Definitely apologize for not getting this one in sooner.....
Was over at the Butler Center on this Saturday afternoon to catch this intriguing non-conference clash between visiting Nebraska Wesleyan and host St. Kate's. On this day, I had the privilege of sitting with former St. Kate's head coach Gary Rufsvold who explained to me that he had scheduled this game in order to give the 'Cats some more game experience before delving back into MIAC play after the first of the year.
With both teams struggling mightily coming into this game (both teams with only one win), conventional wisdom would have suggested that this would be a relatively easy game for St. Kate's but the visiting Prairie Wolves had vastly different ideas. Both teams looked very much out of synch in the opening minutes as neither side could get anything going. Finally, freshman forward Mary Neumann got the 'Cats on the board at the 16:55 mark with her score inside and two free throws at the 16:28 mark by Neumann put St. Kate's up at 4-2. But from then on, St. Kate's would be doing the chasing. Senior guard Janelle Baal finally got Nebraska Wesleyan untracked from the perimeter as she drained a "3" from the right corner at the 15:04 mark. After freshman reserve guard Courtney Cook banged home a long "2" from the top at the 14:19 mark, junior reserve guard Emily Leines then connected from behind the arc in the right corner at the 13:35 mark for a 10-6 Northwestern lead. At the 13:07 mark, it was freshman Felicia TeKolskte who banged home a "3" from the left wing to up the Prairie Wolves lead to 13-6.
It was the freshman, Neumann who managed to keep the 'Cats within strking distance as she connected with a "3" from the top of the key at the 11:44 mark and also hit a jumper at the 9:28 mark but Nebraska Wesleyan was able to keep St. Kate's at bay until the closing minutes. Senior guard Denae Martin banged home a "3" from the right corner at the 8:12 mark that upped the Prairie Wolves lead to 21-11 and after sophomore Sara Mong tried to bring the 'Cats back by connecting with a jumper at the 7:49 mark and scoring on a lay-up at the 5:36 mark, it was senior guard Mallory Shanahan's INT of an errant St. Kate's pass and a lay-up the other way that upped the Prairie Wolves lead back to nine at 26-17 at the 4:50 mark. St. Kate's did make something of a run late in the first half to close the gap somewhat. Junior guard Kristen Lee connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 3:55 mark and after withstanding a TeKolskte lay-up at the 2:39 mark, it was freshman Cynthia Cowan who made a splash as she banged home a "3" at the 2:13 mark and then also scored on a lay-up with 1:09 left and then one more score with just :04 left that brought St. Kate's to within five at 32-27 at the halftime break. While they had battled back nicely to cut the deficit, it was still something of a glass half-full proposition for the 'Cats as they struggled with turnovers and rebounding that allowed their opponents to take advantage.
Early on in the second half, it looked as if the 'Cats may have made the necessary adjustments to get them back into this game. Mong connected with a lay-up at the 19:49 mark and then Neumann was able to score off an inbounds pass at the 19:01 mark that cut Nebraska Wesleyan's lead down to 34-31. But the Prairie Wolves were not going to let that long drive from Lincoln faze them as they quickly responded. First, Shanahan scored a lay-up in transition at the 18:19 mark and then it was the freshman TeKolskte with a hard drive and finish at the 17:04 mark and then int was Leines who connected with another "3"; this one from the right corner that quickly upped the lead back to ten points at 41-31 by the 16:11 mark and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton quickly called a timeout to try and stem the tide. Unfortunately for the 'Cats, things did not get much better. After sophomore guard Jenna Mistler tried to get something going for the home team with her lay-up at the 13:18 mark, Shanahan was able to keep the beat going for the Prairie Wolves as she connected with a "3" from the right wing at the 12:22 mark and then it was Shanahan again at the 11:44 mark as she scored inside. Then it was Leines' turn as she scored on a sweet reverse lay-up in transition at the 11:05 mark that bulged the Nebraska Wesleyan lead to 48-33 and prompted Pinkerton to call another timeout to admonish his team. Even worse for St. Kate's, the turnover problem was rearing its ugly head again and when I mentioned to Rufsvold that the 'Cats don't do a good job in taking care of the rock, he replied, "I know. I coached 'em."
The 'Cats would respond somewhat in the latter stages of the second half. Neumann connected with a "3" from the left corner at the 10:08 mark. Lee connected with two freebies after being fouled at the 4:21 mark and then it was the junior from Dawson again at the 2:18 mark as she made a nice drive and finish that cut the Nebraska Wesleyan lead down to ten at 52-42. But any faint hope the 'Cats may have had were officially extinguished with 1:09 left as Baal was left open behind the arc from the left wing and she stuck the final dagger into the home team that would make the long drive back to Lincoln a bit more manageable as the Prairie Wolves took a 55-45 win. Afterwards, a downcast Pinkerton told me that his team has a lot of work ahead of it in order to get better. Certainly the addition of freshman Shauna Horst who transferred into St. Kate's during the break will be a boost. In the final analysis, the 'Cats have GOT to take better care of the rock if they're going to make some dents in the second half of the season.
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