Coe vs GAC 12-22-17

Headed down U.S. Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub portion of the "Omaha Route" mainline down to St. Peter to take in this somewhat unusual pre-Christmas IIAC-MIAC clash between visiting Coe out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and host GAC.  It was an easy trip down and I got settled in well ahead of time in Lund Arena and with the vast majority of students out on Christmas break with finals behind them, it was easy to stretch out.  The Kohawks were having a tough go of it so far as they came into this game with a 3-7 record although they were able to give highly-regarded UW-Whitewater out of the WIAC quite a tussle before falling by two points.  The Gusties were 7-1 coming into this game with the only blemish being the game with UST at home back on December 13th.  I was curious as to how hard it would be for the Gusties to get mentally fired up for this contest with Christmas break right around the corner and finals behind them along with the sting of the loss to UST still possibly on their minds a bit.

Coe would draw first blood in this contest as senior guard Jordan Holmes snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up at the 9:29 mark but it didn't take long for the Gusties to get untracked.  Senior guard Mikayla Miller first banged home a "3" from the right wing area at the 9:09 mark and followed that up with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 8:46 mark for a 5-2 GAC lead.  Junior forward Kendall Thompson got into the paint for a score at the 7:41 mark to push the Gustie lead to 7-2 but the Kohawks managed to get within a single possession as senior guard Jenna Lehman got into the paint for a score at the 7:22 mark and two free throws by junior forward/post Karlee Grabau at the 5:50 mark had Coe close trailing 9-6.  Another Lehman score in the paint with 3:56 left kept the Kohawks in that three-point range trailing 11-8 but it was here that GAC was able to close out the first period with a 7-2 push to give them some more breathing room.  Surprising freshman guard Ava Gonsorowski uncorked a "3" from the left wing area with 3:18 left and a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Paige Richert with 2:18 left got the lead to 16-8 and former Coe standout and current Head Coach Kayla Waskow; perhaps a bit alarmed and not wanting her squad to get into a big hole early on, called a thirty-second timeout.  Still, senior forward Miranda Rice made a hard drive into the paint for a finish with :42.5 left that now had the Gusties up by ten at 18-8.  Kohawk senior guard/forward Aleena Hobbs helped get her squad back in single-digit range again with her score in the paint with :15 left but you could kind of tell right then and there that it was going to be an uphill battle for Coe all evening long.

It looked as if early on in the second period that the Kohawks would manage to stay reasonably close as freshman reserve guard Madeline Wilkins drained a "3" from the left corner at the 9:47 mark and although GAC's Miller drilled another one of her patented three-point bombs from the right wing area at the 8:16 mark, a score in the paint by Hobbs at the 8:04 mark had Coe down by only six at 21-15.  It was at this point, however, where the Gusties were able to establish separation in this one for good.  Two free throws by Rice at the 7:25 mark were the start of a 21-4 GAC run from which the Kohawks could never recover from.  Gonsorowski was able to connect with a lay-up in transition at the 7:15 mark that got the lead up to ten points at 25-15 and then it was Miller; the former Goodhue standout reigning terror from three-point land.  One bomb from the left corner at the 6:02 mark and another one from the right top area a minute later pushed the Gustie lead to 31-17.  Gonsorowski connected with a lay-up with 4:26 left that also drew a foul and the Esko native converted on the ensuing "and one" and one more Miller "3" from the right wing area with 3:25 left now had GAC up 37-19.  Junior reserve guard Taylor Anderson made a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 2:30 left and was fouled in the process and the ensuing free throw now made it a 40-19 game.  Two Gonsorowski free throws with 2:07 left completed this run but more than anything, it was propelled by some tough pressure defense that Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly was employing and Coe was simply unable to get much going on offense.  Lehman finally got a short jumper to go down for the Kohawks with 1:54 left but by now the damage was done and two more scores by GAC's Rice - a jumper along the left baseline with 1:24 left and a lay-up with :59 left - gave the Gusties a sizable 46-21 lead going into the locker room at the half.  Just a glance of the second period box score gives you an idea of what Coe had to endure in that dreadful period.  The Kohawks were guilty of nine turnovers and GAC shot 10-16 from FG range and 4-5 from three-point land thanks to Miller's heroics.

The Gusties somewhat surprisingly opened up the third period in a 1-2-2 zone defense but that didn't change their outlook on offense as a jumper in the lane by Rice at the 9:11 mark and a "3" from the left wing by junior guard Justine Lee at the 8:40 mark ballooned the lead to 51-21 and Coe's Waskow called another thirty-second timeout to try and her troops re-energized.  The Kohawks finally got back on the board when Grabau connected with a short shot off the glass at the 8:24 mark but it would take two more scores by GAC - a Thompson "3" from the right wing area at the 8:07 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Lee at the 7:28 mark - before Coe began to show some signs of life.  Lehman knocked down a short jumper at the 7:06 mark and two Grabau free throws at the 6:26 mark had the deficit down to twenty-nine at 56-27.  Then it was freshman reserve guard Madeline Wilkins going to work for the Kohawks as she nailed one "3" from the left wing area at the 5:54 mark and dropped another "3" from the left corner that cut the deficit down to twenty-three points at 56-33 and GAC's Kelly; somewhat concerned about the lapses in her squad's defense, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with her team.  But the Gusties recovered quickly from this little setback and ended the third period with a 9-0 push that left little doubt as to how this one would end.  Two free throws by Thompson at the 5:04 mark and short jumper by Thompson with 4:12 left got the lead to 60-33.  Then it would be Thompson connecting with a lay-up in transition with 3:07 left and getting into the paint for a score with 2:15 left that got the lead to 64-33 and one free throw by Lee with 1:33 left had GAC comfortably ahead going into the fourth and final period. 

The Kohawks would try and make a last stand in the opening moments of the fourth period as Lehman let loose with a "3" from the left wing area at the 9:30 mark and Wilkins drained her third trey of the evening from the top of the key at the 7:11 mark but none of this would have a decided effect on the outcome.  GAC's Kelly was slowly starting to use some of her reserve players now that the Gusties had a big cushion and they were able to contribute.  Freshman reserve guard Gabby Bowlin connected with a lay-up in transition at the 6:22 mark and freshman reserve guard Marnie Wagner was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:12 mark.  Senior reserve forward Emee Udo dropped two free throws with 4:53 left and freshman reserve guard Tia Moscatelli dropped a three-point bomb from the left top area with 2:15 left that had the Gusties up 76-43.  Moscatelli would get one more free throw to go down with 1:43 left and Marnie Wagner would connect with a lay-up in transition with :54 left for good measure as GAC rolled to an easy 79-45 victory. 

I asked Kelly afterward about her squad coming out in a 1-2-2 zone defense as I have not seen the Gusties employ a zone defense before.  But Kelly wants to be able to have some flexibility on defense with the ability to change things up from time to time.  Also, I thought that the Gusties did a very good job today with their pressure defense and it definitely had Coe totally flustered at times.  The other surprise on this day was the insertion of Gonsorowski into the starting point guard spot.  Kelly felt that she's just had a better scoring punch as of late but that doesn't mean that junior Brooke Lemke won't figure prominently in the big picture for GAC.  For Kelly and her staff, it's probably a nice problem to have where you can have two players who can bring complimentary skills into the point guard position.  Now with the Christmas break finally here it's a chance for the Gusties to get relaxed, recharged and refocused for the big Wartburg Holiday Tournament down in Waverly on December 29th and 30th that GAC will participate in that will have an NCAA Tournament-feel to it with UW-Whitewater (the Gusties' opponent on 12-29), UW-Superior and IIAC powerhouse Wartburg.  It's a big opportunity for GAC and if the Gusties can come away with two wins from there, that could be a huge launching pad into the rest of the MIAC season.  Yet another fantastic outing for Miller on this day with her 19 points and going 5-9 from three-point land.  Rice had 14 points while Thompson had 13 points and Gonsorowski had ten points.  Wilkins off the bench for Coe led the way for the Kohawks with her 15 points while Lehman was the only other scorer for Coe in double-figures with her 12 points.  Undoubtedly, Coe's Waskow will look at her squad's 23 turnovers on this day as being the big downfall in this one as well as getting outrebounded by a 34-24 count.