Had some errands to run yesterday afternoon - most notably getting over to El Burrito Mercado off of Cesar Chavez in St Paul to get myself restocked with their fabulous seasoned chicken - but I still had plenty of time even with some rush hour traffic to get safely over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University for one of the two MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff games happening on this night - this one featuring Hamline and host St. Kate's. We all know about the ups and downs this season for the Pipers but they did finish the regular season reasonably well - beating both Macalester and St. Scholastica before falling to top-seeded GAC in St. Peter last Saturday. The Wildcats meanwhile completed their best regular season ever - going 14-6 in conference play and 18-7 overall that not only allowed them to snare the third seed in the MIAC Playoffs but also get a home playoff game for the first time in program history. It seems like whenever these two teams have hooked up over the years, wild things can happen and tonight was certainly no exception. I got inside plenty early and had a moment to chat with St. Kate's Assistant Coach Geno Bullard and a few others and got myself settled in and ready to go.
Wildcats Head Coach Don Mulhern certainly got the start from his squad that he would have wanted in this opening period to start this first-ever home playoff game as St. Kate's got out to an early 7-0 lead. Junior forward Rachel Randleman would make a daring drive past traffic for a lay-up at the 9:11 mark and freshman sensation guard Hattie Fox got into the paint for another score at the 8:17 mark to make it 4-0. Then junior forward Greta Schimnowski would drain one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key at the 6:37 mark - to cap this initial run. The Pipers meanwhile struggled with their shooting touch out of the gate but finally shook off these early cobwebs and proceeded to go on a 9-0 run of their own. Junior guard Kate Trachsel would bury a "3' from the left wing area at the 5:57 mark and a pretty lay-up by sophomore reserve guard (CC) Camille Cummings with 4:27 left cut the deficit to two points at 7-5. With 3:33 left, freshman reserve guard Yasmeen Abed knocked down a tough jumper along the right baseline to get the game leveled and a little more than a minute later, Abed would strike again with a nifty coast-to-coast lay-up with 2:10 left that now had Hamline out in front by a 9-7 count. The 'Cats would level this contest when senior point guard Karis Zezza knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:50 left but the Pipers would have the upper hand in the final stages of this first period. Trachsel would use a burst of speed to make a hard drive for a finish with 1:40 left and with :31.7 left, Abed would again come to the forefront for Hamline as she would make a tough drive along the left baseline for a finish that allowed the Pipers to carry a 13-9 lead going into the second period.
Hamline would grow this lead to six when electric senior forward Lydia Lecher finally got into the books at the 9:42 mark of the second period with a lay-up to make it a 15-9 lead. Lecher would repeat this feat at the 8:55 mark to maintain the six-point edge at 17-11 and Cummings would keep the lead at six when she connected on a pretty lay-up in transition at the 6:20 mark to make it a 19-13 ballgame. The Wildcats meanwhile had arguably cooled off a bit after that opening burst but finally started finding their way again. Fox would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:19 mark and then slender junior reserve forward Sydney Elliott connected on a short jumper along the left baseline with 3:00 left to get St. Kate's back to within a single possession down 19-16. Two free throws by the ever-reliable Zezza after she was fouled with 2:17 left kept the 'Cats in that three-point range down 21-18 and two more free throws by Schimnowski after she was fouled with 1:42 left got the deficit down to a scant point at 21-20. But with just :02.3 left on the clock, Randleman delivered the coup de grace with a three-point bomb from the left top area that allowed St. Kate's to take a 23-21 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Wildcats would momentarily give themselves a bit more breathing room when lanky sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski connected on a lay-up at the 9:51 mark of the third period to push St. Kate's lead to 25-21 but that little cushion would quickly vanish into thin air as Hamline looked to usurp control of this game. Lecher would drain one of her trademark lefty three-point bombs from the right wing area at the 7:34 mark and two free throws by sophomore reserve combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch after she was fouled at the 6:04 mark pushed the Pipers back out in front 26-25. Right back came the 'Cats, however, as Schimnowski would unleash terror behind the arc with a bomb from the left wing area at the 5:50 mark to push St. Kate's back out in front 28-26 and then Schimnowski; the former Mahtomedi standout, would connect with a pretty jumper off of an inbounds pass from the right elbow area at the 5:05 mark to re-establish the four-point edge at 30-26. A short time later, freshman reserve forward Lily Peper would connect on a tough lay-up with 4:31 left to grow the Wildcats lead to six at 32-26. But just when you thought Hamline might be a bit vulnerable, right back came the group off of Snelling Avenue on the north side of St Paul. Two free throws by Abed after she was fouled with 4:22 left got the deficit trimmed down to four points and then Cummings; the former Centennial standout who had been struggling all game long with her shooting touch, finally buried her first three-point bomb of this contest with 3:39 left that closed the gap to a single point at 32-31. Alarmed, St. Kate's would attempt another push as Fox would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 3:14 left to get the lead back to three at 34-31 and a tough score in the paint by strong sophomore reserve guard Maddie Young with 1:33 left maintained that three-point edge at 36-33. But this Piper team had no intentions of going quietly into the night by any stretch. Senior guard Michaela Stamer would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:20 left to close the gap to one at 36-35 and after St. Kate's would get its lead to three again on a Randleman lay-up with :58 left, right back came Hamline - this time with its primary weapn, Lecher, and one of trademark lefty three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key with :45 left that got this game back on even terms at 38 a piece. Trachsel would keep this game knotted at 40 a piece with her drive and lay-up with just :05.4 left but this Wildcat team, known all too well for its flair and dramatics, scored some more Hollywood points as Zezza would get fouled with just :00.4 left on the clock while attempting a long three-point bomb and the former STMA standout would get all three free throw attempts to go down - much to the chagrin of Hamline Head Coach Josh Hersch - to give the Wildcats a tenuous 43-40 advantage.
In a very close and tight game like this one, having a three-point edge is virtually meaningless and that proved to be the case once the fourth period got underway. Piper sophomore guard Sophie Stork; the former NRHEG standout who was tagged for her third foul earlier in the third period, threw caution to the wind and muscled into the paint for a score at the 8:15 mark to get the gap narrowed to one and a long offensive rebound and subsequent lay-up by Lecher at the 7:32 mark kept Hamline in that one-point range down 45-44. A bit later at the 6:36 mark, Lecher would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a pretty drive and finish that drew a foul with the obligatory "and one" that not only pushed the Pipers back out in front by a 47-45 count but seemed to tip the momentum towards them as well. That notion seemed to be confirmed when slender junior forward Faith Johnson connected with a lay-up at the 5:05 mark that put Hamline back out in front again at 49-47. The Wildcats would get the gap narrowed to a single point on one free throw by Fox after she was fouled with 3:19 left but with 2:58 left, Stamer would give Hamline some more breathing room on a tough lay-up to give the Pipers a 51-48 advantage. Hamline would miss out on one opportunity to consolidate on its lead when Cummings had her pocket picked by the wily Zezza of St. Kate's and with 2:03 left, the Wildcats' Mulhern called for a thirty-second timeout to discuss strategy and the next play. With 1:03 left that stoppage in play appeared to reap big dividends for St. Kate's as Golembiewski connected with a short jumper off the glass that cut the gap back to one but then hope suddenly dimmed for the Wildcats as it looked as if Hamline might put the finishing touches on this game. Lecher would connect on a lay-up on the Pipers' ensuing possession with :45.9 left to make it a 53-50 game. St. Kate's Mulhern would then have to take a match to a full timeout and, in the clutch, the Wildcats again would come through with more flair and drama as Randleman would get open from behind the arc at the top of the key and drain a massive bomb that got this game leveled at 53 a piece. Now it was Hamline's Hersch calling for a stoppage in play to set up what might be the game winner. The Pipers would get the ball in and, despite some miscommunication on the opening pass, they controlled the ball and looked for the open shooter. Still, some tough Wildcat "D" was making things challenging at best and with :11.3 left, Hersch would call for another timeout to make some adjustments on this hopeful successful finish. With the clock ticking down, Hamline's Cummings would get the ball and make a tough drive into the lane and put up a floater with :02.2 left that danced off the rim and the rebound fell into the Wildcats' Randleman's grasp that sent this contest into an extra session tied at 53.
St. Kate's Fox would again steal the show in the opening moments of the first overtime when she casually drained a "3" from the left corner with 4:34 left that had the Wildcats back out in front at 56-53 but that lead didn't last long as Hamline roared right back. Lecher would make a daring drive into the lane filled with traffic for a finish with 4:13 left that cut the deficit down to one and then the Pipers would snare the lead back at 58-56 when Stamer delivered a heartbreaking "3" from the right corner with 3:22 left. But this drama was far from finished as the 'Cats got a big left from Golembiewski as she would use her 5'11" frame and length to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:10 left to get this contest leveled again and with :56 left, Golembiewski; the Gordon, WI native, would connect on a lay-up to put St. Kate's back out in front 60-58. But just when you thought the Wildcats may have been in position to put this game to bed, right back came this never-say-die group from Hamline. With :13.5 left, Lecher would slither into traffic for an incredibly tough finish to get this game leveled at 60 and after a timeout by the Wildcat's Mulhern, the Pipers would actually get a chance to win the contest again after an untimely turnover by St. Kate's. With just :00.2 left, Lecher would get an inbounds pass and attempt to put up a floater and hope for the best but the shot attempt was errant and off we went to the second overtime with this issue still unresolved.
Hamline appeared to gain the upper hand with 3:31 left in this second overtime period when Stork banged home a "3" from the left top area in a transition opportunity to push the Pipers out in front 63-60 and shortly afterward, Hamline had a golden opportunity to put its opponent between a rock and a hard place when Abed snared a steal on the other end and raced the other way for what would have likely been an easy breakaway lay-up on the other end to expand their lead. But Abed, the former Roseville standout, likely rushed her lay-up attempt when she heard opponents footsteps closing in and the errant attempt fell into the Wildcat's Fox's hands and she was immediately fouled by Hamline's Stamer which was arguably a turning point in this ballgame. Indeed, St. Kate's Fox would come through on the other end with a huge "3" from the left wing area that got this game snarled up again at 63 a piece. The Pipers' Abed would make amends for that missed lay-up when she would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 1:42 left to push Hamline back in front by a 65-63 count. On its ensuing possession, the 'Cats would have a devil of a time trying to respond as subsequent lay-up attempts by Fox and Golembiewski were either swatted away or missed but St. Kate's was fortunate to get the big offensive rebounds which ultimately gave them another chance. With 1:12 left, Schimnowski likely delivered the biggest "3" of her career thus far as she buried a bomb from the right corner that pushed the Wildcats back out in front by a 66-65 count. Still, plenty of time for Hamline to respond and with :49 left, Cummings would attempt to drive into traffic with a lay-up but the attempt was errant and Schimnowski was there for the big defensive rebound for St. Kate's. With :24.8 left, the Wildcats' Mulhern would call for a thirty-second timeout to draw up strategy and with :17 left, Zezza would be fouled and she would calmly come through at the line with two free throws to give St. Kate's a bit more breathing room with a 68-65 lead. Still, the 'Cats were obviously not out of the woods just yet as Hamline would have one more chance with its arsenal of three-point bombers. After a timeout called by the Pipers' Hersch, the Pipers worked the ball around; feverishly trying to get one of their snipers in position with some space to get this one tied up. But St. Kate's was not giving up any more room than what it had to and with :01.2 left, Hamline's Stamer was forced to launch a three-point attempt from Caitlin Clark-range at the top that missed its mark and the Wildcats' Fox was there for the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled with just :00.4 left. Fox would deliver on the other end with free throws and the St. Kate's Wildcats, with their first-ever home playoff game, would survive and move into the semifinal round with a thrilling and hard-earned 70-65 victory.
When you look at what an incredible up and down season this was for the Pipers and the wild momentum swings that they had -not only in this game but the entire season as well - it was tough for the Hamline faithful to reluctantly put a tie on this season and that was especially true for Hersch when I caught up with him afterward. "It's one of those games where no one loses but credit St. Kates.....It was a game with a bunch of plays and some moments for both teams also.....But credit them....I'm happy for Don and happy for St. Kate's....Our team battled and a lot of things happened in 2024; particularly for the younger core to find our way back into the playoffs where we've been the last couple of years. It's big for our program; to not only put ourselves in the playoffs but to put ourselves into position to win....It's important for the future and development and this game was a little bit of a microcosm of our season in some ways.....We had some pretty 'high' highs and some lows in that game and plenty of opportunities but a fun one to be a part of." I asked Hersch as well about these challenges this team has faced throughout the year and how it shapes things for this young group going forward. "As we say good-bye to Lydia Lecher; one of the best to do it in the last four years and Michaela Stamer who faced so much adversity with some things and see the season that she had.....We have a pretty young core though. We had some 'first years' and sophomores play out there that got a lot of experience......You don't forget the feeling about something like this; it motivates you in the off season. Yeah, we're excited and we'll get back to work this spring. It's not the way we wanted to end things today but congrats to St. Kate's. We'll keep moving." Afterward, I had to make my way downstairs in an effort to find St. Kate's Mulhern who understandably was in something of a state of euphoria after perhaps the biggest win in program history yet. I asked Mulhern about all the twists and turns in this game and even he had to think about it for a moment before he responded. "Well, you know, we showed grit.......We can control a lot of things but you can't always control how the ball bounces but you can control effort and grit and this team has developed a level of grit that makes me just so proud because they've earned it and they've talked about it all year and each game that got grittier and grittier and they've paid their dues......And I want to say Karis Zezza; this year as a senior, she's got better and better and her grit; her making clutch free throws and all the details and I'm proud of her." I also asked Mulhern about how special this particular win was; particularly that it came in the program's very first home playoff game. "Well, it's against a darned good team (Hamline)" Mulhern replied. "I mean, Lydia Lecher is one of the better players in Division III and they've got talent; Stamer, Trachsel and Cummings, and Sophie Stork and they're really good. We had to really 'lock-in' defensively in every part of the game.....It was fun....It was like every possession was a battle in itself; I mean every possession was a possession just worth watching and that takes a mental toll in where you get emotionally drained." Before letting him go, I asked about the road ahead which now includes a trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Moorhead to face second-seeded Concordia on Thursday night. "Well, we're gonna go up their and play our basketball which is gritty basketball and determined basketball. We love the process....Kim (Wagers) and that team are a very good team. Having said that, we think we're a darned good team and we're gonna up there and do our best and we think it's a pretty good match-up.and we're excited."
When I look back on this game, I think what surprises me the most is that it wasn't the offensive shoot-out that many (including myself) expected. Rather it was a contest where defense took center stage and the final box score line reflects what a defensive slugfest this really was. Consider: Hamline shot 26-73 from FG range for 35.6% and St. Kate's was held to a paltry 22-71 for a straight 31% in that category. And while both teams had their moments behind the arc, neither set the world on fire either as Hamline was 6-29 for 20.7% and St. Kate's wasn't a whole helluva lot better going 7-33 for 21.2%. Turnovers were about the same and although the Wildcats did have a slight advantage on the boards at 48-42, that edge wasn't what you'd call a game-changer by any means. Hamline had a 32-26 advantage in points in the paint but St. Kates held a 17-7 advantage in points off of turnovers. Hamline had an edge in both "second-chance" points at 17-10 and bench points at 19-8 but even those only meant so much in the end. No, in a close game like this where things are so tight, I think you have to look at some of the missed opportunities that Hamline had; the times where they had a chance to put the Wildcats on the ropes but couldn't quite cash in when it counted the most. Inevitably, those things have a way of catching up with you as they certainly did on this night. I think Mulhern hit the nail on the head with the grit reference to his team. Sure, they've had their moments of drama and flair this season but this team is just special in that "grit" sense. And perhaps none tougher or grittier than the Wildcats' Zezza. She'll never "wow" you with her scoring. Rather, what makes her so good is her defense and toughness and how she never wavers in the face of adversity and there were plenty of instances when she played a big part in helping her teammates stay calm when things could have gone kablooey for them. Oh, and I think you saw how reliable she's been all season long from the charity stripe as well. And woe to any opponent who thinks they can strip Zezza of the ball, A word to the wise - it ain't happenin'.
The other thing that stood out to me when I look at this final box score? I was just shocked (and I'm sure Mulhern and his staff were absolutely delighted) at how incredibly balanced this St. Kate's team was in their scoring attack on this night as Hamline never could "key in" on just one person and here's why: Fox; the never-nervous freshman, paced the Wildcats with her 16 points but she had a LOT of help. Schimnowski; while being only 3-13 from downtown, still finished with 13 points. Randleman; often a forgotten figure in this Wildcat attack, tallied 12 points on this night and she had two huge three-point bombs in this game. The always-reliable Zezza tallied 11 points and Golembiewski had a "double-double" on this night of 10 points and 14 rebounds. Just.....Wow. You simply cannot ask for a much better-balanced attack than that. That is truly impressive. On the Hamline side, Lecher; in her final game as a Piper, went out in style as she led all scorers with her 21 points but the other shocker on this night was that it was the freshman, Abed, who tallied 10 points on this night and obviously has a bright future with this Piper team.
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