The first of the Class AA Quarterfinal games on this Wednesday afternoon featured two more teams that I'm not very familiar with - unseeded Holy Family going up against top seed Plainview-Elgin-Millville. But Fire Head Coach Ellen Thompson had a long stint as Macalester's Head Coach and it's no surprise at all that Holy Family found its way to the state tourney and garnered an 18-11 record on the way playing some very, very good teams during the season. From the advice of some of the wonks on press row, I was told that this could be a very good game so it was time to hunker down and take in the action.
The favored Bulldogs would get off to a decent start in this contest; building a 7-3 advantage by the 14:41 mark on a lay-up by senior guard Tessa Hubbard and although Holy Family would close the gap to 7-5 a bit later, Plainview-Elgin-Millville established a six-point cushion by the 11:25 mark at 11-5 and a score in the paint by junior post Emmaline Polson at the 10:14 mark maintained the six-point edge at 13-7. The Bulldogs would put Holy Family in a tough spot, though, just beyond the midway point of the first half with a stingy defense that limited opportunities down low and offensive strikes in transition on turnovers. An 8-1 run; fueled by scores in the paint by sophomore reserve post Hayley Dessner with 7:45 left and one by senior forward Chloe Holtz with 7:12 left made it a 21-8 ballgame and the Fire's Thompson had no choice but to take a match to a full timeout to discuss things with her team. Unfortunately for Holy Family, the stoppage in play did little to slow the drive of the Bulldogs in the first half. Another score in the paint by Dessner with 5:40 left and a lay-up in transition by Polson with 4:45 left stretched Plainview-Elgin-Millville's lead to 27-12 and a lay-up by senior forward Chloe Holtz that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie extended the lead to 30-13. A Hubbard drive and finish with 3:32 helped the Bulldogs go into the locker room with a cozy 32-15 advantage at the half and things looked bleak for the Fire at this point.
A 7-2 Bulldog run in the opening three minutes of the first half effectively put Holy Family behind the 8-ball. A Polson lay-up at the 16:17 mark and a Polson offensive rebound and putback at the 15:37 mark got the lead to 36-17 and a three-point bomb from the top of the key by senior guard Sarah Hart at the 14:55 mark made it a 39-17 game. The Fire's hopes weren't completely doused yet as junior guard Brooke Bowlin drained one trey from the top of the key at the 11:42 mark and a pretty lay-up in transition by freshman reserve guard Leigh Steiner at the 10:09 mark kept the flame burning but Holy Family simply was unable to establish a sustained run that would have seriously threatened a bigger and stronger Bulldog team. I think the thing that impressed me most about Plainview-Elgin-Millville is their guard play and the parts they have coming off the bench to supplement the backcourt play. Sure, Polson is a very solid post player and her play down low played a key role in the Bulldog's victory this afternoon. But these guards like Holtz, Hubbard and junior Morgan Shindelar can attack inside and play defense as well. When all these components are working together in harmony, Plainview-Elgin-Millville can be a very tough team to beat and the only blemish on this year's schedule - so far anyway - was a 56-55 overtime loss to Rochester Mayo right before the first of the year. Bulldog Head Coach Jason Melbostad was able to send in his reserves late and Plainview-Elgin-Millville cruised into the semifinals with a 59-38 victory.
A disappointed but upbeat Thompson of Holy Family admitted afterward that some nerves and not being able to execute the way they needed to led to her squad's downfall in this one. I did ask Thompson if getting here will prove to be a big boost for her program going forward. "Absolutely it does" she quickly replied noting that her team has worked hard all year and the young core of players coming back will benefit from this experience. On the Plainview-Elgin-Millville side, I got to speak with two of the Bulldog players - Hubbard and Holtz - about how well the guards play together on this squad and the common theme from both players was how long they've been playing together (6th grade as a matter of fact) and the time spent together really helps in knowing each other's tendencies and likes/dislikes and how that all translates to success on the court. Both players admitted the pressure in the state tournament setting is there; particularly as a number one seed but as Holtz told me, "It's nothing we can't handle." Bulldog Head Coach Jason Melbostad could only concur with what Hubbard and Holtz told me. "They know how to attack the rim....They've got a good feel for each other and they're very good at helping defend." Certainly if the backcourt group from Plainview-Elgin-Millville plays like the way they did today, they'll be very, very tough to beat. Dessner led the way for the Bulldogs on this day with her 12 points while Holtz chipped in with 11 points and senior guard Sarah Hart added 10 points. On the Holy Family side, both Bowlin and senior forward Molly Smith contributed 11 points and Smith would also tally 12 rebounds as well.
Los Angeles Rams
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Becker vs St. Paul Como Park 3-16-16
A late start prevented me from getting the first game this A.M. between Grand Rapids and Winona (won by second-seeded Winona) but the last of the Class AAA Quarterfinal games looked to be an intriguing one that pitted third-seeded St. Paul Como Park going up against unseeded Becker. On paper anyway, this one appeared to be a "W" for the high-flying Cougars and star senior forward Andrayah Adams but, as we found out yesterday.
For the Cougars, the objective had to be to get the ball to Andrayah Adams and let her do what she does but St. Paul Como Park missed out on several easy opportunities early on and the Bulldogs were only to happy to capitalize. A pair of treys - one by senior guard Alexa Hanowski at the 16:10 mark and another by fellow senior guard Amanda Lindsay - along with a Lindsay jumper along the right baseline at the 13:23 mark had Becker out in front 8-5 and although a short jumper by Andrayah Adams allowed the Cougars to close the gap to one point at 8-7, a lay-up by Lindsay after a steal eventually enabled the Bulldogs to grab a 13-9 lead by the 10:48 mark. But as good as Andrayah Adams is and all the attention she garners, the limelight in the first half was stolen by a relatively unknown 8th grade reserve guard, Mackenzie Kramer. She dazzled the crowd at Mariucci Arena with her behind the back and between the leg dribbles and scoring ability and with the Bulldogs holding a rather uncertain 19-14 lead, a couple of between the leg dribbles and a drive and finish by the kid with no nerves now had Becker up 21-14 with 6:45 left and two Lindsay free throws with 6:27 left upped the Bulldog lead to nine at 23-14 and by this point things were looking pretty rosy for the town located just north of the Twin Cities on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline. Down the stretch of the first half, however, the Becker offense stagnated somewhat and that gave the Cougars the opening they needed to get back into this one. One free throw by sophomoreguard Mikayla Van Nett with 5:04 left and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman post Elaina Jones with 4:03 left cut the Bulldog lead down to seven at 24-17 and a Van Nett lay-up in transition with 3:19 left cut even further into Becker's dwindling cushion at 24-19. Andrayah Adams, seemingly frustrated throughout much of the first half, finally found the range from three-point land with 1:49 left and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve guard Autumn Tucker now cut the Bulldog lead down to a scant point at 25-24 and all that early Becker momentum seemed to vanish into thin air at the halftime break.
A 9-2 opening run in the second half by Becker; highlighted by two scores in the paint by senior post Alex Johnson, had the Bulldogs up 34-26 and a beleaguered St. Paul Como Park Head Coach Alexis Gray-Lawson had no choice but to take a match to a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with her team. That stoppage in play paid dividends for the Cougars as they ratched up their defensive intensity and looked for any and all opportunities to use their speed in transition to whittle away at the Bulldog cushion. Two Van Nett free throws at the 14:00 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by sophomore guard Raiyne Adams at the 13:29 mark cut Becker's lead to six at 38-32 and a "3" from the right corner by eighth grade reserve guard Sydney Jackson had the Cougars closer trailing 39-35. Becker's own eighth grade phenom, Kramer, appeared to save the day for the Bulldogs with her three-point bomb at the 12:24 mark but St. Paul Como Park was not yet done with its offensive assault. A "3" from the left top area off the glass by Raiyne Adams at the 12:01 mark and one Jones free throw at the 11:06 mark cut the deficit to four points again at 43-39 and a Raiyne Adams lay-up in transition at the 10:28 mark had the Cougars back to within a single possession trailing 43-41. Sophomore reserve guard Autumn Tucker's short jumper tied the game at 43-all and it looked as if Becker may have been spent both physically and emotionally by this point. But this is where the Bulldogs were able to catch their collective breaths and put a halt to the St. Paul Como Park comeback attempt. A 5-0 Becker run; highlighted by a "3" from the top of the key by Lindsay with 7:49 left pushed the Bulldogs back to a 48-43 advantage but St. Paul Como Park would make another small push to close the gap to two points at 50-48 thanks to a lay-up by Van Nett with 7:03 left that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie. That's as close as the Cougars could get as a 5-0 Becker push capped by a score in the paint by Johnson with 5:39 left made it a 55-48 game. A Johnson offensive rebound for a putback put St. Paul Como Park further in the hole at 57-49 with 4:39 left and although the Cougars had numerous opportunities to make another run, missed lay-up attempts and, more importantly, missed free throws would doom St. Paul Como Park on this day as the Cougars left several crucial scoring opportunities on the table. With the Bulldogs hanging on by four points at 57-53, one Johnson free throw with 1:30 left and one by Lindsay with :56 left made it a 59-54 ballgame but a Van Nett trey from the right wing area with :39 left gave St. Paul Como Park one last wisp of hope. The Cougars fouled Becker's Hanowski with :21 left but the senior could only get the front end to go down for a 60-57 lead giving St. Paul Como Park one last ghost of a chance to tie this one in regulation. Van Nett would unleash a desperation three-point attempt with :06 left that missed its mark and fell safely into Hanowski's arms with :04 left. She was immediately fouled but this time Hanowski dropped both free throw attempts to seal Becker's upset win by a score of 62-57.
I asked a bubbly and enthusiastic Lindsay of Becker about this upset victory afterward and she was quick to admit that her early "3" in this game seemed to spark a lot of confidence in her on both ends of the floor. About those last few minutes when things were hanging in the balance? Lindsay: "We've played a lot of games this year that were close and we said 'You know what? It's just another game out there.....Go out there, keep your head up and do what we normally do.' " I also got a chance to chat with the eighth grader, Kramer, about this game and what it's like to be in this pressure cooker with her older teammates. "They (her teammates) don't really treat me like an eighth-grader so it really helps with team bonding." The performance that this youngster put on today was nothing short of remarkable. Though she didn't lead the team in scoring, her ten points and nine rebounds played a huge part in getting Becker this win today. Lindsay's 18 points led the way for the Bulldogs on this day and Johnson recorded a double-double with her 14 points and 18 rebounds. On the flip side, missed free throws cost St. Paul Como Park on this day as the went 12-26 for 46.2% for the game and that's simply not going to get the job done in a close game. Surprisingly, it was Van Nett's 14 points that led the way for the Cougars on this day while Raiyne Adams added 12 points and Andrayah Adams chipped in with 11 points.
For the Cougars, the objective had to be to get the ball to Andrayah Adams and let her do what she does but St. Paul Como Park missed out on several easy opportunities early on and the Bulldogs were only to happy to capitalize. A pair of treys - one by senior guard Alexa Hanowski at the 16:10 mark and another by fellow senior guard Amanda Lindsay - along with a Lindsay jumper along the right baseline at the 13:23 mark had Becker out in front 8-5 and although a short jumper by Andrayah Adams allowed the Cougars to close the gap to one point at 8-7, a lay-up by Lindsay after a steal eventually enabled the Bulldogs to grab a 13-9 lead by the 10:48 mark. But as good as Andrayah Adams is and all the attention she garners, the limelight in the first half was stolen by a relatively unknown 8th grade reserve guard, Mackenzie Kramer. She dazzled the crowd at Mariucci Arena with her behind the back and between the leg dribbles and scoring ability and with the Bulldogs holding a rather uncertain 19-14 lead, a couple of between the leg dribbles and a drive and finish by the kid with no nerves now had Becker up 21-14 with 6:45 left and two Lindsay free throws with 6:27 left upped the Bulldog lead to nine at 23-14 and by this point things were looking pretty rosy for the town located just north of the Twin Cities on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline. Down the stretch of the first half, however, the Becker offense stagnated somewhat and that gave the Cougars the opening they needed to get back into this one. One free throw by sophomoreguard Mikayla Van Nett with 5:04 left and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman post Elaina Jones with 4:03 left cut the Bulldog lead down to seven at 24-17 and a Van Nett lay-up in transition with 3:19 left cut even further into Becker's dwindling cushion at 24-19. Andrayah Adams, seemingly frustrated throughout much of the first half, finally found the range from three-point land with 1:49 left and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve guard Autumn Tucker now cut the Bulldog lead down to a scant point at 25-24 and all that early Becker momentum seemed to vanish into thin air at the halftime break.
A 9-2 opening run in the second half by Becker; highlighted by two scores in the paint by senior post Alex Johnson, had the Bulldogs up 34-26 and a beleaguered St. Paul Como Park Head Coach Alexis Gray-Lawson had no choice but to take a match to a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with her team. That stoppage in play paid dividends for the Cougars as they ratched up their defensive intensity and looked for any and all opportunities to use their speed in transition to whittle away at the Bulldog cushion. Two Van Nett free throws at the 14:00 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by sophomore guard Raiyne Adams at the 13:29 mark cut Becker's lead to six at 38-32 and a "3" from the right corner by eighth grade reserve guard Sydney Jackson had the Cougars closer trailing 39-35. Becker's own eighth grade phenom, Kramer, appeared to save the day for the Bulldogs with her three-point bomb at the 12:24 mark but St. Paul Como Park was not yet done with its offensive assault. A "3" from the left top area off the glass by Raiyne Adams at the 12:01 mark and one Jones free throw at the 11:06 mark cut the deficit to four points again at 43-39 and a Raiyne Adams lay-up in transition at the 10:28 mark had the Cougars back to within a single possession trailing 43-41. Sophomore reserve guard Autumn Tucker's short jumper tied the game at 43-all and it looked as if Becker may have been spent both physically and emotionally by this point. But this is where the Bulldogs were able to catch their collective breaths and put a halt to the St. Paul Como Park comeback attempt. A 5-0 Becker run; highlighted by a "3" from the top of the key by Lindsay with 7:49 left pushed the Bulldogs back to a 48-43 advantage but St. Paul Como Park would make another small push to close the gap to two points at 50-48 thanks to a lay-up by Van Nett with 7:03 left that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie. That's as close as the Cougars could get as a 5-0 Becker push capped by a score in the paint by Johnson with 5:39 left made it a 55-48 game. A Johnson offensive rebound for a putback put St. Paul Como Park further in the hole at 57-49 with 4:39 left and although the Cougars had numerous opportunities to make another run, missed lay-up attempts and, more importantly, missed free throws would doom St. Paul Como Park on this day as the Cougars left several crucial scoring opportunities on the table. With the Bulldogs hanging on by four points at 57-53, one Johnson free throw with 1:30 left and one by Lindsay with :56 left made it a 59-54 ballgame but a Van Nett trey from the right wing area with :39 left gave St. Paul Como Park one last wisp of hope. The Cougars fouled Becker's Hanowski with :21 left but the senior could only get the front end to go down for a 60-57 lead giving St. Paul Como Park one last ghost of a chance to tie this one in regulation. Van Nett would unleash a desperation three-point attempt with :06 left that missed its mark and fell safely into Hanowski's arms with :04 left. She was immediately fouled but this time Hanowski dropped both free throw attempts to seal Becker's upset win by a score of 62-57.
I asked a bubbly and enthusiastic Lindsay of Becker about this upset victory afterward and she was quick to admit that her early "3" in this game seemed to spark a lot of confidence in her on both ends of the floor. About those last few minutes when things were hanging in the balance? Lindsay: "We've played a lot of games this year that were close and we said 'You know what? It's just another game out there.....Go out there, keep your head up and do what we normally do.' " I also got a chance to chat with the eighth grader, Kramer, about this game and what it's like to be in this pressure cooker with her older teammates. "They (her teammates) don't really treat me like an eighth-grader so it really helps with team bonding." The performance that this youngster put on today was nothing short of remarkable. Though she didn't lead the team in scoring, her ten points and nine rebounds played a huge part in getting Becker this win today. Lindsay's 18 points led the way for the Bulldogs on this day and Johnson recorded a double-double with her 14 points and 18 rebounds. On the flip side, missed free throws cost St. Paul Como Park on this day as the went 12-26 for 46.2% for the game and that's simply not going to get the job done in a close game. Surprisingly, it was Van Nett's 14 points that led the way for the Cougars on this day while Raiyne Adams added 12 points and Andrayah Adams chipped in with 11 points.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Holy Angels vs Marshall 3-15-16
The last game at Target Center on this Tuesday night was the second Class AAA quarterfinal game featuring fourth-seeded Marshall going up against Holy Angels. The Tigers have been in this setting many times before and, just like Hutchinson in the first game, was definitely favored as a seeded team. The Stars were another unknown team to me although I'm definitely well-acquainted with one of their assistant coaches, Gary Rufsvold from his days at St. Kate's.
Holy Angels would build a 4-1 lead early in this contest on the strength of a jumper in the lane by sophomore forward Megan Meyer at the 13:47 mark but a barrage of three-point bombs by the Tigers in the span of a minute got Marshall with their nose out in front. Two by senior forward Marah Mulso from the right wing area at the 13:29 and 13:02 marks and one by fellow senior forward Emily Buysse from the left corner at the 12:31 mark had the Tigers out 10-4 and Holy Angels could have been rattled right then and there. The Stars, however, maintained their composure and battled right back; trimming the deficit to a single point at 10-9 by the 11:07 mark and a "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Megan Thompson at the 10:36 mark knotted the issue at 12 a piece. That bomb was the beginning of a 9-0 Star push that had Holy Angels out in front 18-12 with 8:59 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Riley Thalhuber with 7:34 left had the Stars up by a touchdown at 21-14. The lead would grow to as much as eleven points at 29-18 when Thalhuber connected with a short jumper off the glass and a "3" from the right top area by Meyer with 3:35 left bulged the advantage to twelve points at 32-20. Marshall would make a bit of an inroad on the deficit when Buysse drilled a "3" from the right wing area with :58 left and 8th grade reserve post Nyamer Diew dropped two freebies with :08.8 left that at least got the Tigers back to within single digits trailing 35-27 at the half but Marshall was still looking at an uphill battle going into the second half.
Marshall Head Coach Dan Westby's worst fears came true at the beginning of the second half when the Stars got a quick 4-0 burst to up their lead to 39-27 and even a thirty-second timeout would not alter the Tigers ultimate doom in this game as missed shots and defensive lapses would do in the two-time Class AAA title game participants. One of the big reasons was the emergence of Holy Angel senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich who simply carved up the Tigers in the second half. With the Stars holding 45-37 advantage, Bagwell-Katalinich was fouled down low at the 9:56 mark that got Holy Angels a 47-37 lead and a jumper by Bagwell-Katalinich at the 9:27 mark maintained the ten-point edge at 49-39. At the 9:12 mark Bagwell-Katalinich struck again with a steal and lay-up the other way that upped the margin to twelve points at 51-39 and the Stars were on their way. Bagwell-Katalinich would connect with a short jumper with 8:41 left and free throws by freshman forward Destinee Oberg with 7:41 and 7:01 left got the lead to 55-41. With 6:15 left Bagwell Katalinich snared an offensive rebound for a putback that made it 57-41 and Marshall never could sustain any meaningful run that may have put them back to within striking distance as Holy Angels cruised to a 69-47 victory.
A review of the box score on this night reveals what a monster night that Bagwell-Katalinich had in leading her Holy Angels team to victory. A double-double; 34 points along with 13 rebounds helped pave the way for the Stars into the semifinals on Thursday. Meyer was the only other player for Holy Angels in double figures with her 14 points. A disappointing finish for Marshall which has seemingly been accustomed to finding itself entrenched on the Big Stage on Saturday night but cold shooting and getting outrebounded did in the Tigers on this night. Mulso led Marshall on this night with her 14 points while senior forward Lexi Saugstad finished up her high school career with ten points in the losing effort.
Holy Angels would build a 4-1 lead early in this contest on the strength of a jumper in the lane by sophomore forward Megan Meyer at the 13:47 mark but a barrage of three-point bombs by the Tigers in the span of a minute got Marshall with their nose out in front. Two by senior forward Marah Mulso from the right wing area at the 13:29 and 13:02 marks and one by fellow senior forward Emily Buysse from the left corner at the 12:31 mark had the Tigers out 10-4 and Holy Angels could have been rattled right then and there. The Stars, however, maintained their composure and battled right back; trimming the deficit to a single point at 10-9 by the 11:07 mark and a "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Megan Thompson at the 10:36 mark knotted the issue at 12 a piece. That bomb was the beginning of a 9-0 Star push that had Holy Angels out in front 18-12 with 8:59 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Riley Thalhuber with 7:34 left had the Stars up by a touchdown at 21-14. The lead would grow to as much as eleven points at 29-18 when Thalhuber connected with a short jumper off the glass and a "3" from the right top area by Meyer with 3:35 left bulged the advantage to twelve points at 32-20. Marshall would make a bit of an inroad on the deficit when Buysse drilled a "3" from the right wing area with :58 left and 8th grade reserve post Nyamer Diew dropped two freebies with :08.8 left that at least got the Tigers back to within single digits trailing 35-27 at the half but Marshall was still looking at an uphill battle going into the second half.
Marshall Head Coach Dan Westby's worst fears came true at the beginning of the second half when the Stars got a quick 4-0 burst to up their lead to 39-27 and even a thirty-second timeout would not alter the Tigers ultimate doom in this game as missed shots and defensive lapses would do in the two-time Class AAA title game participants. One of the big reasons was the emergence of Holy Angel senior forward Laura Bagwell-Katalinich who simply carved up the Tigers in the second half. With the Stars holding 45-37 advantage, Bagwell-Katalinich was fouled down low at the 9:56 mark that got Holy Angels a 47-37 lead and a jumper by Bagwell-Katalinich at the 9:27 mark maintained the ten-point edge at 49-39. At the 9:12 mark Bagwell-Katalinich struck again with a steal and lay-up the other way that upped the margin to twelve points at 51-39 and the Stars were on their way. Bagwell-Katalinich would connect with a short jumper with 8:41 left and free throws by freshman forward Destinee Oberg with 7:41 and 7:01 left got the lead to 55-41. With 6:15 left Bagwell Katalinich snared an offensive rebound for a putback that made it 57-41 and Marshall never could sustain any meaningful run that may have put them back to within striking distance as Holy Angels cruised to a 69-47 victory.
A review of the box score on this night reveals what a monster night that Bagwell-Katalinich had in leading her Holy Angels team to victory. A double-double; 34 points along with 13 rebounds helped pave the way for the Stars into the semifinals on Thursday. Meyer was the only other player for Holy Angels in double figures with her 14 points. A disappointing finish for Marshall which has seemingly been accustomed to finding itself entrenched on the Big Stage on Saturday night but cold shooting and getting outrebounded did in the Tigers on this night. Mulso led Marshall on this night with her 14 points while senior forward Lexi Saugstad finished up her high school career with ten points in the losing effort.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - TR Falls vs Hutchinson 3-15-16
The first of the Class AAA quarterfinal games took place early Tuesday evening at Target Center and this one featured the number one seed Hutchinson going up against unheralded TR (Thief River) Falls from the northwest part of the state. Being unfamiliar with both of these squads, I was going to have to watch this one unfold although there was likely little doubt that the number one-seeded Tigers would be big favorites going into this game.
From the outset, it became obvious that the gameplan for the underdog Prowlers was to work the ball inside often and early to their two "bigs" - 6'1" sophomore post Tiahna Nicholson and 6'3" senior forward/post Jenna Tadych and that one-two punch proved to be quite a headache early on for heavily-favored Hutchinson. One short turn-around jumper at the 16:23 mark and a score in the paint at the 14:58 mark - both by Nicholson - had TR Falls up 6-3 and a short jumper in the lane off the glass by Tadych at the 13:49 mark made it an 8-3 ballgame. A jumper from the free throw line by Nicholson at the 12:23 mark made it a 10-3 Prowler lead and a Nicholson lay-up with 7:40 left had the Prowlers up nine at 13-4. While there was no need for Hutchinson to panic, they struggled mightily from the perimeter early in this contest as working the ball inside was a tough proposition with the two TR Falls "bigs". A "3" from the left wing by senior guard Meleah Biermaier with 5:07 left helped the Prowlers maintain the nine-point cushion at 18-9 but Hutchinson slowly scratched and clawed their way back. A lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Liz Lansink with 3:31 left and a lay-up in transition by fellow sophomore reserve guard Gabby Hahn with 3:07 left got the Tigers back to within a single possession trailing 18-15. The Prowlers were able to get the lead back to five points at 22-17 when Biermaier knocked down two free throw shots with 1:51 left but Hutchinson had another late first half burst left in them. A "3" from the right corner by freshman reserve guard Elizabeth Wortz with 1:20 left cut the TR Falls lead down to two points at 22-20 and although the Prowlers were able to get the lead to five points at 27-22 going into the locker room at the half, things did not feel nearly so good for the Prowlers as they did early on in this contest.
A score in the paint by Tadych at the 17:26 mark and a "3" by sophomore guard Kylea Praska at the 16:48 mark stretched the lead out to seven at 32-25 and had TR Falls feeling a bit better about itself but the number one-seeded Tigers were not going to let those good feelings last forever as the quickly and efficiently cut away at the Prowler cushion and eventually took their first lead at 35-34 since the early moments of the game at the 12:17 mark on two free throws by Hahn. Hutchinson would hold a two-point edge at 43-41 when the first sign of real trouble hit the Prowlers as their Twin Towers of Tadych and Nicholson both had four fouls on them and the situation put TR Falls Head Coach Jeff Loe in quite a predicament. Two Biermaier free throws with 6:38 left and a lay-up in transition by junior guard Morgan Kurth with 6:05 left had the Tigers up 48-44 and when both Tadych and Nicholson fouled out, TR Falls looked, for all intents and purposes, dead in the water. Kurth, who had a solid second half performance for Hutchinson on this day, connected on a lay-up with 4:31 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie with 4:31 left helped maintain the four-point edge at 50-46 and another Kurth lay-up with 3:55 left now had the Tigers up 52-46 and doom and gloom appeared to be the only hope for TR Falls now. Amazingly, the Prowlers battled their way back when all appeared lost. Praska uncorked a "3" from the right wing area with 3:09 left and a lay-up after a steal by senior guard Kelsey Kainz with 2:15 left suddenly tied the game at 53 a piece. Two free throws by the Tigers junior reserve guard Paige Wiehr with 2:02 left looked to stabilize the issue for Hutchinson now up 55-53 but TR Falls' Praska was sent to the line as well with 1:53 left for two free throws which again tied the game at 55 a piece. Wiehr would respond again for her Tiger teammates with a jumper with 1:32 left but then Praska unleashed a deadly trey with 1:15 left that thrust TR Falls back into the lead for good at 58-57. Hutchinson would turn the ball over on its next possession and with :45 left, Praska got fouled and her two free throws with :45 left now made it a 60-57 game. Still plenty of time left for Hutchinson on their next possession but their three-point attempts came up dry when they absolutely needed something and the Prowlers Kainz was fouled on a defensive rebound with :21.6 left. While she missed the front end, her back end attempt found its mark for a 61-57 TR Falls lead. Wiehr got a lay-up to go down with :06.6 for Hutchinson to cut it to a 61-59 game and when the Prowlers Biermaier was unable to knock down free throw attempts with :05.9 left, Hutchinson had one last gasp of a chance but a missed jumper by senior forward Erin Corrigan sealed the Tigers fate and TR Falls scored a huge upset by a count of 61-59 over top-seeded Hutchinson.
From the outset, it became obvious that the gameplan for the underdog Prowlers was to work the ball inside often and early to their two "bigs" - 6'1" sophomore post Tiahna Nicholson and 6'3" senior forward/post Jenna Tadych and that one-two punch proved to be quite a headache early on for heavily-favored Hutchinson. One short turn-around jumper at the 16:23 mark and a score in the paint at the 14:58 mark - both by Nicholson - had TR Falls up 6-3 and a short jumper in the lane off the glass by Tadych at the 13:49 mark made it an 8-3 ballgame. A jumper from the free throw line by Nicholson at the 12:23 mark made it a 10-3 Prowler lead and a Nicholson lay-up with 7:40 left had the Prowlers up nine at 13-4. While there was no need for Hutchinson to panic, they struggled mightily from the perimeter early in this contest as working the ball inside was a tough proposition with the two TR Falls "bigs". A "3" from the left wing by senior guard Meleah Biermaier with 5:07 left helped the Prowlers maintain the nine-point cushion at 18-9 but Hutchinson slowly scratched and clawed their way back. A lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Liz Lansink with 3:31 left and a lay-up in transition by fellow sophomore reserve guard Gabby Hahn with 3:07 left got the Tigers back to within a single possession trailing 18-15. The Prowlers were able to get the lead back to five points at 22-17 when Biermaier knocked down two free throw shots with 1:51 left but Hutchinson had another late first half burst left in them. A "3" from the right corner by freshman reserve guard Elizabeth Wortz with 1:20 left cut the TR Falls lead down to two points at 22-20 and although the Prowlers were able to get the lead to five points at 27-22 going into the locker room at the half, things did not feel nearly so good for the Prowlers as they did early on in this contest.
A score in the paint by Tadych at the 17:26 mark and a "3" by sophomore guard Kylea Praska at the 16:48 mark stretched the lead out to seven at 32-25 and had TR Falls feeling a bit better about itself but the number one-seeded Tigers were not going to let those good feelings last forever as the quickly and efficiently cut away at the Prowler cushion and eventually took their first lead at 35-34 since the early moments of the game at the 12:17 mark on two free throws by Hahn. Hutchinson would hold a two-point edge at 43-41 when the first sign of real trouble hit the Prowlers as their Twin Towers of Tadych and Nicholson both had four fouls on them and the situation put TR Falls Head Coach Jeff Loe in quite a predicament. Two Biermaier free throws with 6:38 left and a lay-up in transition by junior guard Morgan Kurth with 6:05 left had the Tigers up 48-44 and when both Tadych and Nicholson fouled out, TR Falls looked, for all intents and purposes, dead in the water. Kurth, who had a solid second half performance for Hutchinson on this day, connected on a lay-up with 4:31 left that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie with 4:31 left helped maintain the four-point edge at 50-46 and another Kurth lay-up with 3:55 left now had the Tigers up 52-46 and doom and gloom appeared to be the only hope for TR Falls now. Amazingly, the Prowlers battled their way back when all appeared lost. Praska uncorked a "3" from the right wing area with 3:09 left and a lay-up after a steal by senior guard Kelsey Kainz with 2:15 left suddenly tied the game at 53 a piece. Two free throws by the Tigers junior reserve guard Paige Wiehr with 2:02 left looked to stabilize the issue for Hutchinson now up 55-53 but TR Falls' Praska was sent to the line as well with 1:53 left for two free throws which again tied the game at 55 a piece. Wiehr would respond again for her Tiger teammates with a jumper with 1:32 left but then Praska unleashed a deadly trey with 1:15 left that thrust TR Falls back into the lead for good at 58-57. Hutchinson would turn the ball over on its next possession and with :45 left, Praska got fouled and her two free throws with :45 left now made it a 60-57 game. Still plenty of time left for Hutchinson on their next possession but their three-point attempts came up dry when they absolutely needed something and the Prowlers Kainz was fouled on a defensive rebound with :21.6 left. While she missed the front end, her back end attempt found its mark for a 61-57 TR Falls lead. Wiehr got a lay-up to go down with :06.6 for Hutchinson to cut it to a 61-59 game and when the Prowlers Biermaier was unable to knock down free throw attempts with :05.9 left, Hutchinson had one last gasp of a chance but a missed jumper by senior forward Erin Corrigan sealed the Tigers fate and TR Falls scored a huge upset by a count of 61-59 over top-seeded Hutchinson.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Anoka vs Minnetonka 3-15-16
The fourth and final Class AAAA quarterfinal game pitted another Northwest Suburban Conference team, Anoka, going up against heavily favored Minnetonka. And although the Skippers would be a prohibitive favorite in this game, STMA found out the hard way that you'd better not take anyone for granted once you're on the Big Stage.
Surprisingly it would be the Tornadoes setting the tempo of this one early on. Two lay-ups by senior guard Naomi Torgerson - one at the 15:32 mark and another one at the 13:23 mark - helped Anoka forge an 8-6 advantage and a score in the paint by junior post Brittany Bongartz at the 11:52 mark upped the Tornado advantage to 10-6. The Skippers would come right back, however, as a "3" from the top of the key at the 11:15 mark by sophomore reserve guard Megan Walker and a lay-up by senior forward Courtney Fredrickson along with an offensive rebound and putback by lanky sophomore guard Chrissy Carr knotted the issue at 13-all with 8:44 left. The teams would trade small leads over the next four minutes and after Naomi Torgerson put Anoka up 19-17 with her steal and lay-up the other way with 5:07 left, Minnetonka made its first decisive move in the form of a 9-0 run; sparked by senior forward Lizzie Odegard as the Skippers found themselves up 26-19 with 3:07 left. Two free throws by Anoka junior forward Abby Slater with 2:58 left temporarily stopped the bleeding but then a 9-0 Skipper blitz put the Tornadoes in further doo-doo. One score in the paint by Odegard with 2:42 left and a "3" from the right top area by senior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 2:02 left gave Minnetonka a ten-point cushion at 31-21. A steal and lay-up the other way by the athletic Carr with 1:40 left and two free throws by Walker with 1:10 left capped this run and although Naomi Torgerson was able to sink a "3" from the right wing with :35 left, Anoka found themselves on the wrong end of a 38-27 score at the half.
A quick 6-0 run by the Skippers to start the second half helped put this one out of reach for Anoka as a Carr steal and lay-up the other way at the 16:53 mark and a lay-up in transition by senior guard Grace Allen at the 15:21 mark helped up the Minnetonka lead to 44-27 and a Carr lay-up at the 14:34 mark made it a 46-29 ballgame. Tornado Head Coach Scott Antl, realizing that this one was quickly getting away from his squad, called a timeout to try and turn the tide but there would be no comeback on this day. The Skippers stretched the lead to 53-30 by the 10:50 mark. Two scores by Walker - a "3" from the left top area and a lay-up in transition helped Minnetonka stretch the lead even further at 63-30 and the rout was on. Numerous Anoka turnovers and easy Skipper transition shots helped fuel this second half blitz. The proud Tornadoes certainly did not give up the fight as two free throws by Naomi Torgerson with 7:49 left and two more by Bongartz with 6:17 left helped make dents but Anoka never could sustain any meaningful run. Minnetonka Head Coach Leah Dasovich sent in her subs for mop-up duty late as the Skippers rolled into the semifinals with a convincing 71-40 victory.
I asked Minnetonka's Fredrickson; who was one of three Skippers to finish this game with ten points, if she felt that this team has something to prove now that they've finally reached their long-standing goal of getting to state. "Definitely.....I think we've been very underrated and underlooked" and added that she and her team are playing "with a chip on their shoulder". Skipper Head Coach Leah Dasovich concurred with Fredrickson's statement and added that her squad came out of a very challenging section (in defeating Shakopee) but when the sections were realigned after last season and the Skippers found themselves placed in a section that didn't include longtime rival Hopkins, it was "a new opportunity for life". Needless to say, Minnetonka has - so far anyway - made the most of this second chance. On the other side, Anoka Head Coach Scott Antl admitted that the Skippers "wore us down"; adding that their ability to be physical hurt his team in the long run. "And we're a little banged up" he added; noting that his post player suffered an ankle injury last week. I asked Torgerson, who had a terrific high school career for the Tornadoes, what was going on when Minnetonka went on that quick 6-0 run to begin the second half. "I was just trying to get them back together....Just get them calmed down and play together and play defense." Indeed, her 17 points on this day led the way for Anoka in the losing effort and her playmaking ability; not to mention her leadership, will be sorely missed by Antl and his staff.
Surprisingly it would be the Tornadoes setting the tempo of this one early on. Two lay-ups by senior guard Naomi Torgerson - one at the 15:32 mark and another one at the 13:23 mark - helped Anoka forge an 8-6 advantage and a score in the paint by junior post Brittany Bongartz at the 11:52 mark upped the Tornado advantage to 10-6. The Skippers would come right back, however, as a "3" from the top of the key at the 11:15 mark by sophomore reserve guard Megan Walker and a lay-up by senior forward Courtney Fredrickson along with an offensive rebound and putback by lanky sophomore guard Chrissy Carr knotted the issue at 13-all with 8:44 left. The teams would trade small leads over the next four minutes and after Naomi Torgerson put Anoka up 19-17 with her steal and lay-up the other way with 5:07 left, Minnetonka made its first decisive move in the form of a 9-0 run; sparked by senior forward Lizzie Odegard as the Skippers found themselves up 26-19 with 3:07 left. Two free throws by Anoka junior forward Abby Slater with 2:58 left temporarily stopped the bleeding but then a 9-0 Skipper blitz put the Tornadoes in further doo-doo. One score in the paint by Odegard with 2:42 left and a "3" from the right top area by senior guard Hannah Hedstrom with 2:02 left gave Minnetonka a ten-point cushion at 31-21. A steal and lay-up the other way by the athletic Carr with 1:40 left and two free throws by Walker with 1:10 left capped this run and although Naomi Torgerson was able to sink a "3" from the right wing with :35 left, Anoka found themselves on the wrong end of a 38-27 score at the half.
A quick 6-0 run by the Skippers to start the second half helped put this one out of reach for Anoka as a Carr steal and lay-up the other way at the 16:53 mark and a lay-up in transition by senior guard Grace Allen at the 15:21 mark helped up the Minnetonka lead to 44-27 and a Carr lay-up at the 14:34 mark made it a 46-29 ballgame. Tornado Head Coach Scott Antl, realizing that this one was quickly getting away from his squad, called a timeout to try and turn the tide but there would be no comeback on this day. The Skippers stretched the lead to 53-30 by the 10:50 mark. Two scores by Walker - a "3" from the left top area and a lay-up in transition helped Minnetonka stretch the lead even further at 63-30 and the rout was on. Numerous Anoka turnovers and easy Skipper transition shots helped fuel this second half blitz. The proud Tornadoes certainly did not give up the fight as two free throws by Naomi Torgerson with 7:49 left and two more by Bongartz with 6:17 left helped make dents but Anoka never could sustain any meaningful run. Minnetonka Head Coach Leah Dasovich sent in her subs for mop-up duty late as the Skippers rolled into the semifinals with a convincing 71-40 victory.
I asked Minnetonka's Fredrickson; who was one of three Skippers to finish this game with ten points, if she felt that this team has something to prove now that they've finally reached their long-standing goal of getting to state. "Definitely.....I think we've been very underrated and underlooked" and added that she and her team are playing "with a chip on their shoulder". Skipper Head Coach Leah Dasovich concurred with Fredrickson's statement and added that her squad came out of a very challenging section (in defeating Shakopee) but when the sections were realigned after last season and the Skippers found themselves placed in a section that didn't include longtime rival Hopkins, it was "a new opportunity for life". Needless to say, Minnetonka has - so far anyway - made the most of this second chance. On the other side, Anoka Head Coach Scott Antl admitted that the Skippers "wore us down"; adding that their ability to be physical hurt his team in the long run. "And we're a little banged up" he added; noting that his post player suffered an ankle injury last week. I asked Torgerson, who had a terrific high school career for the Tornadoes, what was going on when Minnetonka went on that quick 6-0 run to begin the second half. "I was just trying to get them back together....Just get them calmed down and play together and play defense." Indeed, her 17 points on this day led the way for Anoka in the losing effort and her playmaking ability; not to mention her leadership, will be sorely missed by Antl and his staff.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - White Bear Lake vs STMA 3-15-16
The third Class AAAA semifinal on this day pitted underdog White Bear Lake going up against number two-seed STMA. Both students sections were roaring and ready to go for this one and both squads were experienced in this setting as were the coaches - White Bear Lake's Jeremy Post and STMA's Kent Hamre. The Knights got the second seed by virtue of their 27-2 record but don't tell the opposing Bears that as they were geared up for this battle.
And it was no surprise that this one was tight in the opening minutes with STMA holding a tenuous 7-6 lead by the 13:03 mark. A "3" from the right corner by junior guard Rae Johnson at the 9:19 mark increased the cushion to four points at 13-9 but White Bear Lake was able to come right back and knot the issue at 13 a piece with 6:45 left after a lay-up by senior reserve forward Makala Keefe. The Knights were able to get another lead at 16-13 but the Bears Keefe answered the call with her "3" from the left top area with 5:52 left. STMA looked like it may have made its first decisive move of the contest after a running jumper in the lane by junior guard Lizzy Heil with 5:11 left and two free throws by senior guard Kitri Zezza had the Knights up 20-16 with 4:48 left. Senior guard Sydney Tracy's jumper from the left elbow area maintained the four-point cushion at 22-18 and a Zezza freebie with 3:32 left upped the lead to five at 23-18. But White Bear Lake's Keefe saved the Bears bacon again as she got into the paint for one score with 3:14 left and was able to drop one free throw after being fouled in transition with 2:59 left that cut STMA's lead down to 23-21. Zezza would connect on a drive and finish with 1:44 left for the Knights but a lay-up by Keefe with :53 left in the first half had STMA going into the locker room at the half with a very uncertain 26-23 lead.
The Knights set out to try and correct the mistakes and missed opportunities from the first half and along the way they built a 32-25 lead and at that point it definitely looked like White Bear Lake might be in some real trouble. But the Bears were able to keep their composure and they smartly got their way back into the contest. Junior guard Alison Hinck connected on a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and the ensuing freebie cut STMA's lead down to four at 32-28. One Rae Johnson free throw at the 15:06 mark upped the Knight lead to five at 33-28 but the first sign of real trouble for STMA came shortly thereafter when Bear junior reserve guard Alexa Molin drained a "3" at the 14:50 mark that cut the Knight lead down to 33-31 and a score in the paint by senior post Kate Brabenec at the 14:16 mark knotted the issue at 33 a piece. After a Rae Johnson lay-up at the 13:05 mark put STMA back up briefly at 37-35, the Bears took their first lead of the afternoon at the 12:55 mark when Brabenec got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her obligatory free throw suddenly made it 38-37 White Bear Lake. The teams would then trade small leads seven minutes as this one hung precariously in the balance for both squads. With the Bears holding a tenuous 54-53 lead with under four minutes to play in regulation, senior forward Taite Anderson's lay-up with 3:28 left upped the lead to 56-53 but a Tracy score in the paint with 3:01 cut the deficit to one point for STMA trailing 56-55. A strong drive and finish by Rae Johnson with 2:34 left put the Knights back out in front at 57-56 and one free throw by 8th greade reserve post Vanessa Alexander with 2:13 left upped the lead to 58-56. An Anderson score in the paint with 1:55 left tied things up for White Bear lake at 58 a piece but when Rae Johnson was sent to the line after being fouled with 1:47 left, her two free throws put STMA back out in front 60-58. Now it was the Bears turn to respond and they did just that less than twenty seconds later as Hinck connected with a lay-up with 1:30 left for a 60-all deadlock. Both the Bears and the Knights had a chance to possibly win it from the charity stripe late but both Hinck and Tracy, respectively, could not knock down the freebies. White Bear Lake turned the ball over on its last possession and Zezza could only launch a desperation shot with less than a second left for STMA so off we went to overtime tied at 60 with the crowd in Target Center screaming its collective lungs out.
Two Hinck free throws with 3:11 left in the extra overtime period gave the Bears a 62-60 lead but a pretty running jumper in the lane by Rae Johnson helped tie this one up at 62-all for STMA. With 2:01 left the score was tied again at 64 with seemingly neither side willing to budge an inch but with just over a minute left, White Bear Lake delivered a crushing blow to the second-seeded Knights hopes as Molin uncorked a dagger three-point bomb from the left wing area for a 67-64 Bear lead and after Heil couldn't connect with a jumper on STMA's subsequent possession, Molin was fouled with :35 left and her two free throws mad it a 69-64 game that clearly had the Knights on the ropes. A "3" from the top of the key by Zezza with :24.3 left got STMA back to within single digits trailing 69-67 but now the Knights had to foul and well. Bear sophomore forward Jordan Ferrand got sent to the line with :16.6 left where she made the front end but the back end rattled out and went into Tracy's hands for STMA. The eighth-grader; Alexander, was able connect with a short shot with :04 left that cut the White Bear Lake lead down to one point at 70-69 but again, the Knights had no choice but to foul and hope for the best. With :02.8 left, White Bear Lake's Molin was fouled and she calmly stepped to the charity stripe and sank two free throws with ice water in her veins for a 72-69 lead. STMA was unable to get a desperation three-point attempt off before the buzzer and White Bear Lake fired the first shot of this 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament with a 72-69 upset.
White Bear Lake Head Coach Jeremy Post talked afterward about how he wanted his squad to "play with no regrets" and how they had to "fight tooth and nail" in this one. "We made some mistakes but when it mattered the most we didn't.....We got a second chance to show who we are and we think we're pretty good." I got to ask Molin about the late "3" she hit in regulation if she really wanted to necessarily take the shot but her teammates surrounding her quickly chimed in with "We wanted her to take that shot!" Not surprisingly, it was Molin's 15 points that led the way for the Bears on this afternoon. On the other side, I asked STMA's Hamre about how the early second half seven point lead was lost and what transpired. "It wasn't the way we wanted to play" he lamented and added that "we forced some things". Hamre also pooh-poohed the notion about the added pressure of being the number two seed in this state tournament by saying that "these girls have had pressure on them all year long." A heartbroken Zezza painfully admitted that her team may have rushed things a bit too much and may have panicked when that early second half lead was lost. Not surprisingly, it was Rae Johnson who led the way for STMA in the losing effort with her 21 points whize Zezza was right behind with her 18 points.
And it was no surprise that this one was tight in the opening minutes with STMA holding a tenuous 7-6 lead by the 13:03 mark. A "3" from the right corner by junior guard Rae Johnson at the 9:19 mark increased the cushion to four points at 13-9 but White Bear Lake was able to come right back and knot the issue at 13 a piece with 6:45 left after a lay-up by senior reserve forward Makala Keefe. The Knights were able to get another lead at 16-13 but the Bears Keefe answered the call with her "3" from the left top area with 5:52 left. STMA looked like it may have made its first decisive move of the contest after a running jumper in the lane by junior guard Lizzy Heil with 5:11 left and two free throws by senior guard Kitri Zezza had the Knights up 20-16 with 4:48 left. Senior guard Sydney Tracy's jumper from the left elbow area maintained the four-point cushion at 22-18 and a Zezza freebie with 3:32 left upped the lead to five at 23-18. But White Bear Lake's Keefe saved the Bears bacon again as she got into the paint for one score with 3:14 left and was able to drop one free throw after being fouled in transition with 2:59 left that cut STMA's lead down to 23-21. Zezza would connect on a drive and finish with 1:44 left for the Knights but a lay-up by Keefe with :53 left in the first half had STMA going into the locker room at the half with a very uncertain 26-23 lead.
The Knights set out to try and correct the mistakes and missed opportunities from the first half and along the way they built a 32-25 lead and at that point it definitely looked like White Bear Lake might be in some real trouble. But the Bears were able to keep their composure and they smartly got their way back into the contest. Junior guard Alison Hinck connected on a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and the ensuing freebie cut STMA's lead down to four at 32-28. One Rae Johnson free throw at the 15:06 mark upped the Knight lead to five at 33-28 but the first sign of real trouble for STMA came shortly thereafter when Bear junior reserve guard Alexa Molin drained a "3" at the 14:50 mark that cut the Knight lead down to 33-31 and a score in the paint by senior post Kate Brabenec at the 14:16 mark knotted the issue at 33 a piece. After a Rae Johnson lay-up at the 13:05 mark put STMA back up briefly at 37-35, the Bears took their first lead of the afternoon at the 12:55 mark when Brabenec got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her obligatory free throw suddenly made it 38-37 White Bear Lake. The teams would then trade small leads seven minutes as this one hung precariously in the balance for both squads. With the Bears holding a tenuous 54-53 lead with under four minutes to play in regulation, senior forward Taite Anderson's lay-up with 3:28 left upped the lead to 56-53 but a Tracy score in the paint with 3:01 cut the deficit to one point for STMA trailing 56-55. A strong drive and finish by Rae Johnson with 2:34 left put the Knights back out in front at 57-56 and one free throw by 8th greade reserve post Vanessa Alexander with 2:13 left upped the lead to 58-56. An Anderson score in the paint with 1:55 left tied things up for White Bear lake at 58 a piece but when Rae Johnson was sent to the line after being fouled with 1:47 left, her two free throws put STMA back out in front 60-58. Now it was the Bears turn to respond and they did just that less than twenty seconds later as Hinck connected with a lay-up with 1:30 left for a 60-all deadlock. Both the Bears and the Knights had a chance to possibly win it from the charity stripe late but both Hinck and Tracy, respectively, could not knock down the freebies. White Bear Lake turned the ball over on its last possession and Zezza could only launch a desperation shot with less than a second left for STMA so off we went to overtime tied at 60 with the crowd in Target Center screaming its collective lungs out.
Two Hinck free throws with 3:11 left in the extra overtime period gave the Bears a 62-60 lead but a pretty running jumper in the lane by Rae Johnson helped tie this one up at 62-all for STMA. With 2:01 left the score was tied again at 64 with seemingly neither side willing to budge an inch but with just over a minute left, White Bear Lake delivered a crushing blow to the second-seeded Knights hopes as Molin uncorked a dagger three-point bomb from the left wing area for a 67-64 Bear lead and after Heil couldn't connect with a jumper on STMA's subsequent possession, Molin was fouled with :35 left and her two free throws mad it a 69-64 game that clearly had the Knights on the ropes. A "3" from the top of the key by Zezza with :24.3 left got STMA back to within single digits trailing 69-67 but now the Knights had to foul and well. Bear sophomore forward Jordan Ferrand got sent to the line with :16.6 left where she made the front end but the back end rattled out and went into Tracy's hands for STMA. The eighth-grader; Alexander, was able connect with a short shot with :04 left that cut the White Bear Lake lead down to one point at 70-69 but again, the Knights had no choice but to foul and hope for the best. With :02.8 left, White Bear Lake's Molin was fouled and she calmly stepped to the charity stripe and sank two free throws with ice water in her veins for a 72-69 lead. STMA was unable to get a desperation three-point attempt off before the buzzer and White Bear Lake fired the first shot of this 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament with a 72-69 upset.
White Bear Lake Head Coach Jeremy Post talked afterward about how he wanted his squad to "play with no regrets" and how they had to "fight tooth and nail" in this one. "We made some mistakes but when it mattered the most we didn't.....We got a second chance to show who we are and we think we're pretty good." I got to ask Molin about the late "3" she hit in regulation if she really wanted to necessarily take the shot but her teammates surrounding her quickly chimed in with "We wanted her to take that shot!" Not surprisingly, it was Molin's 15 points that led the way for the Bears on this afternoon. On the other side, I asked STMA's Hamre about how the early second half seven point lead was lost and what transpired. "It wasn't the way we wanted to play" he lamented and added that "we forced some things". Hamre also pooh-poohed the notion about the added pressure of being the number two seed in this state tournament by saying that "these girls have had pressure on them all year long." A heartbroken Zezza painfully admitted that her team may have rushed things a bit too much and may have panicked when that early second half lead was lost. Not surprisingly, it was Rae Johnson who led the way for STMA in the losing effort with her 21 points whize Zezza was right behind with her 18 points.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Lakeville North vs Eastview 3-15-16
The second game on tap on this Tuesday at Target Center featured an intriguing match-ups of two teams who have been here many times before - Lakeville North and Eastview. Not having seen these two teams play this season I wasn't quite sure what to expect but the Lightning; who finished as runners-up in last years AAAA field maybe had a little more to prove in this game. At the same time, you couldn't count out the Panthers chances either.
With Eastview as the number four seed and Lakeville North as the number five seed, I expected this to be a tight contest and, given the fact that these two longtime South Suburban Conference rivals knew each other well, it was a given that this could be a good one despite the fact that the Lightning swept the regular season meetings between the two teams. Lanky Eastview junior guard Rachel Ranke had something of a hot hand early on; draining one trey from the right wing at the 13:47 mark and drilling another trey at the 12:27 mark to forge an 8-4 Lightning advantage. Lakeville North meanwhile struggled mightily from the perimeter and blew several easy transition lay-up chances and it didn't help the Panther cause when senior guard Sarah Krynski picked up her second foul that sent her to the bench for a spell. As it was, Eastview was able to stretch the lead as two scores by lanky sophomore forward Megan Walstad - a rebound and putback with 8:19 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 7:35 left made it a 12-4 ballgame. Two Ranke free throws with 7:06 left and a Ranke offensive rebound and putback with 5:57 left gave the Lightning a ten-point cushion at 16-6 and a Walstad drive into the lane and finish that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had the Panthers in a hole trailing 19-8. Lakeville North finally found a bit of a spark when junior guard Olivia Bruce banged home a "3" from the left wing area that cut the Lightning lead down to eight at 19-11 with 4:46 left but it would be an uphill climb for the Panthers down the stretch of the first half. Eastview built their lead back up to double digits on a score in the paint by Walstad with 4:32 left and on a offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve forward Miranda Crenshaw with 2:06 left. Lakeville North avoided a complete disaster as junior point guard Temi Carda was able to connect on a lay-up in transition with just :01 left but going into the locker room trailing 25-13, the Panthers had their work cut out for them in the second half.
Lakeville North needed some sort of spark to regenerate its hopes going into the second half and an opening 7-0 Panther spurt suggested that they had found it. Senior post Jessica Montouri knocked down two free throws at the 17:44 mark and then followed that up with a score in the paint at the 16:36 mark. Senior guard Claire Blascziek then drained a "3" from the right wing area that suddenly had Lakeville North right back within striking distance trailing 25-20 and Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper wasted no time in calling a thirty-second timeout to get her squad reorganized and calmed down. That short stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Lightning hunkered down and effectively choked off the Panther offensive strikes. A Walstad score in the paint at the 15:25 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up by Ranke at the 14:03 mark got the lead back up to nine at 29-20 and two more Lightning scores; including a strong offensive rebound and putback by Crenshaw at the 12:36 mark gave Eastview a 33-20 advantage. Unfortunately for Lakeville North, not only did the revert to their old bad habits of not being able to connect from the perimeter but they also could not cash in from the charity stripe either. Sophomore reserve post Kiara James was unable to drop two pairs of free throw attempts at the 12:17 and 11:22 mark and the Lightning pounced on the missed opportunities. One Walstad freebie at the 10:34 mark and two three-point bombs by junior guard Allie Pickrain - one with 7:50 left and another with 6:42 left - gave Eastview a cozy 40-22 lead. Two Pickrain free throws with 2:59 left increased the lead to 48-27 and the Lightning; despite a late Lakeville North rally, cruised into the semifinals with a 52-35 victory.
A disappointed Panther Head Coach Shelly Clemons could only heap praise on her South Suburban Conference rival. "They (Eastview) run their offense extremely well" she said. Lakeville North shot a dismal 20% from FG range in the first half and were even colder behind the arc (12.5%) and Clemmons admitted that Eastview's zone defense definitely had an adverse effect on her squad. On the Eastview side, Ranke; who finished this contest with 16 points, said that her team "had to come out with a lot of energy and intensity because they (Lakeville North) were really going to run the court." Going forward into the semifinal with Hopkins on Thursday, Pickrain just said that her team just has to focus and "lock down....play like we know we can....and play with heart." Walstad led the Lightning with 18 points but more importantly, Eastview owned the boards in this contest by a whopping 22-12 margin. Krynski led Lakeville North with her nine points while Montouri added eight.
With Eastview as the number four seed and Lakeville North as the number five seed, I expected this to be a tight contest and, given the fact that these two longtime South Suburban Conference rivals knew each other well, it was a given that this could be a good one despite the fact that the Lightning swept the regular season meetings between the two teams. Lanky Eastview junior guard Rachel Ranke had something of a hot hand early on; draining one trey from the right wing at the 13:47 mark and drilling another trey at the 12:27 mark to forge an 8-4 Lightning advantage. Lakeville North meanwhile struggled mightily from the perimeter and blew several easy transition lay-up chances and it didn't help the Panther cause when senior guard Sarah Krynski picked up her second foul that sent her to the bench for a spell. As it was, Eastview was able to stretch the lead as two scores by lanky sophomore forward Megan Walstad - a rebound and putback with 8:19 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 7:35 left made it a 12-4 ballgame. Two Ranke free throws with 7:06 left and a Ranke offensive rebound and putback with 5:57 left gave the Lightning a ten-point cushion at 16-6 and a Walstad drive into the lane and finish that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had the Panthers in a hole trailing 19-8. Lakeville North finally found a bit of a spark when junior guard Olivia Bruce banged home a "3" from the left wing area that cut the Lightning lead down to eight at 19-11 with 4:46 left but it would be an uphill climb for the Panthers down the stretch of the first half. Eastview built their lead back up to double digits on a score in the paint by Walstad with 4:32 left and on a offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve forward Miranda Crenshaw with 2:06 left. Lakeville North avoided a complete disaster as junior point guard Temi Carda was able to connect on a lay-up in transition with just :01 left but going into the locker room trailing 25-13, the Panthers had their work cut out for them in the second half.
Lakeville North needed some sort of spark to regenerate its hopes going into the second half and an opening 7-0 Panther spurt suggested that they had found it. Senior post Jessica Montouri knocked down two free throws at the 17:44 mark and then followed that up with a score in the paint at the 16:36 mark. Senior guard Claire Blascziek then drained a "3" from the right wing area that suddenly had Lakeville North right back within striking distance trailing 25-20 and Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper wasted no time in calling a thirty-second timeout to get her squad reorganized and calmed down. That short stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Lightning hunkered down and effectively choked off the Panther offensive strikes. A Walstad score in the paint at the 15:25 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up by Ranke at the 14:03 mark got the lead back up to nine at 29-20 and two more Lightning scores; including a strong offensive rebound and putback by Crenshaw at the 12:36 mark gave Eastview a 33-20 advantage. Unfortunately for Lakeville North, not only did the revert to their old bad habits of not being able to connect from the perimeter but they also could not cash in from the charity stripe either. Sophomore reserve post Kiara James was unable to drop two pairs of free throw attempts at the 12:17 and 11:22 mark and the Lightning pounced on the missed opportunities. One Walstad freebie at the 10:34 mark and two three-point bombs by junior guard Allie Pickrain - one with 7:50 left and another with 6:42 left - gave Eastview a cozy 40-22 lead. Two Pickrain free throws with 2:59 left increased the lead to 48-27 and the Lightning; despite a late Lakeville North rally, cruised into the semifinals with a 52-35 victory.
A disappointed Panther Head Coach Shelly Clemons could only heap praise on her South Suburban Conference rival. "They (Eastview) run their offense extremely well" she said. Lakeville North shot a dismal 20% from FG range in the first half and were even colder behind the arc (12.5%) and Clemmons admitted that Eastview's zone defense definitely had an adverse effect on her squad. On the Eastview side, Ranke; who finished this contest with 16 points, said that her team "had to come out with a lot of energy and intensity because they (Lakeville North) were really going to run the court." Going forward into the semifinal with Hopkins on Thursday, Pickrain just said that her team just has to focus and "lock down....play like we know we can....and play with heart." Walstad led the Lightning with 18 points but more importantly, Eastview owned the boards in this contest by a whopping 22-12 margin. Krynski led Lakeville North with her nine points while Montouri added eight.
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