After doing the color commentary of the Bethel vs St. Olaf 1:00 P.M. game in which the Oles emerged victorious, I hustled my butt over to Coon Rapids to catch what I could of the 3:00 P.M. game between host Anoka-Ramsey and Gogebic Community College located in Ironwood, Michigan. I got there and got settled in at the 5:08 mark of this first half as Anoka-Ramsey was up 26-19. Not surprisingly, Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt was in full form as well as he made his displeasure felt after an Anoka-Ramsey defensive lapse.
The Golden Rams have a way of responding when Mt. DeWitt erupts (they'd better anyway!) and today was no exception as Anoka-Ramsey made that inevitable push before the halftime break. First, it was sophomore guard Tacita Gonzalez, who has made gigantic strides since November, snaring a steal and bolting the other way for a lay-up a the 4:55 mark. After two free throws by fellow sophomore Kelli Schramm at the 2:49 mark, diminutive freshman guard Kendra Norman, who is not fazed by seemingly anything, drained a "3" from the right corner at the 2:26 mark that got the Golden Rams up by double-digits for good at 33-21. Freshman forward/post Nicole Howard manuevered inside with 1:12 left to finish for a 35-23 Anoka-Ramsey lead but Gogebic sophomore Jesse Mackey was able to knock down two freebies after being fouled with :39.4 left that kept things relatively close at halftime 35-25.
But Anoka-Ramsey was out to make amends for its recent visit to Ironwood which resulted in a bad loss and certainly made for a LONG trip back from the Upper Peninsula. And the Golden Rams shut the door early on their opponents in emphatic fashion to make a statement. Howard scored inside on the Golden Rams opening possession of the second half at the 19:43 mark and then it was the willowy blonde freshman Nicole Schaub out of Park Center H.S. swishing home a pretty "3" from the right top at the 18:58 mark that prompted Gogebic Head Coach Stephanie Mackey to call a quick timeout to try and stem the tide. Unfortunately for them, it didn't. Gonzalez proceeded to go on a tear as she used her quickness to snare another steal and go the other way for a lay-up at the 18:33 mark and then hit a "3" from the right wing at the 17:40 mark. Howard scored inside again at the 16:59 mark before Gogebic sophomore Jeanna Aijala connected with a jumper at the 16:18 mark and freshman Bry Stengard got a lay-up after a steal at the 15:26 mark. But Howard was able to knock down a turnaround jumper in the lane at the 14:51 mark for a 51-29 Anoka-Ramsey lead and this 16-4 run in the opening minutes pretty much set the pace for the rest of the game.
Anoka-Ramsey was able to dominate in the paint and on the perimeter for the rest of the game. Schramm used her lanky frame to get a rebound and putback at the 13:20 mark and Gonzalez showed her versatility by scoring inside at the 12:58 mark. Freshman guard Tasha Ambrose banged home a "3" from the right wing at the 11:01 mark and, after yet another Schramm score inside near the halfway mark, Ambrose put the Golden Rams up by 30+ with another "3"; this one from the right top area and was fouled in the process that allowed her to knock down the obligatory freebie for a 67-35 lead and there was no looking back. Stengard and Mackey would do their utmost to try and give their team some hope but there was nothing they could do on a consisten basis to thwart the Golden Ram avalanche. Up 74-48 with 6:18 left, Howard showed that she's more than just an inside threat as she knocked down a "3" from the left wing and then it was Schramm doing her thing inside with 5:14 left. Schaub showed that she's not afraid to get inside and mix it up either as she was able to snare a rebound and get a putback with 4:13 left. Gogebic would make some stabs here and there in the final few minutes; a "3" be freshman Heather Selin with 3:14 left was the lone highlight for the visitors but Anoka-Ramsey registered a resounding 95-61 win on this day that, presumably anyway, has the Golden Rams on the right track for the rest of the season for the MCC Conference - and another possible trip to Nationals as well.
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