After the CSB - Bethel game, I made the trek over to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall for the 3:00 P.M. tilt between visiting St. Kate's and host Augsburg. Much to my dismay, I found the main entrance doors locked to the building and had to enter via a side door and a very hospitable maintenance person let me into the building. I got seated and settled in with 4:15 left in the first with St. Kate's holding a surprising 35-25 lead.
Shocked to be down by ten in the latter stages of the first half, the Auggies tried to make inroads on the deficit. Junior forward Jessica Lillquist got into the paint for a score with 3:54 left and a "3" from the right wing by junior guard Jenna Orth with 3:18 left cut the St. Kate's lead down to 35-30 but Augsburg could not get any closer before the halftime buzzer sounded. Two free throws by Wildcat junior guard/forward Shauna Horsch with 2:54 left and a drive and finish by freshman guard Audra Clark with 1:27 left gave St. Kate's a seven-point advantage at 39-32. Freshman forward Bridget Bednar snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:05 left that got the Auggies back within five trailing 39-34 and Augsburg squandered two late opportunities to get closer before the halftime buzzer sounded. Still, Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee had to feel somewhat fortunate to be that close as the Wildcats shot a blazing 15-21 for 71.4% from the floor and weren't too bad from three-point land either; going 4-7 for 57.1%.
Despite the lopsided loss at home to Concordia on Wednesday night, a determined St. Kate's squad came out with a ton of heart and fight once the second half got underway and embarked on an 11-2 run in the opening three minutes. Horsch set the cotton on fire with her "3" from the left top area at the 19:39 mark and an Audra Clark jumper in the lane at the 18:58 mark gave the 'Cats a 44-36 advantage. Sophomore forward Mari Lee got an inbounds pass in the paint and scored at the 18:34 mark and fellow sophomore sensation guard/forward LaShay Holt snared a steal and whizzed the other way for a lay-up at the 17:43 mark. Audra Clark's lay-up in transition at the 17:13 mark capped this burst for a 50-36 St. Kate's lead and Augsburg's McKee called a full timeout to stop the bleeding. After the stoppage in play, the Auggies made an effort to get Lillquist involved more offensively and Augsburg slowly whacked away at the deficit. Two free throws by the Sebeka native at the 16:35 mark and one more at the 16:09 mark trimmed the Wildcat lead down to 52-39 and an offensive rebound and putback by Orth at the 15:45 mark got the Auggies closer trailing 52-41. Lillquist connected with a lay-up at the 14:33 mark and then snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 13:04 mark that got Augsburg back to within single digits trailing 54-45. Lillquist repeated that feat at the 10:59 mark to keep the deficit in the single-digit range trailing 56-47 so there was still plenty of time left for the Auggies to make that comeback.
A Bednar lay-up at the 10:04 mark and an Orth "3" from the right top area with 8:41 left brought Augsburg even closer trailing 56-52 so there was certainly every reason for hope at this point from an Auggie standpoint but it was here that Augsburg began to inexplicably squander opportunity after opportunity to draw even closer that almost certainly had to make anyone wearing the maroon and grey search for a Zantac in their pocket or purse. And St. Kate's likely made that need all the more acute as one trey by senior reserve forward Mary Neumann from the top of the key with 8:26 left and another by Horsch from the left top area with 6:41 left helped increase the 'Cat lead to eight at 62-54 and a steal and lay-up the other way by Holt with 4:14 left maintained the eight-point advantage at 64-56. By this point, things looked dire for the Auggies in this contest as did their flickering playoff hopes as well. But senior guard Abbey Luger; playing in her last home game at Si Melby Hall, was not going to let her team go down without swinging. She uncorked a "3" from the left wing with 4:04 left that cut the deficit to five at 64-59 and a Lillquist lay-up kept the Auggies within striking distance trailing 66-61 with 3:28 left. Still, it looked like St. Kate's would somehow find a way to seal the deal even when Augsburg got into the bonus with 2:52 left and Holt got tagged with her fourth foul given the wasted opportunities that the Auggies let slip away. A two-handed Holt shot from the free throw line with 1:57 left gave the Wildcats a six-point lead at 69-63 but it was here that things started spiraling out of control for St. Kate's. Lillquist was able to score in the paint with 1:44 left and then Holt committed an untimely turnover less than ten seconds later that gave the ball back to Augsburg. Junior guard Marie Fitzgerald was fouled with 1:32 left and she sank the obligatory free throws that made it a single-possession game again trailing 69-67. On the ensuing St. Kate's possession, Audra Clark lost the ball out of bounds with the shot clock winding down. Augsburg could have tied it right there but a feisty Wildcat defense forced Bednar to lose the ball out of bounds with :29.4 left. St. Kate's again had a chance to close things out but the Auggies now turned up the heat on defense in the backcourt and got Audra Clark caught between a rock and a hard place. Fitzgerald was able to snare the steal and get a lay-up with :21 left that had the home crowd on its feet and also knotted the score at 69. After a timeout, the Wildcats had one chance left to win it in regulation. Working the ball carefully in the front court, they desperately sought to get someone open on the perimeter. With time winding down, Horsch got a slight opening from mid-range but her shot was blocked with :02 left by Orth so off we went to overtime tied at 69 a piece.
Physcially and mentally drained in a desperate attempt to cling to a dwindling lead, St. Kate's was flat coming out of the break and Augsburg quickly assumed control in the five-minute overtime period. Lillquist scored in the paint with 4:28 left to give the Auggies their first lead since the 10:04 mark of the first half. Orth followed that up with a short one-handed shot with 3:51 left to make it a 73-69 game and when Holt fouled out with 3:39 left the bottom seemed to fall out for the Wildcats. Two free throws by Lillquist with 2:48 left increased the Augsburg lead to 75-69 and the Auggies were now also in the double-bonus as well. A score in the paint by Fitzgerald with 2:03 left increased Augsburg's lead to 77-69 and a frustrated St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton called a timeout to try and avert another disaster. To their credit, the Wildcats didn't quit and they tried to make one last comeback. Horsch was fouled with 1:43 left and she got two charity stripe shots to fall. With 1:02 left, the Auggies made a ghastly mistake and fouled Audra Clark behind the arc and she dropped all three ensuing freebies that cut the Augsburg lead down to 79-74. Orth increased the Auggie lead to seven at 81-74 with :57.9 left but St. Kate's wasn't finished just yet. Audra Clark was fouled with :27.6 left and got one free throw to go down and then Lee was able to connect with a lay-up with :16 left after she snared a steal that got the 'Cats even closer trailing 81-77. But they also needed to foul as well to keep their slim hopes alive. Fitzgerald was sent to the line with :10 left and she calmly knocked down both free throw attempts to make it an 83-77 game. Audra Clark launched one last desperate three-point shot attempt in the last second that went awry and Augsburg escaped a close call and, more importantly, kept their hopes alive for snaring that sixth playoff spot.
An immensely relieved and exhilarated Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch was very proud of his squad afterward and was also quick to praise the efforts of a gutty Wildcat team that made life miserable for the Auggies at times on this day. He admitted that things could have been a lot worse for his squad at the half; down by only five with St. Kate's shooting a red-hot 71.4 percent from the floor. But now comes the REALLY tough part for Augsburg: Four roadies to close out the regular season including a huge game in Northfield next Wednesday night against a St. Olaf team that is also in the running for that fourth spot; a game that the Auggies almost have to have considering that the three remaining road games are at Bethel, CSB, and Concordia. No question about it. The Auggies will simply have to leave it all on the floor in the coming two weeks if they are to get that sixth spot. On the flip side, another incredibly disappointing outcome for a St. Kate's team that knows how to get close but just can't seem to have things go their way when they need it to. Pinkerton was simply at a loss for words after this one and the frustration and disappointment were clearly written on his face. It's arguably tough when you can see the end of the road approaching with no opportunities beyond that for the rest of the season yet the heart and fight they displayed today shows that they will not lay down for anybody and their remaining opponents had bloody well better bring their "A" game if they want to escape with a "W".
Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, February 8, 2015
CSB vs Bethel 2-7-15
Got into Bethel's Robertson Center armed with a Subway lunch early on this Saturday to get ready to take in a huge late-season conference clash between visiting CSB and host Bethel. The Royals; on an eight-game winning tear; wear looking to keep their streak going and maintain a stranglehold on second place in the MIAC. The Blazers meanwhile, were coming off that heartbreaking overtime loss at home to St. Olaf on Wednesday night and were needing a win to keep that sixth playoff spot all to their own so this contest arguably had something of a playoff atmosphere to it.
Bethel sophomore guard Shanni Moorse and CSB junior standout forward Mattie Lueck traded early scores for a 2-all deadlock in the games first two minutes. Royal junior sharpshooting guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz, however, was in no mood for tie games and she uncorked her first trey of the afternoon at the 16:50 mark from the left wing area that gave Bethel a 5-2 advantage. Mattie Lueck, however, would single-handedly bring the Blazers right back as her lay-up at the 16:09 mark and her jumper from the right elbow area at the 13:13 mark tied the issue again at 7-all. The Royals would respond with a 6-0 push of their own; done all by sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman. Two charity stripe shots at the 12:55 mark and a short turnaround jumper as the 12:32 mark made it an 11-7 game and a score in the paint at the 11:28 mark upped the lead to 13-7.
CSB would make incremental swipes at the deficit but they were unable to make any real sustained runs as their offense continually bogged down in crucial situations; particularly down low where a suffocating Bethel defense simply shut down the Blazers inside game which forced several CSB turnovers. What swipes CSB could make had to come from medium-range and out on the perimeter. Senior reserve forward/post Elena Koch connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 11:11 mark and Emily Lueck got a jumper from the free throw line to go down at the 10:34 mark that got the Blazers a bit closer trailing 15-11. Freshman reserve guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the right corner with 7:57 left but that only kept the deficit at five as CSB trailed 19-14. Bethel extended the lead to seven at 23-16 when Schultz banged home another trey from the right top area with 6:24 left and upped it to nine when junior guard Hannah Niewald snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 6:08 left to make it 25-16. Mattie Lueck would single-handedly get the Blazers close again as she stole a ball in the backcourt and got a short shot to go with 5:15 left and then connected with a lay-up with 4:11 left that cut the deficit back to five trailing 25-20. The Royals, however, would close out the first half with a 7-2 spurt that would give them a bit more breathing room at the half. Freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff connected with two jumpers near the left elbow - one with 3:05 left and then again with 1:12 left. With :30.3 left, Zimmerman connected with a lay-up that got her fouled and gave her a chance to sink the obligatory freebie which she did to make it a 32-22 game once the horn sounded ending the first half. While Bethel wasn't necessarily setting the world ablaze with their shooting (13-36 for 36.1%), CSB was struggling mightily with 8-36 shooting for a chilly 22.2%. The Royals were also out-rebounding the Blazers 29-24 so something was going to have to change for the Blazers if they were going to entertain any notion of pulling off a huge upset.
Bethel, on the other hand, wanted to give the Blazers a steady diet of junior post Rachel Parupsky who was limited to just four points in the first half and compound CSB's woes down low even more. A Parupsky jumper from near the top of the key at the 18:34 mark and two free throws by the former Mounds View standout increased the Royal lead to 36-24 by the 18:03 mark. Consecutive scores by Koch and Miller would get the Blazers back to within single digits trailing 36-28 but one score in the paint by Parupsky at the 16:20 mark and two more free throws at the 15:35 mark increased the Bethel lead back to ten at 40-30. The Royals maintained this nine to eleven point cushion over the next three minutes but weren't able to extend it until the 11:18 mark when Niewald connected with a lay-up in transition at the 11:18 mark that got her fouled and allowed her to put down the ensuing freebie for a 49-36 Bethel advantage. A lay-up by senior reserve forward Kailey Eid helped the Royals maintain that thirteen-point edge at 51-38 and CSB's chances were slowly but surely slipping away.
A Koch jumper along the right baseline with 9:31 left and one free throw by the diminutive Miller brought the Blazers a bit closer trailing 51-41 but CSB simply had no answers for Parupsky who continued to dominate down low. Two scores in the paint with 8:46 and 7:51 left upped the lead to fourteen at 55-41 and, even worse for the Blazers, Bethel not only got into the bonus with 7:21 left but Mattie Lueck was now also saddled with her fourth foul as well. One free throw by Niewald with 7:02 left and a Parupsky jumper from the left elbow area with 6:20 left increased the Royal lead to 58-43. With 4:17 left, a Niewald lay-up gave Bethel a 62-45 advantage and with just under four minutes left, a Zimmerman "3" from the left top area gave the Royals their largest lead of the day at 67-47. The Blazers would manage to whittle away at the deficit in the last minutes but any hopes of a miraculous comeback had long since flown out the window. One freebie by Mattie Lueck who avoided fouling out with 3:34 left and four consecutive scores by sophomore guard Annie Dittberner - a short shot in the lane with 2:27 left and a "3" from the right top area with 2:01 left along with two free throws with 1:29 left and a lay-up with 1:09 left trimmed the Bethel lead down to fourteen at 71-57. Sophomore reserve forward Macy Kelly connected with a lay-up after a steal with :50.9 left but a Zimmerman drive and lay-up with :22.7 left put the finishing touches on a 73-59 Bethel victory.
I had to ask CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin afterward if, given the two losses his team suffered this week, they would be able to bounce back. "Absolutely!" he replied. "This is a very resilient bunch that I've got" he added. He admitted that, coming into this contest, that the challenge was great against a very good Bethel squad but he also noted that, aside from the top two teams (UST and Bethel), "there really isn't a team we can't beat and, conversely, there really isn't a team that can't beat us." So while the Blazers remain in solid contention for that sixth spot, there isn't that much room for error and they're going to have to take care of business the rest of the way if they want to cement their claim to it. Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, whose squad improved to 17-4 overall (11-3 in the MIAC) was pleased with his team's total effort. I also got him to talk about some of the reserves that come off the bench; particularly senior Lisa O'Connor who joined the team after last season. Herbrechtsmeyer noted that she's worked very hard (and the minutes she gets reflects that) and, while she does make first-year mistakes from time to time, he wishes that he could get three more years out of her. So Bethel's road ahead looks very good for them; save for that next to last regular season home date with UST. If they do what they're supposed to do, some very exciting things definitely lay ahead for this squad.
Bethel sophomore guard Shanni Moorse and CSB junior standout forward Mattie Lueck traded early scores for a 2-all deadlock in the games first two minutes. Royal junior sharpshooting guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz, however, was in no mood for tie games and she uncorked her first trey of the afternoon at the 16:50 mark from the left wing area that gave Bethel a 5-2 advantage. Mattie Lueck, however, would single-handedly bring the Blazers right back as her lay-up at the 16:09 mark and her jumper from the right elbow area at the 13:13 mark tied the issue again at 7-all. The Royals would respond with a 6-0 push of their own; done all by sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman. Two charity stripe shots at the 12:55 mark and a short turnaround jumper as the 12:32 mark made it an 11-7 game and a score in the paint at the 11:28 mark upped the lead to 13-7.
CSB would make incremental swipes at the deficit but they were unable to make any real sustained runs as their offense continually bogged down in crucial situations; particularly down low where a suffocating Bethel defense simply shut down the Blazers inside game which forced several CSB turnovers. What swipes CSB could make had to come from medium-range and out on the perimeter. Senior reserve forward/post Elena Koch connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 11:11 mark and Emily Lueck got a jumper from the free throw line to go down at the 10:34 mark that got the Blazers a bit closer trailing 15-11. Freshman reserve guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the right corner with 7:57 left but that only kept the deficit at five as CSB trailed 19-14. Bethel extended the lead to seven at 23-16 when Schultz banged home another trey from the right top area with 6:24 left and upped it to nine when junior guard Hannah Niewald snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 6:08 left to make it 25-16. Mattie Lueck would single-handedly get the Blazers close again as she stole a ball in the backcourt and got a short shot to go with 5:15 left and then connected with a lay-up with 4:11 left that cut the deficit back to five trailing 25-20. The Royals, however, would close out the first half with a 7-2 spurt that would give them a bit more breathing room at the half. Freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff connected with two jumpers near the left elbow - one with 3:05 left and then again with 1:12 left. With :30.3 left, Zimmerman connected with a lay-up that got her fouled and gave her a chance to sink the obligatory freebie which she did to make it a 32-22 game once the horn sounded ending the first half. While Bethel wasn't necessarily setting the world ablaze with their shooting (13-36 for 36.1%), CSB was struggling mightily with 8-36 shooting for a chilly 22.2%. The Royals were also out-rebounding the Blazers 29-24 so something was going to have to change for the Blazers if they were going to entertain any notion of pulling off a huge upset.
Bethel, on the other hand, wanted to give the Blazers a steady diet of junior post Rachel Parupsky who was limited to just four points in the first half and compound CSB's woes down low even more. A Parupsky jumper from near the top of the key at the 18:34 mark and two free throws by the former Mounds View standout increased the Royal lead to 36-24 by the 18:03 mark. Consecutive scores by Koch and Miller would get the Blazers back to within single digits trailing 36-28 but one score in the paint by Parupsky at the 16:20 mark and two more free throws at the 15:35 mark increased the Bethel lead back to ten at 40-30. The Royals maintained this nine to eleven point cushion over the next three minutes but weren't able to extend it until the 11:18 mark when Niewald connected with a lay-up in transition at the 11:18 mark that got her fouled and allowed her to put down the ensuing freebie for a 49-36 Bethel advantage. A lay-up by senior reserve forward Kailey Eid helped the Royals maintain that thirteen-point edge at 51-38 and CSB's chances were slowly but surely slipping away.
A Koch jumper along the right baseline with 9:31 left and one free throw by the diminutive Miller brought the Blazers a bit closer trailing 51-41 but CSB simply had no answers for Parupsky who continued to dominate down low. Two scores in the paint with 8:46 and 7:51 left upped the lead to fourteen at 55-41 and, even worse for the Blazers, Bethel not only got into the bonus with 7:21 left but Mattie Lueck was now also saddled with her fourth foul as well. One free throw by Niewald with 7:02 left and a Parupsky jumper from the left elbow area with 6:20 left increased the Royal lead to 58-43. With 4:17 left, a Niewald lay-up gave Bethel a 62-45 advantage and with just under four minutes left, a Zimmerman "3" from the left top area gave the Royals their largest lead of the day at 67-47. The Blazers would manage to whittle away at the deficit in the last minutes but any hopes of a miraculous comeback had long since flown out the window. One freebie by Mattie Lueck who avoided fouling out with 3:34 left and four consecutive scores by sophomore guard Annie Dittberner - a short shot in the lane with 2:27 left and a "3" from the right top area with 2:01 left along with two free throws with 1:29 left and a lay-up with 1:09 left trimmed the Bethel lead down to fourteen at 71-57. Sophomore reserve forward Macy Kelly connected with a lay-up after a steal with :50.9 left but a Zimmerman drive and lay-up with :22.7 left put the finishing touches on a 73-59 Bethel victory.
I had to ask CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin afterward if, given the two losses his team suffered this week, they would be able to bounce back. "Absolutely!" he replied. "This is a very resilient bunch that I've got" he added. He admitted that, coming into this contest, that the challenge was great against a very good Bethel squad but he also noted that, aside from the top two teams (UST and Bethel), "there really isn't a team we can't beat and, conversely, there really isn't a team that can't beat us." So while the Blazers remain in solid contention for that sixth spot, there isn't that much room for error and they're going to have to take care of business the rest of the way if they want to cement their claim to it. Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, whose squad improved to 17-4 overall (11-3 in the MIAC) was pleased with his team's total effort. I also got him to talk about some of the reserves that come off the bench; particularly senior Lisa O'Connor who joined the team after last season. Herbrechtsmeyer noted that she's worked very hard (and the minutes she gets reflects that) and, while she does make first-year mistakes from time to time, he wishes that he could get three more years out of her. So Bethel's road ahead looks very good for them; save for that next to last regular season home date with UST. If they do what they're supposed to do, some very exciting things definitely lay ahead for this squad.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Armstrong vs Park Center Synopsis 2-5-15
Another Friday night found me over at nearby Park Center High School as the Pirates hosted Armstrong which had ventured up to the neighborhood in another important Northwest Suburban Conference game. Park Center; coming off a three-game skid with losses to rivals Osseo and Maple Grove and then most recently a 75-61 setback up at Elk River on Tuesday night, needed to get back on track at home on this night to regain some confidence and swagger - and hopefully cement their claim to the number one seed in Section 3AAA as well.
The Pirates grabbed an early 4-0 lead thanks to lay-ups in transition from the Schaub Sisters - one from younger sis and freshman Danielle at the 17:25 mark and one from senior Hannah at the 16:51 mark - while elder sis Nicole - a former Pirate herself and now at UW-Stout, applauded approvingly from the stands. Armstrong, however, would answer as flashy senior guard Lyrik Williams with one freebie at the 16:12 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 15:49 mark had the Falcons up 5-4. Hannah Schaub's drive into the lane and finish off the glass at the 14:50 mark put Park Center back in front 6-5 but Williams would do the same at the 14:23 and 14:00 marks to give Armstrong a 9-6 advantage. A Hannah Schaub "3" from the left top area would level the score at 9-all but a turnaround jumper in the lane by senior post Miranda Robinson gave the Falcons an 11-9 lead at the 11:43 mark and a pesky Armstrong team led chiefly by Williams and her flashy play appeared ready to give the Pirates a tussle on their home floor and add to their latest frustrations as well. Freshman reserve post Olivia Heckt connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 11:21 mark and then senior guard Kalley Fleck connected with a jumper from the left corner that gave the Falcons a 15-11 lead at the 10:34 mark and gave the Park Center home crowd and students reason for concern.
Much to the relief of those loyal to the green and gold, the Pirates slowly battled their way back and were able to regain the lead. A score in the paint by 6'1" sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 10:18 mark and two Hayes charity stripe shots with 9:25 left tied the issue at 15. Then it was freshman reserve guard Jada Buford getting some quality minutes and she responded with a drive and finish with 7:51 left that also got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw for an 18-15 Park Center lead. A Danielle Schaub jumper in the lane in transition with 6:44 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Hayes with 5:02 left suddenly expanded the Pirate lead to 22-15 and had Armstrong Head Coach Antiwan Easley clamoring for a timeout to get his squad calmed down. By that point, it appeared that Park Center was primed to embark on a sizable run that would give them a comfortable cushion going towards halftime but it was here that the Pirate offense got stuck in neutral and floundered; squandering several easy opportunities that would have put more distance between themselves and their opponent. Late in the first half, the Falcons were able to take advantage of Park Center's offensive boo-boos and chip away at the deficit. Junior guard LaTeah Turmon was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with 2:21 left and then also connected with a lay-up in transition with 1:31 left that got Armstrong within three trailing 22-19. That's how the first half ended and, given the promising run that the Pirates had earlier in the half, it certainly seemed like a glass half-full proposition for Park Center at the halftime break.
The Pirates; looking to make amends for a somewhat sloppy first half, started the second half with a 10-0 blitz. Hannah Schaub was able to connect with a lay-up in transition after a block on an Armstrong shooter at the 17:25 mark and then followed that up with a lay-up at the 16:38 mark for a 26-19 Park Center lead. Sophomore guard Ann Simonet got into her groove with a lay-up in transition at the 16:12 mark and then Danielle Schaub knocked down a jumper from the left wing at the 15:40 mark for a 30-19 lead and the Falcons' Easley; fearful of having this game slip away from him early in the second half, had no choice but to call a halt to the action to get his squad reorganized. Simonet snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 14:18 mark and then senior guard McKenna DuBois; who had thus far struggled with her shooting touch, buried a "3" from the left wing that allowed Park Center to grab a somewhat cozy 35-21 advantage by the 13:04 mark. Perhaps just as important, the Pirates had neutralized the effectiveness of Williams; hounding her on defense and not allowing her good looks.
But Armstrong had some tricks up their collective sleeves and also found a way to get Williams involved offensively again as well as they slyly whittled away at the fourteen point deficit. A Williams "3" from the right wing area at the 12:20 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Robinson at the 11:00 mark helped the Falcons creep closer trailing by ten at 39-29 and a lay-up in transition by eighth-grader guard Carly Krsul got Armstrong back to within single digits at the 10:41 mark trailing 39-31. Park Center was able to dig in and maintain a 9 - 12 point cushion over the next five minutes. Two scores by Hayes - a lay-up at the 10:21 mark and a pretty off-balance shot with 9:42 left increased the Pirate lead to 43-31 and a Hayes score in the paint with 9:06 left had Park Center up 45-33 and presumably in good shape. Hayes would get into the paint for another score with 8:22 left and a Simonet lay-up with 6:23 left maintained the twelve-point advantage at 49-37. But the Pirates were not out of the woods just yet. Two charity stripe shots by Williams with 5:49 left and a jumper from the free throw line by Robinson with 5:11 left once again got the Falcons back to within single digits trailing 49-41. A lay-up in transition by Williams with 4:39 left that cut the Pirate lead down to 50-43 and some pressure defense applied by Armstrong were giving Park Center fits and some in the stands had visions of the nightmare collapse against Osseo a little more than a week ago. This time, though, the Pirates dug in their heels and averted disaster. A score in the paint by DuBois with 4:23 left and free throws by junior reserve guard Olivia upped the Park Center advantage to 54-43 with 3:39 left. More heroics by the Falcons' Williams got Armstrong back to within single digits trailing 54-46 with 2:41 left. A jumper along the left baseline by Fleck with 1:19 left and two Williams free throws by 1:02 left brought Armstrong closer trailing 56-50. Danielle Schaub; who was fouled with :55 left had a chance to ice this game for good but both attempted freebies missed their mark and Williams and the Falcons were off to the races again. Williams was fouled with :49.4 left and canned both free throw attempts to get Armstrong to within four trailing 56-52 to try and throw one last scare into the Pirates. The Falcons, forced to foul to have any chance left, put Danielle Schaub to the line once more and this time she came through with two free throws for a 58-52 Park Center lead. Armstrong was unsuccessful on their next possession and the Pirates got the ball inside to Hayes where she scored with :24.7 left to make it 60-52. Williams would get one last score for the Falcons with :16 left but Hannah Schaub was sent to the line with :13.2 left where she cashed in on both free throw attempts. Turmon would give Armstrong one last hurrah with a jumper in the lane but Park Center was able to escape this close call by a 62-56 margin.
The Pirates grabbed an early 4-0 lead thanks to lay-ups in transition from the Schaub Sisters - one from younger sis and freshman Danielle at the 17:25 mark and one from senior Hannah at the 16:51 mark - while elder sis Nicole - a former Pirate herself and now at UW-Stout, applauded approvingly from the stands. Armstrong, however, would answer as flashy senior guard Lyrik Williams with one freebie at the 16:12 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 15:49 mark had the Falcons up 5-4. Hannah Schaub's drive into the lane and finish off the glass at the 14:50 mark put Park Center back in front 6-5 but Williams would do the same at the 14:23 and 14:00 marks to give Armstrong a 9-6 advantage. A Hannah Schaub "3" from the left top area would level the score at 9-all but a turnaround jumper in the lane by senior post Miranda Robinson gave the Falcons an 11-9 lead at the 11:43 mark and a pesky Armstrong team led chiefly by Williams and her flashy play appeared ready to give the Pirates a tussle on their home floor and add to their latest frustrations as well. Freshman reserve post Olivia Heckt connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 11:21 mark and then senior guard Kalley Fleck connected with a jumper from the left corner that gave the Falcons a 15-11 lead at the 10:34 mark and gave the Park Center home crowd and students reason for concern.
Much to the relief of those loyal to the green and gold, the Pirates slowly battled their way back and were able to regain the lead. A score in the paint by 6'1" sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 10:18 mark and two Hayes charity stripe shots with 9:25 left tied the issue at 15. Then it was freshman reserve guard Jada Buford getting some quality minutes and she responded with a drive and finish with 7:51 left that also got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw for an 18-15 Park Center lead. A Danielle Schaub jumper in the lane in transition with 6:44 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Hayes with 5:02 left suddenly expanded the Pirate lead to 22-15 and had Armstrong Head Coach Antiwan Easley clamoring for a timeout to get his squad calmed down. By that point, it appeared that Park Center was primed to embark on a sizable run that would give them a comfortable cushion going towards halftime but it was here that the Pirate offense got stuck in neutral and floundered; squandering several easy opportunities that would have put more distance between themselves and their opponent. Late in the first half, the Falcons were able to take advantage of Park Center's offensive boo-boos and chip away at the deficit. Junior guard LaTeah Turmon was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with 2:21 left and then also connected with a lay-up in transition with 1:31 left that got Armstrong within three trailing 22-19. That's how the first half ended and, given the promising run that the Pirates had earlier in the half, it certainly seemed like a glass half-full proposition for Park Center at the halftime break.
The Pirates; looking to make amends for a somewhat sloppy first half, started the second half with a 10-0 blitz. Hannah Schaub was able to connect with a lay-up in transition after a block on an Armstrong shooter at the 17:25 mark and then followed that up with a lay-up at the 16:38 mark for a 26-19 Park Center lead. Sophomore guard Ann Simonet got into her groove with a lay-up in transition at the 16:12 mark and then Danielle Schaub knocked down a jumper from the left wing at the 15:40 mark for a 30-19 lead and the Falcons' Easley; fearful of having this game slip away from him early in the second half, had no choice but to call a halt to the action to get his squad reorganized. Simonet snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 14:18 mark and then senior guard McKenna DuBois; who had thus far struggled with her shooting touch, buried a "3" from the left wing that allowed Park Center to grab a somewhat cozy 35-21 advantage by the 13:04 mark. Perhaps just as important, the Pirates had neutralized the effectiveness of Williams; hounding her on defense and not allowing her good looks.
But Armstrong had some tricks up their collective sleeves and also found a way to get Williams involved offensively again as well as they slyly whittled away at the fourteen point deficit. A Williams "3" from the right wing area at the 12:20 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Robinson at the 11:00 mark helped the Falcons creep closer trailing by ten at 39-29 and a lay-up in transition by eighth-grader guard Carly Krsul got Armstrong back to within single digits at the 10:41 mark trailing 39-31. Park Center was able to dig in and maintain a 9 - 12 point cushion over the next five minutes. Two scores by Hayes - a lay-up at the 10:21 mark and a pretty off-balance shot with 9:42 left increased the Pirate lead to 43-31 and a Hayes score in the paint with 9:06 left had Park Center up 45-33 and presumably in good shape. Hayes would get into the paint for another score with 8:22 left and a Simonet lay-up with 6:23 left maintained the twelve-point advantage at 49-37. But the Pirates were not out of the woods just yet. Two charity stripe shots by Williams with 5:49 left and a jumper from the free throw line by Robinson with 5:11 left once again got the Falcons back to within single digits trailing 49-41. A lay-up in transition by Williams with 4:39 left that cut the Pirate lead down to 50-43 and some pressure defense applied by Armstrong were giving Park Center fits and some in the stands had visions of the nightmare collapse against Osseo a little more than a week ago. This time, though, the Pirates dug in their heels and averted disaster. A score in the paint by DuBois with 4:23 left and free throws by junior reserve guard Olivia upped the Park Center advantage to 54-43 with 3:39 left. More heroics by the Falcons' Williams got Armstrong back to within single digits trailing 54-46 with 2:41 left. A jumper along the left baseline by Fleck with 1:19 left and two Williams free throws by 1:02 left brought Armstrong closer trailing 56-50. Danielle Schaub; who was fouled with :55 left had a chance to ice this game for good but both attempted freebies missed their mark and Williams and the Falcons were off to the races again. Williams was fouled with :49.4 left and canned both free throw attempts to get Armstrong to within four trailing 56-52 to try and throw one last scare into the Pirates. The Falcons, forced to foul to have any chance left, put Danielle Schaub to the line once more and this time she came through with two free throws for a 58-52 Park Center lead. Armstrong was unsuccessful on their next possession and the Pirates got the ball inside to Hayes where she scored with :24.7 left to make it 60-52. Williams would get one last score for the Falcons with :16 left but Hannah Schaub was sent to the line with :13.2 left where she cashed in on both free throw attempts. Turmon would give Armstrong one last hurrah with a jumper in the lane but Park Center was able to escape this close call by a 62-56 margin.
Concordia vs St. Kate's 2-4-15
Another trip over to St. Kate's Butler Center was in the offing for this Wednesday evening as the host Wildcats prepared to take on visiting Concordia which made the long trek down from Moorhead earlier in the day. The Cobbers came into this contest with a very un-Concordia-like 11-8 record (7-5 in the MIAC) and also found themselves in a logjam with both GAC and CSB tied for fourth place in the conference so this game would be an absolute must for the Cobbers to stay in the hunt for one of the top four seeds in the MIAC playoffs. Meanwhile, the Wildcats were looking to do something big; something positive as they were riding a six-game skid and an upset of one of the upper-echelon teams might just be what the doctor ordered for St. Kate's.
The Wildcats got off to a good start in this one; turning up the heat early on a surprised Concordia team and grabbing a 5-0 lead on a lay-up by junior guard/forward Shauna Horsch at the 17:44 mark and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore sensation forward LaShay Holt at the 16:45 mark. But the Cobbers would quickly recover and have things deadlocked at 5-all on a "3" by freshman reserve guard Annalise Savageau from the right corner at the 15:46 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by savvy senior guard Alley Fisher at the 15:32 mark. A Horsch "3" from the left wing area at the 15:16 mark put St. Kate's up by four at 9-5 but again Concordia would recover and tighten things up. Two free throws by senior forward Erin Januschka at the 14:44 mark and a "3" by junior reserve forward Katie Rosenfeldt from the left top area at the 13:28 mark would give the Cobbers their first lead of the evening at 10-9. Another Savageau trey; this one from the right corner at the 12:43 mark gave Concordia a 13-11 advantage but a steal and lay-up the other way by Holt at the 11:51 mark would knot the issue at 13-all. A lay-up in transition by freshman guard Meg Clark at the 11:32 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by sophomore forward Mari Lee had the 'Cats back up by four again at 17-13 at the 10:20 mark.
Up to this point, it seemed as if the Cobbers were merely playing reactionary and hadn't yet kicked it into another gear but this St. Kate's squad was not going to back down. Another mini-run by Concordia which included a score in the paint by Fisher at the 10:06 mark and a "3" by junior guard Hannah Jeske from the right corner with 9:22 left had the Cobbers up 18-17 but now it was the Wildcats turn. A jumper from the right elbow by freshman guard Audra Clark and a "3" by senior reserve sharp-shooting forward Mary Neumann from the top of the key with 8:16 left gave St. Kate's a 22-18 advantage. Concordia would twice chip the deficit down to two points on scores by Erin Januschka and junior forward Olivia Johnson but the Cobbers still hadn't seemed to find that "spark" yet. The real turning point in the game, though, came at the 6:32 mark when Horsch and Erin Januschka both scrambled for a loose ball near the sideline. Horsch took the worst of the impending collision and was down on the floor for several minutes before she gingerly walked back to the Wildcat bench with assistance. That stoppage in play - along with Horsch's injury which took her out of the equation for the rest of the first half - seemed to suck the air and fight out of St. Kate's while the Cobbers got a second wind. An 18-3 Concordia run over the last six minutes of the first half completely changed the complexion of this contest and put the Cobbers firmly in control. A score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka with 6:20 left tied the issue at 24-all and with 5:39 left, Fisher uncorked a three-point bomb from the right corner for a 27-24 advantage and a lead that Concordia would not relinquish. Two Fisher freebies after she was fouled after she forced a steal and another "3" by the youngster Savageau from the left corner suddenly had the Cobbers up 32-24 and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had seen enough to know this one was slipping away and he called a timeout to try and stop the bleeding. But a short jumper by Johnson off the glass with 3:08 left coupled with late scores by both sophomore forward Mikayla Forness and Fisher finished the run and Concordia had grabbed themselves a comfy 38-25 advantage when the buzzer sounded ending the first half.
The 'Cats got off to the worst possible start once the second half got underway. Though Horsch was back on the floor after suffering an apparent bruise on the cheek, the maroon-clad Cobbers were intent on building on their advantage as a quick 8-0 push by Concordia dashed any comeback hopes the Wildcats may have had entertained during halftime. Another three-point bomb by Fisher from the left corner at the 19:39 mark and a Fisher freebie at the 19:29 mark made it 42-25. Johnson connected with a lay-up in transition at the 19:04 mark and the Walcott, North Dakota product added two charity stripe shots at the 18:00 mark that not only gave the Cobbers a 46-25 lead but also saddled Audra Clark with her fourth foul early on in the second half as well. St. Kate's would try to respond with a sweet 8-0 push; highlighted by a lay-up by Holt at the 17:51 mark and a rare "3" by Lee from the top of the key at the 17:19 mark plus a steal and lay-up the other way by a feisty Horsch that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw at the 16:56 mark cut the Concordia lead down to fifteen at 48-33. But another dazzling display of three-point shooting by the Cobbers - one by sophomore reserve guard Greta Walsh in the left corner at the 16:18 mark and another by Fisher from the right top area at the 15:38 mark - quickly upped the advantage to 54-33 and a frustrated Pinkerton was forced to burn a timeout. Moreover, the Cobbers were finally showing signs of crisp ball movement and passing; which, up to this point anyway, had seemed to be lacking in their previous games and likely played a big part in their up-and-down season.
The Cobbers kept this sharp display going as the second half progressed. A lay-up in transition by Erin Januschka at the 15:17 mark and two charity stripe shots by younger sis Jenna Januschka at the 14:42 mark made it a 58-35 game. A jumper along the left baseline by Rosenfeldt at the 12:55 mark and a drive into the lane and finish by Forness at the 12:06 mark made it 62-37. Jeske; the Bismarck, North Dakota native; got into the paint for a score at the 11:30 mark and two freebies by Erin Januschka at the 10:48 mark completed this 12-4 assault as the lead bulged to 66-37. From that point, the 'Cats could only make incremental dents into the deficit. Two "3's" by Mary Neumann - one from the left top area with 9:53 left and another one from the left wing area with 9:13 left - cut the Concordia lead down to 68-45 but the Cobbers would always have an answer on this night. One three-point bomb by Fisher from the left wing area with 8:22 left seemed like it was launched from I-94. A steal and lay-up the other way by Erin Januschka; who has not only elevated her game but has also had to shoulder the burden down low with both Alexandra Lippert and Kelsey Walloch graduated, gave Concordia a thirty-point 75-45 lead. A "3" by sophomore reserve guard Morgan Gunderson from the left wing area with 7:26 left made it 78-45 and, from that point on, Pinkerton and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman both began to gradually insert their reserves. Wildcat freshman reserve guard Annie Schoeben connected with a short jumper off the glass with 6:11 left. Cobber freshman reserve guard Alexis Funaro was able to knock down three charity stripe shots with 3:35 left; two of them courtesy of a technical foul assessed to a slightly overzealous Pinkerton who had expressed his displeasure with the officiating. St. Kate's freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann was able to knock down a jumper from the left elbow with 2:56 left. Funaro added to the Concordia total with her score in the paint with 2:27 left. The Wildcats got two late scores - a score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Katelyn Byers-Carter and a "3" from the left corner by sophomore reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia but when the final buzzer sounded, the Cobbers had registered a convincing 84-59 victory.
I had to ask Concordia's Rahman afterward if this was Concordia basketball - the way she liked to see it played and she replied in the positive. While Rahman said that the Cobbers had taken a step forward in their play; particularly with ball movement and passing in their win over Macalester last Saturday at home, the game tonight was the best display of those two aspects so far this season and she's hopeful that it can continue. Fisher; who finished with a game-high 21 points, added that this was a huge win for her and her teammates going forward and the former Fargo South standout in her senior year seems poised to help her team do big things down the stretch - and quite possibly grab one of the top four playoff spots as well. Meanwhile, a frustrated Pinkerton was left to mull over another disappointing outcome - and things that seem to continually go against his squad which has never given up the fight in another long season. The 'Cats will get there. They just need to have some pieces added to the puzzle to get them over the hump.
The Wildcats got off to a good start in this one; turning up the heat early on a surprised Concordia team and grabbing a 5-0 lead on a lay-up by junior guard/forward Shauna Horsch at the 17:44 mark and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore sensation forward LaShay Holt at the 16:45 mark. But the Cobbers would quickly recover and have things deadlocked at 5-all on a "3" by freshman reserve guard Annalise Savageau from the right corner at the 15:46 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by savvy senior guard Alley Fisher at the 15:32 mark. A Horsch "3" from the left wing area at the 15:16 mark put St. Kate's up by four at 9-5 but again Concordia would recover and tighten things up. Two free throws by senior forward Erin Januschka at the 14:44 mark and a "3" by junior reserve forward Katie Rosenfeldt from the left top area at the 13:28 mark would give the Cobbers their first lead of the evening at 10-9. Another Savageau trey; this one from the right corner at the 12:43 mark gave Concordia a 13-11 advantage but a steal and lay-up the other way by Holt at the 11:51 mark would knot the issue at 13-all. A lay-up in transition by freshman guard Meg Clark at the 11:32 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by sophomore forward Mari Lee had the 'Cats back up by four again at 17-13 at the 10:20 mark.
Up to this point, it seemed as if the Cobbers were merely playing reactionary and hadn't yet kicked it into another gear but this St. Kate's squad was not going to back down. Another mini-run by Concordia which included a score in the paint by Fisher at the 10:06 mark and a "3" by junior guard Hannah Jeske from the right corner with 9:22 left had the Cobbers up 18-17 but now it was the Wildcats turn. A jumper from the right elbow by freshman guard Audra Clark and a "3" by senior reserve sharp-shooting forward Mary Neumann from the top of the key with 8:16 left gave St. Kate's a 22-18 advantage. Concordia would twice chip the deficit down to two points on scores by Erin Januschka and junior forward Olivia Johnson but the Cobbers still hadn't seemed to find that "spark" yet. The real turning point in the game, though, came at the 6:32 mark when Horsch and Erin Januschka both scrambled for a loose ball near the sideline. Horsch took the worst of the impending collision and was down on the floor for several minutes before she gingerly walked back to the Wildcat bench with assistance. That stoppage in play - along with Horsch's injury which took her out of the equation for the rest of the first half - seemed to suck the air and fight out of St. Kate's while the Cobbers got a second wind. An 18-3 Concordia run over the last six minutes of the first half completely changed the complexion of this contest and put the Cobbers firmly in control. A score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka with 6:20 left tied the issue at 24-all and with 5:39 left, Fisher uncorked a three-point bomb from the right corner for a 27-24 advantage and a lead that Concordia would not relinquish. Two Fisher freebies after she was fouled after she forced a steal and another "3" by the youngster Savageau from the left corner suddenly had the Cobbers up 32-24 and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had seen enough to know this one was slipping away and he called a timeout to try and stop the bleeding. But a short jumper by Johnson off the glass with 3:08 left coupled with late scores by both sophomore forward Mikayla Forness and Fisher finished the run and Concordia had grabbed themselves a comfy 38-25 advantage when the buzzer sounded ending the first half.
The 'Cats got off to the worst possible start once the second half got underway. Though Horsch was back on the floor after suffering an apparent bruise on the cheek, the maroon-clad Cobbers were intent on building on their advantage as a quick 8-0 push by Concordia dashed any comeback hopes the Wildcats may have had entertained during halftime. Another three-point bomb by Fisher from the left corner at the 19:39 mark and a Fisher freebie at the 19:29 mark made it 42-25. Johnson connected with a lay-up in transition at the 19:04 mark and the Walcott, North Dakota product added two charity stripe shots at the 18:00 mark that not only gave the Cobbers a 46-25 lead but also saddled Audra Clark with her fourth foul early on in the second half as well. St. Kate's would try to respond with a sweet 8-0 push; highlighted by a lay-up by Holt at the 17:51 mark and a rare "3" by Lee from the top of the key at the 17:19 mark plus a steal and lay-up the other way by a feisty Horsch that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw at the 16:56 mark cut the Concordia lead down to fifteen at 48-33. But another dazzling display of three-point shooting by the Cobbers - one by sophomore reserve guard Greta Walsh in the left corner at the 16:18 mark and another by Fisher from the right top area at the 15:38 mark - quickly upped the advantage to 54-33 and a frustrated Pinkerton was forced to burn a timeout. Moreover, the Cobbers were finally showing signs of crisp ball movement and passing; which, up to this point anyway, had seemed to be lacking in their previous games and likely played a big part in their up-and-down season.
The Cobbers kept this sharp display going as the second half progressed. A lay-up in transition by Erin Januschka at the 15:17 mark and two charity stripe shots by younger sis Jenna Januschka at the 14:42 mark made it a 58-35 game. A jumper along the left baseline by Rosenfeldt at the 12:55 mark and a drive into the lane and finish by Forness at the 12:06 mark made it 62-37. Jeske; the Bismarck, North Dakota native; got into the paint for a score at the 11:30 mark and two freebies by Erin Januschka at the 10:48 mark completed this 12-4 assault as the lead bulged to 66-37. From that point, the 'Cats could only make incremental dents into the deficit. Two "3's" by Mary Neumann - one from the left top area with 9:53 left and another one from the left wing area with 9:13 left - cut the Concordia lead down to 68-45 but the Cobbers would always have an answer on this night. One three-point bomb by Fisher from the left wing area with 8:22 left seemed like it was launched from I-94. A steal and lay-up the other way by Erin Januschka; who has not only elevated her game but has also had to shoulder the burden down low with both Alexandra Lippert and Kelsey Walloch graduated, gave Concordia a thirty-point 75-45 lead. A "3" by sophomore reserve guard Morgan Gunderson from the left wing area with 7:26 left made it 78-45 and, from that point on, Pinkerton and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman both began to gradually insert their reserves. Wildcat freshman reserve guard Annie Schoeben connected with a short jumper off the glass with 6:11 left. Cobber freshman reserve guard Alexis Funaro was able to knock down three charity stripe shots with 3:35 left; two of them courtesy of a technical foul assessed to a slightly overzealous Pinkerton who had expressed his displeasure with the officiating. St. Kate's freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann was able to knock down a jumper from the left elbow with 2:56 left. Funaro added to the Concordia total with her score in the paint with 2:27 left. The Wildcats got two late scores - a score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Katelyn Byers-Carter and a "3" from the left corner by sophomore reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia but when the final buzzer sounded, the Cobbers had registered a convincing 84-59 victory.
I had to ask Concordia's Rahman afterward if this was Concordia basketball - the way she liked to see it played and she replied in the positive. While Rahman said that the Cobbers had taken a step forward in their play; particularly with ball movement and passing in their win over Macalester last Saturday at home, the game tonight was the best display of those two aspects so far this season and she's hopeful that it can continue. Fisher; who finished with a game-high 21 points, added that this was a huge win for her and her teammates going forward and the former Fargo South standout in her senior year seems poised to help her team do big things down the stretch - and quite possibly grab one of the top four playoff spots as well. Meanwhile, a frustrated Pinkerton was left to mull over another disappointing outcome - and things that seem to continually go against his squad which has never given up the fight in another long season. The 'Cats will get there. They just need to have some pieces added to the puzzle to get them over the hump.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-1-15
Was out of town yesterday and didn't get to take in any action save for following things on my phone as much as I could. Yet, I'm ready to unleash this version of my latest power rankings on this Super Bowl Sunday.
1. UST
2. Bethel
3. SMU
4. (tie) GAC & Concordia
5. CSB
6. (tie) Augsburg & Hamline
7. (tie) St. Olaf & Carleton
8. St. Kate's
9. Macalester
The Tommies maintain their stranglehold at the top; mowing down anything and everything in their sight and it's simply difficult to imagine a scenario where this trend doesn't continue. With their seventh straight victory; including yesterday's 78-54 thumping of SMU at Robertson Center, the Royals have now firmed up their grip on the second spot and, save for a home date with UST after Valentine's Day, they have everything laid out there in front of them - an ALMOST perfect set-up if you will - to take care of business and grab the second seed once the playoffs roll around. It's now going to be up to Bethel to take that opportunity and run with it.
Considering the fact that I was in the La Crosse-La Crescent area yesterday, I can only surmise that it must have been an awfully long and depressing dark ride down U.S. Highway 61 and the Canadian Pacific's River Sub mainline back to Winona last night after the punch in the mouth SMU absorbed from the Royals yesterday. But this game yesterday was the precursor to an absolutely brutal stretch coming up for the Cardinals as they must bound their way back up the River on Wednesday night to play at (gulp) UST on Wednesday night and then host Concordia next Saturday before embarking on two more roadies at both CSB and GAC. It's safe to say that feathers could easily be flying all over the place in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, remember that luxurious Gustie Express that everyone - including yours truly - was clamoring to reserve a seat on not so long ago to ride to the Promised Land? Well, that train suffered a major derailment this last week and it's uncertain at this juncture if it can get back on track and run at all after this last disastrous week. While I don't have a big problem with the home loss to UST (and they did have a much better second half after falling behind 30-6 early), the loss yesterday to Hamline over at venerable Hutton Arena just leaves me shaking my head. You knew, of course, that this could be a dangerous game for them going in yet I think you had to expect at the same time that the Gusties would come into this game with renewed determination and a sense of urgency. Looks like that failed to materialize and suddenly GAC now finds itself holding on for dear life and quite possibly staring at a fourth seed as well. Concordia continues to teeter along that fine line as they dropped a heartbreaker to CSB at home on Wednesday night but easily dispatched Macalester yesterday. They needed that game with CSB on Wednesday night and, considering the road ahead for the Corn, that one could cost them the fourth seed.
While I'm still not completely sold on the Blazers, they did what they had to do this last week to remain a viable playoff contender and they've got the fifth spot in my power rankings all to themselves today. Can they hold on to it - and their playoff hopes as well? Tough to say as a host of teams below them are nipping at their heels. Wildly unpredictable Hamline got that big win at home yesterday against GAC but you simply can't predict what they're going to do the next game. Augsburg has a slightly easier road this next week as home games with both Macalester and St. Kate's await but finish the regular season with four straight roadies which could easily do in the Auggies. The two Northfield-based teams; St. Olaf and Carleton are still hanging in there - barely - and the Knights win over their crosstown rival yesterday might have been the final nail in the coffin for the Oles as I just see too many obstacles in the path for a team that has little to no margin for error from here on out. Carleton still has GAC, UST, CSB, SMU - AND Bethel left on their regular season schedule. I may have a better chance at winning the Powerball than the Knights have of coming through that slate of games unscathed.
Fire away with thoughts.
1. UST
2. Bethel
3. SMU
4. (tie) GAC & Concordia
5. CSB
6. (tie) Augsburg & Hamline
7. (tie) St. Olaf & Carleton
8. St. Kate's
9. Macalester
The Tommies maintain their stranglehold at the top; mowing down anything and everything in their sight and it's simply difficult to imagine a scenario where this trend doesn't continue. With their seventh straight victory; including yesterday's 78-54 thumping of SMU at Robertson Center, the Royals have now firmed up their grip on the second spot and, save for a home date with UST after Valentine's Day, they have everything laid out there in front of them - an ALMOST perfect set-up if you will - to take care of business and grab the second seed once the playoffs roll around. It's now going to be up to Bethel to take that opportunity and run with it.
Considering the fact that I was in the La Crosse-La Crescent area yesterday, I can only surmise that it must have been an awfully long and depressing dark ride down U.S. Highway 61 and the Canadian Pacific's River Sub mainline back to Winona last night after the punch in the mouth SMU absorbed from the Royals yesterday. But this game yesterday was the precursor to an absolutely brutal stretch coming up for the Cardinals as they must bound their way back up the River on Wednesday night to play at (gulp) UST on Wednesday night and then host Concordia next Saturday before embarking on two more roadies at both CSB and GAC. It's safe to say that feathers could easily be flying all over the place in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, remember that luxurious Gustie Express that everyone - including yours truly - was clamoring to reserve a seat on not so long ago to ride to the Promised Land? Well, that train suffered a major derailment this last week and it's uncertain at this juncture if it can get back on track and run at all after this last disastrous week. While I don't have a big problem with the home loss to UST (and they did have a much better second half after falling behind 30-6 early), the loss yesterday to Hamline over at venerable Hutton Arena just leaves me shaking my head. You knew, of course, that this could be a dangerous game for them going in yet I think you had to expect at the same time that the Gusties would come into this game with renewed determination and a sense of urgency. Looks like that failed to materialize and suddenly GAC now finds itself holding on for dear life and quite possibly staring at a fourth seed as well. Concordia continues to teeter along that fine line as they dropped a heartbreaker to CSB at home on Wednesday night but easily dispatched Macalester yesterday. They needed that game with CSB on Wednesday night and, considering the road ahead for the Corn, that one could cost them the fourth seed.
While I'm still not completely sold on the Blazers, they did what they had to do this last week to remain a viable playoff contender and they've got the fifth spot in my power rankings all to themselves today. Can they hold on to it - and their playoff hopes as well? Tough to say as a host of teams below them are nipping at their heels. Wildly unpredictable Hamline got that big win at home yesterday against GAC but you simply can't predict what they're going to do the next game. Augsburg has a slightly easier road this next week as home games with both Macalester and St. Kate's await but finish the regular season with four straight roadies which could easily do in the Auggies. The two Northfield-based teams; St. Olaf and Carleton are still hanging in there - barely - and the Knights win over their crosstown rival yesterday might have been the final nail in the coffin for the Oles as I just see too many obstacles in the path for a team that has little to no margin for error from here on out. Carleton still has GAC, UST, CSB, SMU - AND Bethel left on their regular season schedule. I may have a better chance at winning the Powerball than the Knights have of coming through that slate of games unscathed.
Fire away with thoughts.
St. Kate's vs Bethel Synopsis 1-28-15
Made the short trip over to Bethel's Robertson Center on this Wednesday evening to take in the contest between host Bethel and visiting St. Kate's. The red-hot Royals; winners of five straight including a big one on the road at GAC a week ago were looking to keep the streak going and to keep pace with SMU for second place in the MIAC while the struggling Wildcats were riding a four-game skid and were looking break this dismal stretch with an upset win over one of the conference's upper-echelon teams.
Bethel would claim an early 5-0 advantage on a score in the paint by sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 19:49 mark and a "3" from the left wing area by junior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz at the 18:01 mark and scores by junior guard Hannah Niewald and an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by sophomore guard Shanni Moorse maintained the five-point cushion at 11-6 by the 15:16 mark. A short jumper from the left side by freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff at the 14:46 mark along with two charity stripe shots by Schultz gave the Royals a 15-7 advantage before St. Kate's began to start clicking on offense. A "3" from the right wing area by junior guard/forward Shauna Horsch at the 12:23 mark along with a free throw by sophomore sensation guard/forward LaShay Holt and a lay-up by sophomore forward Mari Lee helped trim the Bethel lead to 17-13 with 9:12 left.
A Schultz lay-up with 8:57 left upped the Royal lead to six at 19-13 but Holt single-handedly brought the Wildcats to within two on a pair of free throws with 8:37 left and a drive and lay-up with 7:22 left that cut Bethel's lead to 19-17. Two free throws by Horsch brought St. Kate's to within one trailing 20-19 but with 6:39 left Holt was tagged with her second foul and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had shed his sportcoat early again in this contest, had no choice but to sit his sophomore star for a spell. This allowed the Royals to build up there (now) small cushion with a 7-0 burst highlighted by a score in the paint by junior post Rachel Parupsky with 6:20 left that gave the former Mounds View star her 1,000th career point at Bethel and helped give the Royals a 30-21 lead with 4:09 left. A Niewald lay-up with 3:36 left and a short shot by Moorse with 2:57 left maintained the nine-point cushion and a Schultz lay-up with 2:20 left gave the Royals their largest advantage in the contest up to this point at 36-25. Another Parupsky score in the paint with 1:48 left maintained the eleven-point cushion at 38-27 before the 'Cats were able to make a late swipe at the Bethel advantage. One "3' by Holt from the top of the key with :46 left and another from senior reserve guard Mary Neumann from the right corner with :11.3 left enabled St. Kate's to get to within six trailing 39-33 at the half. Considering that the Wildcats shot a somewhat icy 10-33 from FG range (30.3%), they were fortunate to be where they were at against one of the top teams in the conference.
Pinkerton and his assistants Tim Kjar and Tim Peper tweaked their game plan during the halftime break and the Wildcats managed to get right back into the thick of things early on in the second half. Two scores by freshman guard Audra Clark - a score in the paint at the 19:48 mark and a lay-up at the 19:21 mark along with one free throw by Holt at the 18:28 mark brought St. Kate's to within one trailing 39-38. More importantly for the 'Cats, Holt was now getting some isolation and one-on-one opportunities on offense that allowed her to utilize her strengths with the ball - and also let St. Kate's poke their nose out in front. A drive into the lane and finish by Holt that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw tied the score at 41-all. A lay-up by Audra Clark at the 16:51 mark and another Holt drive and finish at the 16:19 mark put the Wildcats out in front for the first time at 45-43. A Parupsky score in the paint at the 16:00 mark tied the issue at 45 and a Kirchoff jumper from the free throw line put Bethel back in front 47-45 but it was here that St. Kate's went on a 6-0 run. Audra Clark uncorked a "3" from the top of the key at the 14:46 mark and an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by Horsch at the 14:46 mark and a lay-up in transition by Lee at the 13:55 mark suddenly had the Wildcats up 52-47 and the home crowd; after celebrating Parupsky's 1,000th point in the first half, now had good reason for concern.
But this young Bethel bunch has grown up a lot in the past couple of years and where they might have folded in a situation like this in years past, they now showed resolve and fought their way out of the woods. They quickly whittled the St. Kate's lead down to one on a freebie from Moorse and a lay-up in transition by Niewald that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the ensuing free throw by the 13:01 mark. Two scores by Zimmerman - a lay-up at the 11:26 mark and a score in the paint at the 10:52 mark - put the Royals back up for good at 57-56 and then Schultz banged home another "3"; this one from the right wing at the 10:24 mark that gave Bethel a 60-56 lead that took some the air out of the balloon for the Wildcats. A Horsch "3" from the right top area with 9:15 left kept the 'Cats within striking distance trailing 62-59 but the Royals didn't flinch and gradually built their lead. A "3" by senior reserve guard Lisa O'Connor from the left corner with 9:00 left and two Parupsky scores increased the lead to eight at 69-61. Pinkerton called a timeout with 6:32 left in hopes of getting one last St. Kate's charge. A Horsch "3" from the left wing area with 5:51 left and a lay-up by Audra Clark with 5:22 left got the Wildcats back to within four trailing 72-68 but they could get no closer. Schultz launched a dagger "3" from the left corner with 5:04 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by the smart Niewald upped the lead to nine at 77-68. Two Niewald free throws with 3:24 left and a drive and short jumper off the glass by the Fridley product now had the Royals safely up by fifteen at 83-68 with 2:46 left. Pairs of freebies by both Niewald and Zimmerman down the stretch gave Bethel a 90-77 victory at the buzzer as the Royals kept their lofty hopes alive and, more importantly, kept them tied with SMU for second place in the conference.
With an 8-3 record in the MIAC and a 14-4 record overall, it's easy for one to look ahead; considering the upcoming schedule for the Royals and not have high hopes but don't tell that to Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer who insists on a "one game at a time" mentality and stressed that his squad will be focused solely on the next game. And, considering that early loss at St. Kate's back in early December coupled with back-to-back losses on the road to both CSB and Concordia shortly after the first of the year and you can understand that line of thinking. Yet, for me, the only daunting aspect of their remaining regular season schedule is a home date with national powerhouse UST that looms after Valentine's Day weekend. It's all laid out there for them. It's an opportunity that they just missed out on last year and it's all laying out there in front of them now. Can they grab it? We'll see.
Bethel would claim an early 5-0 advantage on a score in the paint by sophomore forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 19:49 mark and a "3" from the left wing area by junior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz at the 18:01 mark and scores by junior guard Hannah Niewald and an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by sophomore guard Shanni Moorse maintained the five-point cushion at 11-6 by the 15:16 mark. A short jumper from the left side by freshman reserve guard Angie Kirchoff at the 14:46 mark along with two charity stripe shots by Schultz gave the Royals a 15-7 advantage before St. Kate's began to start clicking on offense. A "3" from the right wing area by junior guard/forward Shauna Horsch at the 12:23 mark along with a free throw by sophomore sensation guard/forward LaShay Holt and a lay-up by sophomore forward Mari Lee helped trim the Bethel lead to 17-13 with 9:12 left.
A Schultz lay-up with 8:57 left upped the Royal lead to six at 19-13 but Holt single-handedly brought the Wildcats to within two on a pair of free throws with 8:37 left and a drive and lay-up with 7:22 left that cut Bethel's lead to 19-17. Two free throws by Horsch brought St. Kate's to within one trailing 20-19 but with 6:39 left Holt was tagged with her second foul and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had shed his sportcoat early again in this contest, had no choice but to sit his sophomore star for a spell. This allowed the Royals to build up there (now) small cushion with a 7-0 burst highlighted by a score in the paint by junior post Rachel Parupsky with 6:20 left that gave the former Mounds View star her 1,000th career point at Bethel and helped give the Royals a 30-21 lead with 4:09 left. A Niewald lay-up with 3:36 left and a short shot by Moorse with 2:57 left maintained the nine-point cushion and a Schultz lay-up with 2:20 left gave the Royals their largest advantage in the contest up to this point at 36-25. Another Parupsky score in the paint with 1:48 left maintained the eleven-point cushion at 38-27 before the 'Cats were able to make a late swipe at the Bethel advantage. One "3' by Holt from the top of the key with :46 left and another from senior reserve guard Mary Neumann from the right corner with :11.3 left enabled St. Kate's to get to within six trailing 39-33 at the half. Considering that the Wildcats shot a somewhat icy 10-33 from FG range (30.3%), they were fortunate to be where they were at against one of the top teams in the conference.
Pinkerton and his assistants Tim Kjar and Tim Peper tweaked their game plan during the halftime break and the Wildcats managed to get right back into the thick of things early on in the second half. Two scores by freshman guard Audra Clark - a score in the paint at the 19:48 mark and a lay-up at the 19:21 mark along with one free throw by Holt at the 18:28 mark brought St. Kate's to within one trailing 39-38. More importantly for the 'Cats, Holt was now getting some isolation and one-on-one opportunities on offense that allowed her to utilize her strengths with the ball - and also let St. Kate's poke their nose out in front. A drive into the lane and finish by Holt that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw tied the score at 41-all. A lay-up by Audra Clark at the 16:51 mark and another Holt drive and finish at the 16:19 mark put the Wildcats out in front for the first time at 45-43. A Parupsky score in the paint at the 16:00 mark tied the issue at 45 and a Kirchoff jumper from the free throw line put Bethel back in front 47-45 but it was here that St. Kate's went on a 6-0 run. Audra Clark uncorked a "3" from the top of the key at the 14:46 mark and an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by Horsch at the 14:46 mark and a lay-up in transition by Lee at the 13:55 mark suddenly had the Wildcats up 52-47 and the home crowd; after celebrating Parupsky's 1,000th point in the first half, now had good reason for concern.
But this young Bethel bunch has grown up a lot in the past couple of years and where they might have folded in a situation like this in years past, they now showed resolve and fought their way out of the woods. They quickly whittled the St. Kate's lead down to one on a freebie from Moorse and a lay-up in transition by Niewald that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the ensuing free throw by the 13:01 mark. Two scores by Zimmerman - a lay-up at the 11:26 mark and a score in the paint at the 10:52 mark - put the Royals back up for good at 57-56 and then Schultz banged home another "3"; this one from the right wing at the 10:24 mark that gave Bethel a 60-56 lead that took some the air out of the balloon for the Wildcats. A Horsch "3" from the right top area with 9:15 left kept the 'Cats within striking distance trailing 62-59 but the Royals didn't flinch and gradually built their lead. A "3" by senior reserve guard Lisa O'Connor from the left corner with 9:00 left and two Parupsky scores increased the lead to eight at 69-61. Pinkerton called a timeout with 6:32 left in hopes of getting one last St. Kate's charge. A Horsch "3" from the left wing area with 5:51 left and a lay-up by Audra Clark with 5:22 left got the Wildcats back to within four trailing 72-68 but they could get no closer. Schultz launched a dagger "3" from the left corner with 5:04 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by the smart Niewald upped the lead to nine at 77-68. Two Niewald free throws with 3:24 left and a drive and short jumper off the glass by the Fridley product now had the Royals safely up by fifteen at 83-68 with 2:46 left. Pairs of freebies by both Niewald and Zimmerman down the stretch gave Bethel a 90-77 victory at the buzzer as the Royals kept their lofty hopes alive and, more importantly, kept them tied with SMU for second place in the conference.
With an 8-3 record in the MIAC and a 14-4 record overall, it's easy for one to look ahead; considering the upcoming schedule for the Royals and not have high hopes but don't tell that to Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer who insists on a "one game at a time" mentality and stressed that his squad will be focused solely on the next game. And, considering that early loss at St. Kate's back in early December coupled with back-to-back losses on the road to both CSB and Concordia shortly after the first of the year and you can understand that line of thinking. Yet, for me, the only daunting aspect of their remaining regular season schedule is a home date with national powerhouse UST that looms after Valentine's Day weekend. It's all laid out there for them. It's an opportunity that they just missed out on last year and it's all laying out there in front of them now. Can they grab it? We'll see.
Osseo vs Park Center Synopsis 1-27-15
Made the quick run over to Park Center High School on this Tuesday night to take in another big Northwest Suburban Conference game between host Park Center and visiting Osseo. This is a rivalry that has had some memorable games over the years and this game would be another big addition to that storied rivalry. It's funny when I think of some of the great Osseo teams in recent years that featured players such as Jennie Sunnarborg, Jenny Oligmueller, Brianna Olson that helped take Osseo to state in '07 and '08 and then later on players such as Mikayla Bailey and Janay Morton that helped take Osseo to the state championship game a few years ago. A new cast of characters now proudly wear the black and orange these days of course but the goals and dreams haven't changed. More importantly, though, I had to wonder how the Orioles would fare after their last game; an upset loss to Irondale. The Pirates, meanwhile were rolling right along and came off a convincing win over Blaine back on Thursday (1-22).
Things did not go well for the home team in the early going as back-to-back scores by sophomore forward Azaria Reed along with a drive into the lane and finish off the glass by junior guard Arianna Jones at the 14:26 and a jumper from the right wing by fellow junior guard Kiara Russell had Osseo up 8-4 by the 13:32 mark and Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde did not waste any time in calling a timeout to talk to his squad. Despite a "3" from the left wing by Pirate senior point guard Hannah Schaub at the 12:57 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by her younger sister and sophomore guard Danielle Schaub at the 11:21 mark, the Orioles still had the upper hand with a 12-9 lead. A "3" from Jones from the right wing area at the 10:23 mark and a Russell free throw with 9:47 left built the Osseo lead to 16-11 and, worse from a Park Center perspective, the Pirates were getting a healthy dose of their own medicine as the Orioles were applying pressure defense and creating an uncharacteristically high amount of Park Center turnovers.
After struggling to find themselves for a good chunk of the first half, the Pirates finally shook off the cobwebs and strung an 11-2 run. One score in the paint by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes with 9:36 left and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele cut the Osseo lead down to a scant point at 16-15. Then it was the Schaub Sister Act that provided some much needed spark. Hannah drained a trey from the left corner with 8:57 left that tied the score at 18 a piece and a lay-up in transition by little sis Danielle with 8:30 left put Park Center out in front 20-18. Hannah followed that up with a lay-up in transition of her own with 8:01 left for a 22-18 advantage with 8:01 left. Oriole Head Coach John Rieser; not liking the developments, called a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down but the Pirates were able to expand their lead to as much as seven points at 29-22 with 6:27 left thank to a score in the paint by Hayes that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie. Osseo would go back to work and whittle the deficit back to a more manageable three points with 4:27 left but a "3" from the left wing by Hannah Schaub with 4:09 left and a "3" from the top of the key off the glass by senior reserve forward Camille McCoy with 3:41 left gave Park Center a 35-27 lead. The Pirates would maintain that eight-point advantage when Danielle Schaub connected with a lay-up with :29 left for a 37-29 lead but it appeared as if the Orioles would have the last laugh before the half when Reed snared an offensive rebound for a putback with :06 left. Danielle Schaub had other ideas, however, and with just tenths of a second left, she managed to get free in the left corner on Park Center's last possession of the first half and uncorked a "3" to give the Pirates their biggest lead yet at 40-31 when the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Little did anyone know at the time that that same left corner spot would be the focus spot when the game was on the line.
Despite the rough finish in the first half, the Orioles came out with a renewed determination in the second half and set out to get themselves back into the thick of things. Reed connected with a turnaround jumper at the 17:26 mark and followed that up less than a minute later with a score in the paint at the 16:53 mark that cut the Park Center lead down to 40-35. A Reed lay-up at the 16:04 mark and a "3" from the right wing by sophomore guard Mikayla Homola got Osseo to within four trailing 44-40. Another score in the paint by Reed at the 14:35 mark and a lay-up by Russell at the 13:40 mark tied the issue at 44-all. That Oriole push finally got the Pirates' attention as Park Center managed to lay the foundation for another cushion. A "3" by flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele at the 12:46 mark and free throws by both senior guard McKenna DuBois and Hayes had the Pirates up 50-46 at the 10:50 mark. A Hayes lay-up at the 10:12 mark along with free throws by sophomore guard Ann Simonet and one freebie by both Hannah Schaub and Hayes seemingly had Park Center in full control again up 56-48 and, presumably anyway, ready to close the deal.
But no one in the Park Center gym this night; much less the Pirates themselves, could have forseen the impending doom that awaited them. Even worse for Park Center, the Orioles applied some of the same tactics on defense that the Pirates thrive on to help them win games and another taste of their own medicine was not what Park Center had expected. Applying a healthy dose of pressure defense, Osseo was able to quickly get their way right back into the thick of things on a plethora of Pirate turnovers. One steal led to a Homola lay-up with 6:37 and then Russell snared a steal like a thief in the night and dashed the other way for a score with 6:21 left that got the Orioles to within four trailing 56-52. With 6:05 left, Homola stole the rock like a purse-snatcher and whizzed down the court for a lay-up that cut the Park Center lead to 56-54 and, knowing that his squad was clearly shaken by this point, VanderHyde had no choice but to call a halt to the action. The Pirates did manage to get the lead back to four on two freebies by Hayes that also had Park Center in the bonus but a score in the paint by junior forward Lemia Ntor-Ue with 4:53 left had it down to a one possession game again and then Russell, with consecutive steals and lay-ups, gave Osseo its first lead since early in the first half at 60-58 with 4:26 left. The Pirates managed to knot the issue at 60 on an offensive rebound and putback by Hayes with 3:38 left but the Orioles would grab the lead again at 62-60 on a score in the paint by Reed with 3:26 left. Park Center would get things tied up again at 62-all on two DuBois freebies with 2:28 left that set the stage for the frantic final two minutes. Neither team could get any of their early possessions to pay off but Osseo had one chance left with under a minute to play. The Orioles were trying desperately to get the ball to either Reed or Russell so that they might draw a foul but with :25.3 left, Homola got nabbed for traveling which then gave the Pirates their chance. VanderHyde called one timeout left with :19.5 left to try and set a play up but Park Center still was unable to cash in. With :05.8 left and with the ball, VanderHyde called another timeout in hopes of setting up a last-second play. Danielle Schaub attempted a running jumper with :02 left that bounced off the rim and Hayes' last-gasp offensive rebound and putback attempt with :00.3 left missed its mark as well so off we went to overtime tied at 62.
The Pirates appeared fully-recovered from their initial shock as they were able to build a four-point 66-62 advantage in the overtime period on one lay-up by Ayobamidele with 3:58 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Danielle Schaub with 2:42 left and Park Center again looked to be in position to close out the deal; albeit the hard way. But this Osseo squad simply would not go away. A floater in the lane by Russell with 2:24 left trimmed the Pirate lead to 66-64 and although a McCoy jumper from the left elbow with 2:00 left gave the Pirates a four-point lead again at 68-64, a Homola "3" from the right corner with :37 left got the Orioles to within one trailing 68-67. After an Osseo timeout, Park Center got the ball back with that tenuous one-point advantage. Ayobamidele was fouled with :18.2 left and was able to knock down the front-end for a 69-67 advantage but the back-end attempt missed its mark and the Orioles were able to snare the defensive rebound and dashed their way down the court. With Park Center desperately trying to cling to the lead - and every Oriole player on defense, Jones managed to get free into the left corner and got the ball and launched a three-point attempt that made the cotton sing as the Osseo contingent erupted with a 70-69 lead. Still, one desperate last-chance attempt for Park Center. With the Orioles all over the Pirates best ball handlers, Hayes took the inbounds pass and dribbled up towards the half-court line and launched a bomb to try and win it. The shot attempt was surprisingly close but it banged off the right side of the rim and Osseo claimed a thrilling 70-69 overtime victory over the defending Class AAA state champs.
Things did not go well for the home team in the early going as back-to-back scores by sophomore forward Azaria Reed along with a drive into the lane and finish off the glass by junior guard Arianna Jones at the 14:26 and a jumper from the right wing by fellow junior guard Kiara Russell had Osseo up 8-4 by the 13:32 mark and Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde did not waste any time in calling a timeout to talk to his squad. Despite a "3" from the left wing by Pirate senior point guard Hannah Schaub at the 12:57 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by her younger sister and sophomore guard Danielle Schaub at the 11:21 mark, the Orioles still had the upper hand with a 12-9 lead. A "3" from Jones from the right wing area at the 10:23 mark and a Russell free throw with 9:47 left built the Osseo lead to 16-11 and, worse from a Park Center perspective, the Pirates were getting a healthy dose of their own medicine as the Orioles were applying pressure defense and creating an uncharacteristically high amount of Park Center turnovers.
After struggling to find themselves for a good chunk of the first half, the Pirates finally shook off the cobwebs and strung an 11-2 run. One score in the paint by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes with 9:36 left and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele cut the Osseo lead down to a scant point at 16-15. Then it was the Schaub Sister Act that provided some much needed spark. Hannah drained a trey from the left corner with 8:57 left that tied the score at 18 a piece and a lay-up in transition by little sis Danielle with 8:30 left put Park Center out in front 20-18. Hannah followed that up with a lay-up in transition of her own with 8:01 left for a 22-18 advantage with 8:01 left. Oriole Head Coach John Rieser; not liking the developments, called a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down but the Pirates were able to expand their lead to as much as seven points at 29-22 with 6:27 left thank to a score in the paint by Hayes that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie. Osseo would go back to work and whittle the deficit back to a more manageable three points with 4:27 left but a "3" from the left wing by Hannah Schaub with 4:09 left and a "3" from the top of the key off the glass by senior reserve forward Camille McCoy with 3:41 left gave Park Center a 35-27 lead. The Pirates would maintain that eight-point advantage when Danielle Schaub connected with a lay-up with :29 left for a 37-29 lead but it appeared as if the Orioles would have the last laugh before the half when Reed snared an offensive rebound for a putback with :06 left. Danielle Schaub had other ideas, however, and with just tenths of a second left, she managed to get free in the left corner on Park Center's last possession of the first half and uncorked a "3" to give the Pirates their biggest lead yet at 40-31 when the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Little did anyone know at the time that that same left corner spot would be the focus spot when the game was on the line.
Despite the rough finish in the first half, the Orioles came out with a renewed determination in the second half and set out to get themselves back into the thick of things. Reed connected with a turnaround jumper at the 17:26 mark and followed that up less than a minute later with a score in the paint at the 16:53 mark that cut the Park Center lead down to 40-35. A Reed lay-up at the 16:04 mark and a "3" from the right wing by sophomore guard Mikayla Homola got Osseo to within four trailing 44-40. Another score in the paint by Reed at the 14:35 mark and a lay-up by Russell at the 13:40 mark tied the issue at 44-all. That Oriole push finally got the Pirates' attention as Park Center managed to lay the foundation for another cushion. A "3" by flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamidele at the 12:46 mark and free throws by both senior guard McKenna DuBois and Hayes had the Pirates up 50-46 at the 10:50 mark. A Hayes lay-up at the 10:12 mark along with free throws by sophomore guard Ann Simonet and one freebie by both Hannah Schaub and Hayes seemingly had Park Center in full control again up 56-48 and, presumably anyway, ready to close the deal.
But no one in the Park Center gym this night; much less the Pirates themselves, could have forseen the impending doom that awaited them. Even worse for Park Center, the Orioles applied some of the same tactics on defense that the Pirates thrive on to help them win games and another taste of their own medicine was not what Park Center had expected. Applying a healthy dose of pressure defense, Osseo was able to quickly get their way right back into the thick of things on a plethora of Pirate turnovers. One steal led to a Homola lay-up with 6:37 and then Russell snared a steal like a thief in the night and dashed the other way for a score with 6:21 left that got the Orioles to within four trailing 56-52. With 6:05 left, Homola stole the rock like a purse-snatcher and whizzed down the court for a lay-up that cut the Park Center lead to 56-54 and, knowing that his squad was clearly shaken by this point, VanderHyde had no choice but to call a halt to the action. The Pirates did manage to get the lead back to four on two freebies by Hayes that also had Park Center in the bonus but a score in the paint by junior forward Lemia Ntor-Ue with 4:53 left had it down to a one possession game again and then Russell, with consecutive steals and lay-ups, gave Osseo its first lead since early in the first half at 60-58 with 4:26 left. The Pirates managed to knot the issue at 60 on an offensive rebound and putback by Hayes with 3:38 left but the Orioles would grab the lead again at 62-60 on a score in the paint by Reed with 3:26 left. Park Center would get things tied up again at 62-all on two DuBois freebies with 2:28 left that set the stage for the frantic final two minutes. Neither team could get any of their early possessions to pay off but Osseo had one chance left with under a minute to play. The Orioles were trying desperately to get the ball to either Reed or Russell so that they might draw a foul but with :25.3 left, Homola got nabbed for traveling which then gave the Pirates their chance. VanderHyde called one timeout left with :19.5 left to try and set a play up but Park Center still was unable to cash in. With :05.8 left and with the ball, VanderHyde called another timeout in hopes of setting up a last-second play. Danielle Schaub attempted a running jumper with :02 left that bounced off the rim and Hayes' last-gasp offensive rebound and putback attempt with :00.3 left missed its mark as well so off we went to overtime tied at 62.
The Pirates appeared fully-recovered from their initial shock as they were able to build a four-point 66-62 advantage in the overtime period on one lay-up by Ayobamidele with 3:58 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by Danielle Schaub with 2:42 left and Park Center again looked to be in position to close out the deal; albeit the hard way. But this Osseo squad simply would not go away. A floater in the lane by Russell with 2:24 left trimmed the Pirate lead to 66-64 and although a McCoy jumper from the left elbow with 2:00 left gave the Pirates a four-point lead again at 68-64, a Homola "3" from the right corner with :37 left got the Orioles to within one trailing 68-67. After an Osseo timeout, Park Center got the ball back with that tenuous one-point advantage. Ayobamidele was fouled with :18.2 left and was able to knock down the front-end for a 69-67 advantage but the back-end attempt missed its mark and the Orioles were able to snare the defensive rebound and dashed their way down the court. With Park Center desperately trying to cling to the lead - and every Oriole player on defense, Jones managed to get free into the left corner and got the ball and launched a three-point attempt that made the cotton sing as the Osseo contingent erupted with a 70-69 lead. Still, one desperate last-chance attempt for Park Center. With the Orioles all over the Pirates best ball handlers, Hayes took the inbounds pass and dribbled up towards the half-court line and launched a bomb to try and win it. The shot attempt was surprisingly close but it banged off the right side of the rim and Osseo claimed a thrilling 70-69 overtime victory over the defending Class AAA state champs.
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