've been very efficient; especially shot selection." I also asked Miller if she tries to pattern her game from her older sister Mikayla who is a standout point guard at GAC. Miller: ".......Growing up with her and watching her, I was like, 'Oooh, that's a good move!'....And she's helped me with moves and stuff so a lot of credit to her I guess!" It looks like little sister is a good learner as she led all scorers in this game with her 24 points while Lodermeier chipped in with 18 points. Stafford was the only Wheaton/Herman-Norcross player in double figures on this day with her 12 points.
Friday, March 18, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Semifinal Game Recap - White Bear Lake vs Minnetonka 3-17-16
The nightcap at Williams Arena on this Thursday night was the second Class AAAA semifinal game pitting upstart White Bear Lake which upset second-seeded STMA on Tuesday and third-seeded Minnetonka. The Skippers would be favored in this battle but after the Bears took out STMA, nothing could be counted on as a sure deal.
A "3" from the right wing by senior guard Grace Allen helped the Skippers draw first blood in this contest but White Bear Lake would come right back and grab a 4-3 lead by the 16:53 mark and the Bears would extend the lead to three points at 9-6 when senior forward Taite Anderson stole the ball from the usually reliable Skipper back court like a thief in the night and dashed the other way and was fouled in the process and sank the ensuing free throw. It was here the Minnetonka made its first decisive move of the evening; embarking on an 8-0 run on the strength of two scores by senior post Lizzie Odegard and another trey by Allen to take a 14-9 lead by the 9:34 mark. Right back came the Bears who proceeded to go on a 7-2 push to forge a 16-16 tie but the Skippers answered that with a 7-0 run of their own; capped by a jumper from lefty senior forward Courtney Fredrickson who has a deft touch from short/medium-distance range with 5:13 left for a 23-16 Minnetonka lead. White Bear Lake managed to trim the gap to six points at 26-20 when senior guard Alison Hinck was able to get one free throw to go down but the Bears were having considerable trouble trying to work the ball inside on that murderous Skipper front line and instead settled for ill-advised three-point shots which all missed their mark. Minnetonka smelled blood at this point and proceeded to go on an 8-0 blitz; fueled by a drive into the lane and finish off the glass by senior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 4:10 left and a Hedstrom "3" from the left wing with 2:27 that got the lead out to 34-20 and White Bear Lake Head Coach Jeremy Post had no recourse at this point but to call a timeout and assess his squad's strategy. Another Allen "3" from the right wing with :58 left put the Bears in more doo-doo with a 37-20 Minnetonka lead and an Allen lay-up in transition that drew a foul and allowed her to go to the charity stripe for the free throw ballooned the lead to 40-21. A short shot by senior reserve forward Makala Keefe with :11 left helped ease some of the pain for White Bear Lake but going into the locker room trailing 40-23, the Bears had their work cut out for them to say the least.
The Bears hoped to make an early dent into the Minnetonka cushion to get some momentum going their way again but a "3" from the right wing by graceful sophomore guard Chrissy Carr made it a 45-25 ballgame and another timeout by White Bear Lake's Post was in the offing. Another "3" by Carr - this one from the left top area at the 14:03 mark bulged the lead to 51-29 which resulted in a thirty-second timeout by the exasperated Post. But there was simply no stopping a determined Skipper team on this night. A score in the paint by lanky sophomore reserve forward Kayla Mershon at the 11:46 mark and two free throws by fellow sophomore reserve guard Megan Walker at the 10:58 mark along with a score in the paint by Carr at the 10:22 mark made it a 58-32 game and Minnetonka was able to put it in cruise control the rest of the way. Senior reserve guard Laura Hamilton connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 6:56 left for a 64-39 Skipper advantage and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Fredrickson with 5:28 left made it 68-42. Both Post and Minnetonka Head Coach Leah Dasovich pulled their starters out with 3:32 left and the Skippers secured a spot in the Class AAAA title game on Saturday night with a convincing 75-50 victory.
A disappointed Post afterward talked about some of the things that went wrong for his squad in the crucial moments late in the first half when things started to snowball for his team. "We had our shooters taking the right spots and we were getting the ball inside......I thought we were getting decent looks....."We felt we were right there......We knew what we could do...You've gotta maximize your opportunities." On the Minnetonka side, I asked Head Coach Leah Dasovich about the crucial 8-0 run that increased a 26-20 lead to 34-20. "I knew that run would come eventually....We talked about establishing our game in the paint first." Ironically, it would be a bevy of three-point bombs that helped fuel not only that run but right before the half as well. About the championship game with Hopkins on Saturday night: "I like our matchups with Hopkins......I think we can go player to player with them.....They have a variety of defenses and we have to be ready to recognize what we see and we can't have empty possessions." The Skippers had a reasonably balanced scoring attack on this night. Allen led the way with her 15 points while both Carr and and Odegard contributed 14 points. For White Bear Lake, Anderson led the way with her 12 points in the losing effort.
A "3" from the right wing by senior guard Grace Allen helped the Skippers draw first blood in this contest but White Bear Lake would come right back and grab a 4-3 lead by the 16:53 mark and the Bears would extend the lead to three points at 9-6 when senior forward Taite Anderson stole the ball from the usually reliable Skipper back court like a thief in the night and dashed the other way and was fouled in the process and sank the ensuing free throw. It was here the Minnetonka made its first decisive move of the evening; embarking on an 8-0 run on the strength of two scores by senior post Lizzie Odegard and another trey by Allen to take a 14-9 lead by the 9:34 mark. Right back came the Bears who proceeded to go on a 7-2 push to forge a 16-16 tie but the Skippers answered that with a 7-0 run of their own; capped by a jumper from lefty senior forward Courtney Fredrickson who has a deft touch from short/medium-distance range with 5:13 left for a 23-16 Minnetonka lead. White Bear Lake managed to trim the gap to six points at 26-20 when senior guard Alison Hinck was able to get one free throw to go down but the Bears were having considerable trouble trying to work the ball inside on that murderous Skipper front line and instead settled for ill-advised three-point shots which all missed their mark. Minnetonka smelled blood at this point and proceeded to go on an 8-0 blitz; fueled by a drive into the lane and finish off the glass by senior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 4:10 left and a Hedstrom "3" from the left wing with 2:27 that got the lead out to 34-20 and White Bear Lake Head Coach Jeremy Post had no recourse at this point but to call a timeout and assess his squad's strategy. Another Allen "3" from the right wing with :58 left put the Bears in more doo-doo with a 37-20 Minnetonka lead and an Allen lay-up in transition that drew a foul and allowed her to go to the charity stripe for the free throw ballooned the lead to 40-21. A short shot by senior reserve forward Makala Keefe with :11 left helped ease some of the pain for White Bear Lake but going into the locker room trailing 40-23, the Bears had their work cut out for them to say the least.
The Bears hoped to make an early dent into the Minnetonka cushion to get some momentum going their way again but a "3" from the right wing by graceful sophomore guard Chrissy Carr made it a 45-25 ballgame and another timeout by White Bear Lake's Post was in the offing. Another "3" by Carr - this one from the left top area at the 14:03 mark bulged the lead to 51-29 which resulted in a thirty-second timeout by the exasperated Post. But there was simply no stopping a determined Skipper team on this night. A score in the paint by lanky sophomore reserve forward Kayla Mershon at the 11:46 mark and two free throws by fellow sophomore reserve guard Megan Walker at the 10:58 mark along with a score in the paint by Carr at the 10:22 mark made it a 58-32 game and Minnetonka was able to put it in cruise control the rest of the way. Senior reserve guard Laura Hamilton connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 6:56 left for a 64-39 Skipper advantage and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Fredrickson with 5:28 left made it 68-42. Both Post and Minnetonka Head Coach Leah Dasovich pulled their starters out with 3:32 left and the Skippers secured a spot in the Class AAAA title game on Saturday night with a convincing 75-50 victory.
A disappointed Post afterward talked about some of the things that went wrong for his squad in the crucial moments late in the first half when things started to snowball for his team. "We had our shooters taking the right spots and we were getting the ball inside......I thought we were getting decent looks....."We felt we were right there......We knew what we could do...You've gotta maximize your opportunities." On the Minnetonka side, I asked Head Coach Leah Dasovich about the crucial 8-0 run that increased a 26-20 lead to 34-20. "I knew that run would come eventually....We talked about establishing our game in the paint first." Ironically, it would be a bevy of three-point bombs that helped fuel not only that run but right before the half as well. About the championship game with Hopkins on Saturday night: "I like our matchups with Hopkins......I think we can go player to player with them.....They have a variety of defenses and we have to be ready to recognize what we see and we can't have empty possessions." The Skippers had a reasonably balanced scoring attack on this night. Allen led the way with her 15 points while both Carr and and Odegard contributed 14 points. For White Bear Lake, Anderson led the way with her 12 points in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Semifinal Game Recap - Eastview vs Hopkins 3-17-16
The first of two Class AAAA semifinal games on tap on this Thursday evening from Target Center featured a rematch of the 2015 Class AAAA title game - Eastview against number-one seeded Hopkins. The Royals; which got past a scrappy Park Center team on Tuesday morning, were taking on a somewhat unheralded Lightning squad that was without the graduated greats of Madison Guebert and Hana Metoxen. Still, it would be a mistake to take an underdog Eastview team lightly as the Lightning always fight from start to finish.
Two lay-ups in transition by senior guard Ashley Bates helped the Royals forge a 6-4 lead by the 13:08 mark as Hopkins loves to take advantage of any and all transition opportunities. Eastview would manage to grab a 7-6 lead on a "3" from the right wing by junior guard Allie Pickrain at the 12:38 mark and the Lightning showed no signs of nervousness or intimidation in the early going. Hopkins would grab a 13-10 advantage on a jumper from the left elbow area by senior forward Nia Hollie and on a score in the paint by senior reserve forward Dominique McNeely at the 9:20 mark but the Lightning would come right back and forge a 15-15 deadlock with 8:37 left after senior guard Emma Sinn connected with a pretty turnaround jumper. One three-point bomb from the top of the key with 7:47 left by lanky junior guard Rachel Ranke and a lay-up in transition by equally lanky sophomore post Megan Walstad that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie had Eastview up 21-20. A Ranke lay-up with 5:57 left and a "3" from the left wing area by Pickrain gave the Lightning a three-point edge at 28-25 and there were those in attendance at Target Center that wondered if a major upset was brewing. But Hopkins hunkered down and went on a 15-2 run down the stretch of the first half. Two treys by sophomore reserve guard Raena Suggs and two late scores by Hollie highlighted the burst and the Royals took a 39-30 lead into the locker room at the half. Eastview was still in this thing, of course, but the late run had to shake the confidence the Lightning had early on in the first half.
Eastview somehow needed to slow the drive of the Royals to get this one back into single-digit range to give them a chance at coming back. But two quick scores by Bates along with two free throws by senior guard K'Aezha Wubben put Hopkins in command up 48-32 and a lay-up by sophomore forward Angelina Hammond at the 14:35 mark and a score inside by Bates at the 13:53 mark got the margin to fifteen at 52-37. A short jumper off the glass by Hollie at the 12:53 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by Bates made it 56-39 Royals and there was no looking back now. To their credit, Eastview never gave up. In fact, the Lightning embarked on a 7-0 push midway through the second half thanks to a Ranke "3" and Ranke free throws that put a dent in the Hopkins cushion making it a 64-51 game with 7:54 left. But an offensive rebound and putback by junior guard DeAnna Winston with 7:11 left and a lay-up in transition by Hollie with 6:51 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw made it a 69-51 ballgame that effectively ended and comeback hopes Eastview may have had. Insurance free throws by Bates and Hollie along with a Hollie lay-up with 3:56 left helped the Royals roll into yet another state championship game with an 85-67 victory.
I asked Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper about the 15-2 run towards the end of the first half that was the game-changer in this contest. "Hopkins always seems to score in bunches.....We gave up offensive rebounds and transition points....and we lost control of the game....Against a team like Hopkins, you can't take any time off....You can't take one possession off." I also had a chance to ask both Pickrain and Ranke about assuming the leadership roles on the team now that both Madison Guebert and Hana Metoxen have moved on to their college basketball careers. Pickrain: "We both knew that we had to start stepping it up....and fill those roles." Ranke: "I talked to Maddie (Guebert) after the championship game last year and she told me 'You gotta take over this leadership role.' " Both have, IMHO, stepped into these roles and have embraced the leadership mantle and Eastview Girl's Basketball is in very good hands with this group. On the Hopkins side, Head Coach Brian Cosgriff is just simply excited to be in this position again. "I was a little worried going into this game......I really wanted to play a little bit faster than we did." Cosgriff talked about what it's like being able to play in "The Barn" and he recalled his memories of watching the Gophers men's teams from the 70's with great players like Mychal Thompson, Flip Saunders and later Kevin McHale. "Our goal from Day 1 has always been March 19 at 8:00 P.M......."We're there right now....and we feel pretty fortunate." I also had a chance to ask Bates about what it's been like to be able to transition from something of a role player to now being one of the leaders on this team - both on and off the court. She talked about the great players who graduated after last year; DeeDee Winston and Viria Livingston. "I knew I had to step up.....and try to be like them." Not surprisingly it was Hollie leading the way for Hopkins on this night with her 28 points and five boards while Bates had 23 points in a solid effort. For Eastview, Ranke's 24 points and nine boards led the way while Walstad had 21 points.
Two lay-ups in transition by senior guard Ashley Bates helped the Royals forge a 6-4 lead by the 13:08 mark as Hopkins loves to take advantage of any and all transition opportunities. Eastview would manage to grab a 7-6 lead on a "3" from the right wing by junior guard Allie Pickrain at the 12:38 mark and the Lightning showed no signs of nervousness or intimidation in the early going. Hopkins would grab a 13-10 advantage on a jumper from the left elbow area by senior forward Nia Hollie and on a score in the paint by senior reserve forward Dominique McNeely at the 9:20 mark but the Lightning would come right back and forge a 15-15 deadlock with 8:37 left after senior guard Emma Sinn connected with a pretty turnaround jumper. One three-point bomb from the top of the key with 7:47 left by lanky junior guard Rachel Ranke and a lay-up in transition by equally lanky sophomore post Megan Walstad that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie had Eastview up 21-20. A Ranke lay-up with 5:57 left and a "3" from the left wing area by Pickrain gave the Lightning a three-point edge at 28-25 and there were those in attendance at Target Center that wondered if a major upset was brewing. But Hopkins hunkered down and went on a 15-2 run down the stretch of the first half. Two treys by sophomore reserve guard Raena Suggs and two late scores by Hollie highlighted the burst and the Royals took a 39-30 lead into the locker room at the half. Eastview was still in this thing, of course, but the late run had to shake the confidence the Lightning had early on in the first half.
Eastview somehow needed to slow the drive of the Royals to get this one back into single-digit range to give them a chance at coming back. But two quick scores by Bates along with two free throws by senior guard K'Aezha Wubben put Hopkins in command up 48-32 and a lay-up by sophomore forward Angelina Hammond at the 14:35 mark and a score inside by Bates at the 13:53 mark got the margin to fifteen at 52-37. A short jumper off the glass by Hollie at the 12:53 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by Bates made it 56-39 Royals and there was no looking back now. To their credit, Eastview never gave up. In fact, the Lightning embarked on a 7-0 push midway through the second half thanks to a Ranke "3" and Ranke free throws that put a dent in the Hopkins cushion making it a 64-51 game with 7:54 left. But an offensive rebound and putback by junior guard DeAnna Winston with 7:11 left and a lay-up in transition by Hollie with 6:51 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw made it a 69-51 ballgame that effectively ended and comeback hopes Eastview may have had. Insurance free throws by Bates and Hollie along with a Hollie lay-up with 3:56 left helped the Royals roll into yet another state championship game with an 85-67 victory.
I asked Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper about the 15-2 run towards the end of the first half that was the game-changer in this contest. "Hopkins always seems to score in bunches.....We gave up offensive rebounds and transition points....and we lost control of the game....Against a team like Hopkins, you can't take any time off....You can't take one possession off." I also had a chance to ask both Pickrain and Ranke about assuming the leadership roles on the team now that both Madison Guebert and Hana Metoxen have moved on to their college basketball careers. Pickrain: "We both knew that we had to start stepping it up....and fill those roles." Ranke: "I talked to Maddie (Guebert) after the championship game last year and she told me 'You gotta take over this leadership role.' " Both have, IMHO, stepped into these roles and have embraced the leadership mantle and Eastview Girl's Basketball is in very good hands with this group. On the Hopkins side, Head Coach Brian Cosgriff is just simply excited to be in this position again. "I was a little worried going into this game......I really wanted to play a little bit faster than we did." Cosgriff talked about what it's like being able to play in "The Barn" and he recalled his memories of watching the Gophers men's teams from the 70's with great players like Mychal Thompson, Flip Saunders and later Kevin McHale. "Our goal from Day 1 has always been March 19 at 8:00 P.M......."We're there right now....and we feel pretty fortunate." I also had a chance to ask Bates about what it's been like to be able to transition from something of a role player to now being one of the leaders on this team - both on and off the court. She talked about the great players who graduated after last year; DeeDee Winston and Viria Livingston. "I knew I had to step up.....and try to be like them." Not surprisingly it was Hollie leading the way for Hopkins on this night with her 28 points and five boards while Bates had 23 points in a solid effort. For Eastview, Ranke's 24 points and nine boards led the way while Walstad had 21 points.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Semifinal Game Recap - Becker vs Winona 3-17-16
The second Class AAA semifinal game pitted teams from two towns on rival railroads important mainlines - Becker; located just northwest of the Twin Cities on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline and Winona; down the River on U.S. Highway 61 and the Canadian Pacific Railway's River Sub mainline. Both teams had a healthy showing of students, fans and parents in attendance and although Winhawks would be a favorite in this game as the second-seeded team, you couldn't completely count out the Bulldogs who shocked third-seeded St. Paul Como Park a day ago over at Mariucci Arena.
This game started off as something as a cat and mouse contest with both teams feeling each other out and trying to match each minor blow delivered. A "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Eden Nibbelink at the 14:10 mark had Winona out 5-2 but that was answered by a 3" by Bulldog senior guard Amanda Lindsay from the right wing area at the 12:11 mark that gave Becker a slight edge at 7-5. Becker would get a 12-9 lead on a lay-up in transition by Lindsay at the 10:48 mark but the Winhawks would forge a 12-12 deadlock with 8:15 left on the strength of a lay-up by senior forward Hallee Hoeppner and one free throw by junior reserve guard Maria Appicelli. Winona would build a 17-12 lead on the strength of another Nibbelink trey; this one from the left wing area at the 6:13 mark but by this time, Becker Head Coach Paul Lindsay had already unleashed his secret weapon - 8th grade reserve guard Mackenzie Kramer who made quite a splash yesterday over at Mariucci Arena. One Kramer trey with 5:54 left and another one with 4:31 left helped the Bulldogs cut Winona's lead down to a scant two points at 20-18 and although the Winhawks were able to get the lead to 22-18 going into the locker room at the half, Winona Head Coach Tim Gleason had to know that his squad could be in a tough battle the rest of the way.
Maybe it was just a sense of urgency or perhaps the Winhawks got a good chewing out in the locker room at the half from Gleason. Whatever the reason, Winona came out with renewed energy at the beginning of the second half and a 5-0 surge; fueled by a "3" from the left top area by Hoeppner put the Winhawks up 27-18 at the 15:51 mark and Becker looked to be in a tough spot in the early stages of this second half but a resourceful Bulldog squad battled their way right back into the thick of things. One "3" from the right wing by senior guard Alexa Hanowski at the 13:39 mark and a "3" from the right wing in transition by Lindsay at the 12:21 mark cut Winona's lead down to 27-24 and the Becker student section was roaring. Two scores by the Winhawks Nibbelink had Winona back up 32-28 with 5:44 left but those pesky Bulldogs were not going anywhere just yet. A turnaround jumper by senior post Alex Johnson with 4:46 left and a three-point bomb from the left wing by fellow senior guard Alexa Hanowski with 3:28 left suddenly had Becker back out in front 33-32. Now it was time for the Winhawks to respond. An offensive rebound and putback by junior post Danneka Voegelli with 3:04 left and two Voegelli free throws with 1:58 left had Winona back up 36-33. Still plenty of time for the Bulldogs to respond but when they needed one big shot to either get to within one or a "3" to tie the game, they just couldn't get the ball to drop. Kramer missed a jumper with :57 left and the rebound went to Winona junior reserve guard Justine Schultz and she was promptly fouled and she was able to get the front end of the two-shot foul opportunity to go down for a 37-33 lead. Now down by more than one possession, Becker needed a "3" or two quick jumpers. Johnson missed one jumper with :28 left and a three-point attempt by Kramer with :18 left refused to go through the cylinder as well. Senior guard Abbigail Morrell let loose with a vain three-point attempt with :02 left that missed its target and Winona hung on to claim a tough 37-33 victory.
Becker Head Coach Paul Lindsay admitted afterward that Winona's 2-3 "match-up" zone not only made it tough on his players to get into the lane for possible scoring opportunities but also caused a lot of problems for his guards out on the perimeter because of their length. Indeed, Amanda Lindsay admitted that Winona's tough defense caused a multitude of problems for her and her teammates. "They were up in my shorts the whole game." I had to ask the eighth-grader, Kramer, how she handled this situation today playing at Williams Arena after the big win yesterday over at Mariucci Arena. "My teammates have done a really good job supporting me and.....they really help me." For Winona, I asked Gleason if the 2-3 zone that he employed in this contest was designed specifically for this game with Becker. "It's sort of what we've been doing for the last month of the season.....We've been trying to cover up shooters for the last month." Gleason also went on to say that, playing in the Big Nine Conference, they normally go up against a lot of very good post players in southern Minnesota and this definitely prepared them in this contest today. "We just tried to employ our principles and tried to stay true to who we are." I also asked Gleason about if a low-scoring game such as this; a defensive-minded battle, is good for this squad going into the championship game on Saturday. Gleason: (laughing) We like to play fast....we really like to get up and down and go!.......We'll play whatever style we need to." Nibbelink led the Winhawks on this day with her 11 points while Hoeppner added nine points to highlight the scoring. For Becker, both Hanowski and Johnson added eight points a piece while Lindsay and Kramer each had six points in the losing effort.
This game started off as something as a cat and mouse contest with both teams feeling each other out and trying to match each minor blow delivered. A "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Eden Nibbelink at the 14:10 mark had Winona out 5-2 but that was answered by a 3" by Bulldog senior guard Amanda Lindsay from the right wing area at the 12:11 mark that gave Becker a slight edge at 7-5. Becker would get a 12-9 lead on a lay-up in transition by Lindsay at the 10:48 mark but the Winhawks would forge a 12-12 deadlock with 8:15 left on the strength of a lay-up by senior forward Hallee Hoeppner and one free throw by junior reserve guard Maria Appicelli. Winona would build a 17-12 lead on the strength of another Nibbelink trey; this one from the left wing area at the 6:13 mark but by this time, Becker Head Coach Paul Lindsay had already unleashed his secret weapon - 8th grade reserve guard Mackenzie Kramer who made quite a splash yesterday over at Mariucci Arena. One Kramer trey with 5:54 left and another one with 4:31 left helped the Bulldogs cut Winona's lead down to a scant two points at 20-18 and although the Winhawks were able to get the lead to 22-18 going into the locker room at the half, Winona Head Coach Tim Gleason had to know that his squad could be in a tough battle the rest of the way.
Maybe it was just a sense of urgency or perhaps the Winhawks got a good chewing out in the locker room at the half from Gleason. Whatever the reason, Winona came out with renewed energy at the beginning of the second half and a 5-0 surge; fueled by a "3" from the left top area by Hoeppner put the Winhawks up 27-18 at the 15:51 mark and Becker looked to be in a tough spot in the early stages of this second half but a resourceful Bulldog squad battled their way right back into the thick of things. One "3" from the right wing by senior guard Alexa Hanowski at the 13:39 mark and a "3" from the right wing in transition by Lindsay at the 12:21 mark cut Winona's lead down to 27-24 and the Becker student section was roaring. Two scores by the Winhawks Nibbelink had Winona back up 32-28 with 5:44 left but those pesky Bulldogs were not going anywhere just yet. A turnaround jumper by senior post Alex Johnson with 4:46 left and a three-point bomb from the left wing by fellow senior guard Alexa Hanowski with 3:28 left suddenly had Becker back out in front 33-32. Now it was time for the Winhawks to respond. An offensive rebound and putback by junior post Danneka Voegelli with 3:04 left and two Voegelli free throws with 1:58 left had Winona back up 36-33. Still plenty of time for the Bulldogs to respond but when they needed one big shot to either get to within one or a "3" to tie the game, they just couldn't get the ball to drop. Kramer missed a jumper with :57 left and the rebound went to Winona junior reserve guard Justine Schultz and she was promptly fouled and she was able to get the front end of the two-shot foul opportunity to go down for a 37-33 lead. Now down by more than one possession, Becker needed a "3" or two quick jumpers. Johnson missed one jumper with :28 left and a three-point attempt by Kramer with :18 left refused to go through the cylinder as well. Senior guard Abbigail Morrell let loose with a vain three-point attempt with :02 left that missed its target and Winona hung on to claim a tough 37-33 victory.
Becker Head Coach Paul Lindsay admitted afterward that Winona's 2-3 "match-up" zone not only made it tough on his players to get into the lane for possible scoring opportunities but also caused a lot of problems for his guards out on the perimeter because of their length. Indeed, Amanda Lindsay admitted that Winona's tough defense caused a multitude of problems for her and her teammates. "They were up in my shorts the whole game." I had to ask the eighth-grader, Kramer, how she handled this situation today playing at Williams Arena after the big win yesterday over at Mariucci Arena. "My teammates have done a really good job supporting me and.....they really help me." For Winona, I asked Gleason if the 2-3 zone that he employed in this contest was designed specifically for this game with Becker. "It's sort of what we've been doing for the last month of the season.....We've been trying to cover up shooters for the last month." Gleason also went on to say that, playing in the Big Nine Conference, they normally go up against a lot of very good post players in southern Minnesota and this definitely prepared them in this contest today. "We just tried to employ our principles and tried to stay true to who we are." I also asked Gleason about if a low-scoring game such as this; a defensive-minded battle, is good for this squad going into the championship game on Saturday. Gleason: (laughing) We like to play fast....we really like to get up and down and go!.......We'll play whatever style we need to." Nibbelink led the Winhawks on this day with her 11 points while Hoeppner added nine points to highlight the scoring. For Becker, both Hanowski and Johnson added eight points a piece while Lindsay and Kramer each had six points in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Semifinal Game Recap - TR Falls vs Holy Angels 3-17-16
Made my way over to Williams Arena on this Thursday morning on this Day 3 of the 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament where today the two Class AAA semifinals take place. The first game pitted unseeded and upstart TR Falls going up against fifth seeded Holy Angels which pulled off a mild upset in beating fourth-seeded Marshall Tuesday night.
It would be the Prowlers who would get off to a very good start in this contest; going on a 10-0 run as a "3" from sophomore guard Kylea Praska from the left wing at the 13:33 mark and a lay-up in transition by backcourt mate senior guard Kelsey Krainz at the 12:14 mark fueled the spurt. TR Falls employed a "box and one" defense that caused a multitude of problems early on for the Stars and Holy Angels Head Coach Dan Woods felt compelled to call a thirty-second timeout to stop the bleeding. That stoppage in play worked as the Stars returned the favor and went on a 12-2 run fueled primarily by the three-point shooting ability of junior guard Megan Thompson whose treys at the 11:15 and 10:53 mark forged a 12-all deadlock at the 10:20 mark. A "3" from the right wing at the 10:02 mark from freshman reserve guard Katherine Cullen prompted a 15-9 Holy Angels surge as the Stars seemed to finally be able to figure out that Prowler "box and one" defense for a 27-21 advantage. Senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich; who had such a fabulous outing in the quarterfinal game on Tuesday night, knocked down a long jumper from the left corner at the 2:19 mark and a score in the paint by strong freshman Destinee Oberg with :38 left allowed Holy Angels to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room at the half and the energy that TR Falls had early on in this contest seemed to be sucked out of them by the Stars burst.
Needing another positive start to the second half, the Prowlers looked like they might have got that when Praska snuck inside for a score at the 16:45 mark but one trey by Bagwell-Katalinich from the right corner at the 15:49 mark and another three-point bomb by Thompson at the 15:09 mark pushed Holy Angels up even further at 39-25 and TR Falls looked to be in a heap of trouble. To the Prowlers credit, however, they hunkered down and proceeded to go on a 6-0 run that trimmed the Star lead down to single digits at 39-31 before Holy Angels woke up from their mid-day slumber and found some solid footing again. Bagwell-Katalinich connected on a jumper in transition from the free throw line at the 10:07 mark and a short jumper by Oberg at the 9:14 made it a 43-31 ballgame and TR Falls found itself back at Square One again. Down the stretch, the Stars did everything they could to put the Prowlers clearly behind the 8-ball. A Thompson lay-up in transition after a steal with 7:45 left and two Oberg freebies with 6:55 left got the lead out to 47-34. TR Falls still had opportunities to try and draw closer but the Prowlers went ice cold from the perimeter and never could make any meaningful dents in the deficit. Sophomore guard Megan Meyer connected with a lay-up in transition with 5:15 left and one Meyer free throw with 3:26 left got the lead out to 50-34 and Holy Angels cruised into the Class AAA title game on Saturday night with a comfortable 55-42 victory.
I asked TR Falls Head Coach Jeff Loe afterward about how, despite the early 10-0 run and despite how the "box and one" defense seemed to cause a lot of problems early on, Holy Angels was able to make the necessary adjustments and make a run themselves and eventually take control of the game. Loe admitted that the Stars adjusted very well and that he tried tweaking his strategy as well; trying a "triangle and two" on defense but they could never seem to get the necessary stops when they needed them. On the flip side, Holy Angels' Bagwell-Katalinich said "just staying calm"was the key to absorbing that early TR Falls run and once they were able to get on a bit of a run themselves, their confidence grew from there. Meyer led Holy Angels on this day with her 21 points while Thompson followed up with 14 points and Bagwell-Katalinich had nine points. For TR Falls, a balanced scoring attack in the losing effort; Praska led the way with 14 points and the Twin Towers combo of senior post Jenna Tadych and Tiahna Nicholson had ten points a piece.
It would be the Prowlers who would get off to a very good start in this contest; going on a 10-0 run as a "3" from sophomore guard Kylea Praska from the left wing at the 13:33 mark and a lay-up in transition by backcourt mate senior guard Kelsey Krainz at the 12:14 mark fueled the spurt. TR Falls employed a "box and one" defense that caused a multitude of problems early on for the Stars and Holy Angels Head Coach Dan Woods felt compelled to call a thirty-second timeout to stop the bleeding. That stoppage in play worked as the Stars returned the favor and went on a 12-2 run fueled primarily by the three-point shooting ability of junior guard Megan Thompson whose treys at the 11:15 and 10:53 mark forged a 12-all deadlock at the 10:20 mark. A "3" from the right wing at the 10:02 mark from freshman reserve guard Katherine Cullen prompted a 15-9 Holy Angels surge as the Stars seemed to finally be able to figure out that Prowler "box and one" defense for a 27-21 advantage. Senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich; who had such a fabulous outing in the quarterfinal game on Tuesday night, knocked down a long jumper from the left corner at the 2:19 mark and a score in the paint by strong freshman Destinee Oberg with :38 left allowed Holy Angels to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room at the half and the energy that TR Falls had early on in this contest seemed to be sucked out of them by the Stars burst.
Needing another positive start to the second half, the Prowlers looked like they might have got that when Praska snuck inside for a score at the 16:45 mark but one trey by Bagwell-Katalinich from the right corner at the 15:49 mark and another three-point bomb by Thompson at the 15:09 mark pushed Holy Angels up even further at 39-25 and TR Falls looked to be in a heap of trouble. To the Prowlers credit, however, they hunkered down and proceeded to go on a 6-0 run that trimmed the Star lead down to single digits at 39-31 before Holy Angels woke up from their mid-day slumber and found some solid footing again. Bagwell-Katalinich connected on a jumper in transition from the free throw line at the 10:07 mark and a short jumper by Oberg at the 9:14 made it a 43-31 ballgame and TR Falls found itself back at Square One again. Down the stretch, the Stars did everything they could to put the Prowlers clearly behind the 8-ball. A Thompson lay-up in transition after a steal with 7:45 left and two Oberg freebies with 6:55 left got the lead out to 47-34. TR Falls still had opportunities to try and draw closer but the Prowlers went ice cold from the perimeter and never could make any meaningful dents in the deficit. Sophomore guard Megan Meyer connected with a lay-up in transition with 5:15 left and one Meyer free throw with 3:26 left got the lead out to 50-34 and Holy Angels cruised into the Class AAA title game on Saturday night with a comfortable 55-42 victory.
I asked TR Falls Head Coach Jeff Loe afterward about how, despite the early 10-0 run and despite how the "box and one" defense seemed to cause a lot of problems early on, Holy Angels was able to make the necessary adjustments and make a run themselves and eventually take control of the game. Loe admitted that the Stars adjusted very well and that he tried tweaking his strategy as well; trying a "triangle and two" on defense but they could never seem to get the necessary stops when they needed them. On the flip side, Holy Angels' Bagwell-Katalinich said "just staying calm"was the key to absorbing that early TR Falls run and once they were able to get on a bit of a run themselves, their confidence grew from there. Meyer led Holy Angels on this day with her 21 points while Thompson followed up with 14 points and Bagwell-Katalinich had nine points. For TR Falls, a balanced scoring attack in the losing effort; Praska led the way with 14 points and the Twin Towers combo of senior post Jenna Tadych and Tiahna Nicholson had ten points a piece.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Quarterfinal Game Recap - New London-Spicer vs Minnehaha Academy 3-16-16
The nightcap at Mariucci Arena on this Wednesday night featured one team that I had seen play earlier this season - third-seeded Minnehaha Academy going up against unseeded New London-Spicer. The Redhawks, who have have been here several times before under Head Coach Josh Thurow - were looking to make another statement in this year's tournament. The Wildcats sported a solid 23-6 record and claimed a tough 75-72 victory over Tracy-Milroy-Balaton to claim the Section 3AA title.
Both teams came out in a 2-3 zone on defense to start this one; presumably in hopes of clogging up the middle and to force off-balance perimeter shots. New London-Spicer, however, was able to take advantage of early opportunities to build an 8-2 lead thanks to a jumper along the left baseline by junior forward Kabrie Weber at the 15:17 mark and a lay-up by senior guard Alyssa Fredrick. The Redhawks would soon cut into that deficit as a jumper in the lane by sophomore guard Terra Rhoades at the 13:43 mark and a Terra Rhoades "3" from the right wing area at the 12:12 mark had the Wildcat lead down to 10-7. The Redhawks would tie the game at 12 a piece by the 9:20 mark but New London-Spicer would get on another push. A jumper along the left baseline by junior reserve forward Erin Tebben at the 10:11 mark and a "3" from the left corner by Fredrick with 7:49 left had the Wildcats up 17-15 and that margin was increased to four at 19-15 when senior forward Megan Thorson connected with a jumper in the lane with 6:46 left. A "3" from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass by Terra Rhoades kept the Redhawks within striking distance trailing 21-18 but it was here that New London-Spicer embarked on a 9-1 run. A three-point bomb from the left corner by Weber with 3:01 left and a score in the paint by Thorson with 1:58 left upped the Wildcat lead to 26-19. Two free throws by junior post Morgan Swenson with 1:30 left and another Thorson score in the paint with :54 left had New London-Spicer up double-digits at 30-19. Minnehaha Academy star senior guard Sarah Kaminski dropped two free throws with :36.2 left but with a 30-21 lead going into the locker room at the half, the Wildcats definitely had things going their way to this point.
New London-Spicer looked to be off and running again in the early moments of the second half. Two Thorson freebies at the 17:22 mark and a jumper in the lane by Weber at the 15:55 mark had the Wildcats up 34-21 and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Shea Oman at the 15:04 mark had New London-Spicer up 37-22 and the Red Hawks appeared to be in quite a quandary by this point. At the same time, though, you knew that an experienced Minnehaha Academy team was not going to meekly go away and a 9-0 run over a little less than two minutes had the Redhawks right back in the thick of things trailing 37-31. Kaminski, who had yet to be the offensive factor in this game that many thought she would be, got going a bit later as two free throws with 8:17 left and a "3' from the right top area with 8:02 left cut the New London-Spicer lead down to five at 43-38. Two scores in the paint by freshman post Avery New - one with 7:02 left and another one with 6:24 left - had the Wildcat lead down to four at 46-42 and there was no reason to think that Minnehaha Academy couldn't complete the comeback. Strangely, however, the Redhawks dreams seemed to die right there as New London-Spicer went on a key 8-2 run; highlighted by two big plays by Oman - three free throws with 5:13 left after being fouled behind the arc and a three-point bomb from the left top area with 3:11 left for a 54-44 Wildcat lead and now Minnehaha Academy was right back where they started from with time becoming a scarce commodity. An Oman steal and lay-up the other way with 2:31 left made it a 56-44 game and free throws by both Thorson and senior reserve guard Mariah Adams late sealed the deal as New London-Spicer pulled off the upset with a 58-44 victory.
Wildcat Head Coach Mike Dreier talked a bit about how his team kept its composure when Minnehaha Academy made a run to get things close in the second half. "We've been through a lot of tough situations all season long and we've got kids who've got quite a bit of experience.....They really, really battled tonight." On the 2-3 zone that his team was playing: "Defensively that's what we usually play.....I think we did a pretty good job of it tonight." Torson on when the Redhawks made their run in the second half and got things to within a single possession: "At first we started to panic but the goal of the team was to stay calm and make good passes because we knew their pressure was really good." Weber on her early three-pointer and if she's known as one of the main three-point shooters on the squad: "I can be but I think our team has a lot of great shooters." On the flip side, it was disappointing from a Redhawk perspective that Kaminski couldn't seem to get involved more offensively - certainly from a scoring standpoint anyway but what I didn't know coming into this game tonight was that she contracted a bad case of the flu the night before and that obviously affected her performance on this night. Afterward, Thurow could only give credit where credit was due - to New London-Spicer. Despite the loss, Thurow is one of the nicest, classiest coaches out there and he's confident that his team will have an opportunity to get back to the state tournament next year. Thurow's 17 points paced the Wildcats on this night and she also snared ten total rebounds as well while Oman added 13 points. Terra Rhoades unexpectedly led Minnehaha Academy on this night with her 22 points while Kaminski added 12 points.
Both teams came out in a 2-3 zone on defense to start this one; presumably in hopes of clogging up the middle and to force off-balance perimeter shots. New London-Spicer, however, was able to take advantage of early opportunities to build an 8-2 lead thanks to a jumper along the left baseline by junior forward Kabrie Weber at the 15:17 mark and a lay-up by senior guard Alyssa Fredrick. The Redhawks would soon cut into that deficit as a jumper in the lane by sophomore guard Terra Rhoades at the 13:43 mark and a Terra Rhoades "3" from the right wing area at the 12:12 mark had the Wildcat lead down to 10-7. The Redhawks would tie the game at 12 a piece by the 9:20 mark but New London-Spicer would get on another push. A jumper along the left baseline by junior reserve forward Erin Tebben at the 10:11 mark and a "3" from the left corner by Fredrick with 7:49 left had the Wildcats up 17-15 and that margin was increased to four at 19-15 when senior forward Megan Thorson connected with a jumper in the lane with 6:46 left. A "3" from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass by Terra Rhoades kept the Redhawks within striking distance trailing 21-18 but it was here that New London-Spicer embarked on a 9-1 run. A three-point bomb from the left corner by Weber with 3:01 left and a score in the paint by Thorson with 1:58 left upped the Wildcat lead to 26-19. Two free throws by junior post Morgan Swenson with 1:30 left and another Thorson score in the paint with :54 left had New London-Spicer up double-digits at 30-19. Minnehaha Academy star senior guard Sarah Kaminski dropped two free throws with :36.2 left but with a 30-21 lead going into the locker room at the half, the Wildcats definitely had things going their way to this point.
New London-Spicer looked to be off and running again in the early moments of the second half. Two Thorson freebies at the 17:22 mark and a jumper in the lane by Weber at the 15:55 mark had the Wildcats up 34-21 and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Shea Oman at the 15:04 mark had New London-Spicer up 37-22 and the Red Hawks appeared to be in quite a quandary by this point. At the same time, though, you knew that an experienced Minnehaha Academy team was not going to meekly go away and a 9-0 run over a little less than two minutes had the Redhawks right back in the thick of things trailing 37-31. Kaminski, who had yet to be the offensive factor in this game that many thought she would be, got going a bit later as two free throws with 8:17 left and a "3' from the right top area with 8:02 left cut the New London-Spicer lead down to five at 43-38. Two scores in the paint by freshman post Avery New - one with 7:02 left and another one with 6:24 left - had the Wildcat lead down to four at 46-42 and there was no reason to think that Minnehaha Academy couldn't complete the comeback. Strangely, however, the Redhawks dreams seemed to die right there as New London-Spicer went on a key 8-2 run; highlighted by two big plays by Oman - three free throws with 5:13 left after being fouled behind the arc and a three-point bomb from the left top area with 3:11 left for a 54-44 Wildcat lead and now Minnehaha Academy was right back where they started from with time becoming a scarce commodity. An Oman steal and lay-up the other way with 2:31 left made it a 56-44 game and free throws by both Thorson and senior reserve guard Mariah Adams late sealed the deal as New London-Spicer pulled off the upset with a 58-44 victory.
Wildcat Head Coach Mike Dreier talked a bit about how his team kept its composure when Minnehaha Academy made a run to get things close in the second half. "We've been through a lot of tough situations all season long and we've got kids who've got quite a bit of experience.....They really, really battled tonight." On the 2-3 zone that his team was playing: "Defensively that's what we usually play.....I think we did a pretty good job of it tonight." Torson on when the Redhawks made their run in the second half and got things to within a single possession: "At first we started to panic but the goal of the team was to stay calm and make good passes because we knew their pressure was really good." Weber on her early three-pointer and if she's known as one of the main three-point shooters on the squad: "I can be but I think our team has a lot of great shooters." On the flip side, it was disappointing from a Redhawk perspective that Kaminski couldn't seem to get involved more offensively - certainly from a scoring standpoint anyway but what I didn't know coming into this game tonight was that she contracted a bad case of the flu the night before and that obviously affected her performance on this night. Afterward, Thurow could only give credit where credit was due - to New London-Spicer. Despite the loss, Thurow is one of the nicest, classiest coaches out there and he's confident that his team will have an opportunity to get back to the state tournament next year. Thurow's 17 points paced the Wildcats on this night and she also snared ten total rebounds as well while Oman added 13 points. Terra Rhoades unexpectedly led Minnehaha Academy on this night with her 22 points while Kaminski added 12 points.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Norwood-Young America vs Sauk Centre 3-16-16
The third Class AA Quarterfinal game was an enticing match-up pitting unseeded Norwood-Young America going up against second-seeded Sauk Centre. The Mainstreeters made quite a splash at last year's state tournament; making it all the way to the state title game before falling late to Dover-Eyota so, presumably anyway,
Sauk Centre; which features an interesting blend of youth and experience, built a 12-5 lead by the 14:29 mark primarily on the strength of three-point bombs by senior guard Morgan Greenwaldt and, despite the imposing presence of lanky sophomore post Bren Fox, the Raiders looked out of sorts in the opening moments of the first half; blowing several easy scoring opportunities. Norwood-Young America was also experiencing defensive lapses as well and Greenwaldt made the Raiders pay again at the 12:28 mark with another three-point bomb; this one coming from the left wing that established a ten-point Mainstreeter cushion at 15-5. Still another Greenwaldt trey - this one coming from the left corner at the 11:05 mark established a 21-7 Sauk Centre lead and a harried Norwood-Young America Head Coach Gary Lembcke felt compelled to use a thirty-second timeout to try and get his squad calmed down. Still another Raider defensive lapse left Greenwaldt alone behind the arc from the left top area with 8:49 left and she made Norwood-Young America pay again for a 28-9 Mainstreeter lead. A "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Maesyn Theisen with 6:10 gave Sauk Centre a 36-12 lead and Norwood-Young America was effectively put in a vice grip but another Theisen three-point bomb from the left corner with 5:18 left had the Mainstreeters up 39-13 and the Raiders appeared buried in an avalanche of heavy Sauk Centre artillery. Fortunately for Norwood-Young America, Sauk Centre finally began to cool off from three-point land down the stretch and although late scores by the lanky Fox put a few dents in the Mainstreeter cushion, the Raiders were staring at a nearly insurmountable 45-25 deficit going into the locker room at the half.
Sauk Centre's cushion slowly grew as the second half got underway and two scores by Theisen - a short jumper at the 16:42 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 14:43 mark - stretched the lead out to 51-27. To its credit, the Raiders embarked on an 10-0 push over the next four minutes that cut into the Sauk Centre cushion at 51-37 by the 9:45 mark and another small push had Norwood-Young America down only thirteen at 53-40 with ample time left. But the Mainstreeters dug in their heels and put this one away for good down the stretch. Two free throws by sophomore guard Kelsey Peschel with 6:06 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Greenwaldt with 5:53 left got the lead back up to seventeen points at 57-40 and two scores by junior reserve guard Jill Klaphake - a jumper from the free throw line with 4:51 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 4:18 left - put Sauk Centre back up safely at 61-42. Mainstreeter Head Coach Scott Bergman sent in the reserves late and Sauk Centre recorded a 70-51 victory to move into the semifinals.
I asked Sauk Centre Head Coach Scott Bergman afterward if complacency may have played a role in allowing Norwood-Young America to chip away at the cushion that his team had built at the half. "It's hard not to (get complacent)" he said, adding that he tells the team to stay focused and concentrate on defense and rebounding. "You tell the girls to come out with a 'zero to zero' mentality but it's tough not to." Kelsey Peschel grudgingly admitted that there may have been some complacency with the big halftime lead but also pointed out that a lot of the shots that were falling in the first half weren't falling in the second half. Theisen on trying to capture a state title: "I would say that we gotta play like we've got nothing to lose....gotta leave it all out there." Greenwaldt on her 5-10 shooting from three-point land: "It was my night.....It felt good." Greenwaldt admitted that she and her teammates were possibly not as aggressive as they needed to be in the second half but in the end, they came through with the win. Greenwaldt's terrific performance on this night with her 21 points led the way for Sauk Centre while Theisen added 14 points and both Kelsey Peschel and Klaphake added ten points a piece. For Norwood-Young America, Fox led the way with her ten points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.
Sauk Centre; which features an interesting blend of youth and experience, built a 12-5 lead by the 14:29 mark primarily on the strength of three-point bombs by senior guard Morgan Greenwaldt and, despite the imposing presence of lanky sophomore post Bren Fox, the Raiders looked out of sorts in the opening moments of the first half; blowing several easy scoring opportunities. Norwood-Young America was also experiencing defensive lapses as well and Greenwaldt made the Raiders pay again at the 12:28 mark with another three-point bomb; this one coming from the left wing that established a ten-point Mainstreeter cushion at 15-5. Still another Greenwaldt trey - this one coming from the left corner at the 11:05 mark established a 21-7 Sauk Centre lead and a harried Norwood-Young America Head Coach Gary Lembcke felt compelled to use a thirty-second timeout to try and get his squad calmed down. Still another Raider defensive lapse left Greenwaldt alone behind the arc from the left top area with 8:49 left and she made Norwood-Young America pay again for a 28-9 Mainstreeter lead. A "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Maesyn Theisen with 6:10 gave Sauk Centre a 36-12 lead and Norwood-Young America was effectively put in a vice grip but another Theisen three-point bomb from the left corner with 5:18 left had the Mainstreeters up 39-13 and the Raiders appeared buried in an avalanche of heavy Sauk Centre artillery. Fortunately for Norwood-Young America, Sauk Centre finally began to cool off from three-point land down the stretch and although late scores by the lanky Fox put a few dents in the Mainstreeter cushion, the Raiders were staring at a nearly insurmountable 45-25 deficit going into the locker room at the half.
Sauk Centre's cushion slowly grew as the second half got underway and two scores by Theisen - a short jumper at the 16:42 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 14:43 mark - stretched the lead out to 51-27. To its credit, the Raiders embarked on an 10-0 push over the next four minutes that cut into the Sauk Centre cushion at 51-37 by the 9:45 mark and another small push had Norwood-Young America down only thirteen at 53-40 with ample time left. But the Mainstreeters dug in their heels and put this one away for good down the stretch. Two free throws by sophomore guard Kelsey Peschel with 6:06 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Greenwaldt with 5:53 left got the lead back up to seventeen points at 57-40 and two scores by junior reserve guard Jill Klaphake - a jumper from the free throw line with 4:51 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 4:18 left - put Sauk Centre back up safely at 61-42. Mainstreeter Head Coach Scott Bergman sent in the reserves late and Sauk Centre recorded a 70-51 victory to move into the semifinals.
I asked Sauk Centre Head Coach Scott Bergman afterward if complacency may have played a role in allowing Norwood-Young America to chip away at the cushion that his team had built at the half. "It's hard not to (get complacent)" he said, adding that he tells the team to stay focused and concentrate on defense and rebounding. "You tell the girls to come out with a 'zero to zero' mentality but it's tough not to." Kelsey Peschel grudgingly admitted that there may have been some complacency with the big halftime lead but also pointed out that a lot of the shots that were falling in the first half weren't falling in the second half. Theisen on trying to capture a state title: "I would say that we gotta play like we've got nothing to lose....gotta leave it all out there." Greenwaldt on her 5-10 shooting from three-point land: "It was my night.....It felt good." Greenwaldt admitted that she and her teammates were possibly not as aggressive as they needed to be in the second half but in the end, they came through with the win. Greenwaldt's terrific performance on this night with her 21 points led the way for Sauk Centre while Theisen added 14 points and both Kelsey Peschel and Klaphake added ten points a piece. For Norwood-Young America, Fox led the way with her ten points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Pequot Lakes vs Roseau - 3-16-16
The second Class AA Quarterfinal game on this Wednesday afternoon featured another intriguing match-up - fifth-seeded Pequot Lakes taking on fourt-seeded Roseau that promised to be full of fireworks. The Rams came into last year's state tournament and made quite a splash; making it to the semifinals so being somewhat familiar with this team helped a bit. I was anxious to catch the Pequot Lakes team coming into the state tournament with a solid 27-3 record and they survived a tough challenge from Esko in the Section 7AA Championship Game.
From the outset, it appeared as if this contest might be a battle of contrasting styles - the up-tempo run-and-gun style of the Rams vs the slower half-court style that the Patriots feel much more at home with. Roseau used this up-tempo style to their advantage early on; building a 9-2 advantage by the 14:00 mark and Pequot Lakes Head Coach Jon Dale called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his team. The Patriots came out of that timeout with a renewed sense of determination and promptly used a run of their own to build a small lead at 23-19 on the strength of a "3" from the right wing by senior guard Haley Wieboldt at the 13:22 mark and a Wieboldt lay-up in transition at the 9:06 mark. Another Wieboldt three-point bomb - this one coming from the left wing area with 7:08 left built the Patriot lead to five at 28-23 and it looked like the Rams could be in a bit of trouble but Roseau battled back down the stretch and reclaimed the lead. The really fun thing about watching this Roseau team is the trio of Borowicz sisters on the squad - junior Kiley, freshman Kacie and seventh-grader Katie. The Rams slowly chipped away at the deficit and one Katie Borowicz free throw with 3:06 left and a Kiley Borowicz lay-up in transition with 2:21 left put Roseau back out in front 37-36 and with 1:39 left Kiley Borowicz struck again with another lay-up in transition that gave the Rams a 39-36 lead going into the locker room at the half and some of the early confidence that Pequot Lakes had was now in a somewhat delicate state.
Roseau picked up where they left off at the beginning of the second half and their ability to get rebounds and get into transition had the Patriots seemingly on their heels. Holding a 47-43 lead; junior guard Ivy Braaten unleashed a "3" from the right corner at the 13:20 mark that upped the margin to seven at 50-43 and it looked as if the Rams were in a position to take firm control right then and there. Pequot Lakes had other ideas and was able to slyly chip away at the Ram lead and got back to within a single possession before the Borowicz sisters rained on their parade again. Kacie Borowicz knocked down a short jumper at the 10:31 mark and then Katie Borowicz drained a dagger "3" from the right wing off of an inbounds pass that helped forge a 61-53 advantage with 8:24 left and had the Bulldogs Dale taking a match to another timeout. A gamey Pequot Lakes team would respond and get dangerously close again; cutting the Ram lead down to a single possession at 63-60 when junior reserve forward Sam Littman knocked down one free throw after getting fouled with 6:05 left. Once again, though, it was the Borowicz sisters to the rescue for Roseau. One Kiley Borowicz lay-up in transition with 4:33 left and two Kiley Borowicz freebies with 3:28 left helped key a crucial 11-0 run that had the Rams up 74-63 with 3:10 left and Pequot Lakes' Dale was forced to use another timeout as the Patriots hopes started to dim. Kiley Borowicz knocked down two insurance freebies with 1:28 left and the Rams were able to run out the clock in the final minute to earn a hard-fought 78-65 victory to get into the semifinals for the second straight year in a row.
A happy Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson afterward felt good about how she and her staff were able to adjust the gameplan as the contest progressed and expressed that "I feel really confident when our team has the lead.....and we're really at taking care of the ball late in the game." I asked Didrikson about how the Borowicz trio seems to play so well despite their youth and she pointed out the amount of basketball they've played together since their early days and the amount of big games that they've already played in. I also asked Didrikson about the prospects going forward and if her squad is ready to take things a step further this time around. "Absolutely.....We're excited about the opportunity!" Additionally, I had a chance to speak with all three of the Borowicz sisters afterward as well. Kacie on how well she and her sister's play together: "We've been playing together for so long that I know where she (either sister) is going to be." Katie on possibly being nervous out there: "Well, right away there is but when I start playing there isn't." Kiley on being the guiding rod for her younger sisters: "If I didn't have them to play with it'd be hard because we all know what each other's going to do." So it's no wonder, I suppose, that it was Kylie who led Roseau on this day with her double-double of 33 points and 13 rebounds while junior guard Ivy Braaten chipped in with 14 points and Kacie added 11 points. For Pequot Lakes, Wieboldt led the way with her 22 points while sophomore forward Karli Skog added 16 points and junior post Corina Ruud chipped in with 13 points.
From the outset, it appeared as if this contest might be a battle of contrasting styles - the up-tempo run-and-gun style of the Rams vs the slower half-court style that the Patriots feel much more at home with. Roseau used this up-tempo style to their advantage early on; building a 9-2 advantage by the 14:00 mark and Pequot Lakes Head Coach Jon Dale called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his team. The Patriots came out of that timeout with a renewed sense of determination and promptly used a run of their own to build a small lead at 23-19 on the strength of a "3" from the right wing by senior guard Haley Wieboldt at the 13:22 mark and a Wieboldt lay-up in transition at the 9:06 mark. Another Wieboldt three-point bomb - this one coming from the left wing area with 7:08 left built the Patriot lead to five at 28-23 and it looked like the Rams could be in a bit of trouble but Roseau battled back down the stretch and reclaimed the lead. The really fun thing about watching this Roseau team is the trio of Borowicz sisters on the squad - junior Kiley, freshman Kacie and seventh-grader Katie. The Rams slowly chipped away at the deficit and one Katie Borowicz free throw with 3:06 left and a Kiley Borowicz lay-up in transition with 2:21 left put Roseau back out in front 37-36 and with 1:39 left Kiley Borowicz struck again with another lay-up in transition that gave the Rams a 39-36 lead going into the locker room at the half and some of the early confidence that Pequot Lakes had was now in a somewhat delicate state.
Roseau picked up where they left off at the beginning of the second half and their ability to get rebounds and get into transition had the Patriots seemingly on their heels. Holding a 47-43 lead; junior guard Ivy Braaten unleashed a "3" from the right corner at the 13:20 mark that upped the margin to seven at 50-43 and it looked as if the Rams were in a position to take firm control right then and there. Pequot Lakes had other ideas and was able to slyly chip away at the Ram lead and got back to within a single possession before the Borowicz sisters rained on their parade again. Kacie Borowicz knocked down a short jumper at the 10:31 mark and then Katie Borowicz drained a dagger "3" from the right wing off of an inbounds pass that helped forge a 61-53 advantage with 8:24 left and had the Bulldogs Dale taking a match to another timeout. A gamey Pequot Lakes team would respond and get dangerously close again; cutting the Ram lead down to a single possession at 63-60 when junior reserve forward Sam Littman knocked down one free throw after getting fouled with 6:05 left. Once again, though, it was the Borowicz sisters to the rescue for Roseau. One Kiley Borowicz lay-up in transition with 4:33 left and two Kiley Borowicz freebies with 3:28 left helped key a crucial 11-0 run that had the Rams up 74-63 with 3:10 left and Pequot Lakes' Dale was forced to use another timeout as the Patriots hopes started to dim. Kiley Borowicz knocked down two insurance freebies with 1:28 left and the Rams were able to run out the clock in the final minute to earn a hard-fought 78-65 victory to get into the semifinals for the second straight year in a row.
A happy Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson afterward felt good about how she and her staff were able to adjust the gameplan as the contest progressed and expressed that "I feel really confident when our team has the lead.....and we're really at taking care of the ball late in the game." I asked Didrikson about how the Borowicz trio seems to play so well despite their youth and she pointed out the amount of basketball they've played together since their early days and the amount of big games that they've already played in. I also asked Didrikson about the prospects going forward and if her squad is ready to take things a step further this time around. "Absolutely.....We're excited about the opportunity!" Additionally, I had a chance to speak with all three of the Borowicz sisters afterward as well. Kacie on how well she and her sister's play together: "We've been playing together for so long that I know where she (either sister) is going to be." Katie on possibly being nervous out there: "Well, right away there is but when I start playing there isn't." Kiley on being the guiding rod for her younger sisters: "If I didn't have them to play with it'd be hard because we all know what each other's going to do." So it's no wonder, I suppose, that it was Kylie who led Roseau on this day with her double-double of 33 points and 13 rebounds while junior guard Ivy Braaten chipped in with 14 points and Kacie added 11 points. For Pequot Lakes, Wieboldt led the way with her 22 points while sophomore forward Karli Skog added 16 points and junior post Corina Ruud chipped in with 13 points.
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