The third Class AAAA semifinal on this day pitted underdog White Bear Lake going up against number two-seed STMA. Both students sections were roaring and ready to go for this one and both squads were experienced in this setting as were the coaches - White Bear Lake's Jeremy Post and STMA's Kent Hamre. The Knights got the second seed by virtue of their 27-2 record but don't tell the opposing Bears that as they were geared up for this battle.
And it was no surprise that this one was tight in the opening minutes with STMA holding a tenuous 7-6 lead by the 13:03 mark. A "3" from the right corner by junior guard Rae Johnson at the 9:19 mark increased the cushion to four points at 13-9 but White Bear Lake was able to come right back and knot the issue at 13 a piece with 6:45 left after a lay-up by senior reserve forward Makala Keefe. The Knights were able to get another lead at 16-13 but the Bears Keefe answered the call with her "3" from the left top area with 5:52 left. STMA looked like it may have made its first decisive move of the contest after a running jumper in the lane by junior guard Lizzy Heil with 5:11 left and two free throws by senior guard Kitri Zezza had the Knights up 20-16 with 4:48 left. Senior guard Sydney Tracy's jumper from the left elbow area maintained the four-point cushion at 22-18 and a Zezza freebie with 3:32 left upped the lead to five at 23-18. But White Bear Lake's Keefe saved the Bears bacon again as she got into the paint for one score with 3:14 left and was able to drop one free throw after being fouled in transition with 2:59 left that cut STMA's lead down to 23-21. Zezza would connect on a drive and finish with 1:44 left for the Knights but a lay-up by Keefe with :53 left in the first half had STMA going into the locker room at the half with a very uncertain 26-23 lead.
The Knights set out to try and correct the mistakes and missed opportunities from the first half and along the way they built a 32-25 lead and at that point it definitely looked like White Bear Lake might be in some real trouble. But the Bears were able to keep their composure and they smartly got their way back into the contest. Junior guard Alison Hinck connected on a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and the ensuing freebie cut STMA's lead down to four at 32-28. One Rae Johnson free throw at the 15:06 mark upped the Knight lead to five at 33-28 but the first sign of real trouble for STMA came shortly thereafter when Bear junior reserve guard Alexa Molin drained a "3" at the 14:50 mark that cut the Knight lead down to 33-31 and a score in the paint by senior post Kate Brabenec at the 14:16 mark knotted the issue at 33 a piece. After a Rae Johnson lay-up at the 13:05 mark put STMA back up briefly at 37-35, the Bears took their first lead of the afternoon at the 12:55 mark when Brabenec got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and her obligatory free throw suddenly made it 38-37 White Bear Lake. The teams would then trade small leads seven minutes as this one hung precariously in the balance for both squads. With the Bears holding a tenuous 54-53 lead with under four minutes to play in regulation, senior forward Taite Anderson's lay-up with 3:28 left upped the lead to 56-53 but a Tracy score in the paint with 3:01 cut the deficit to one point for STMA trailing 56-55. A strong drive and finish by Rae Johnson with 2:34 left put the Knights back out in front at 57-56 and one free throw by 8th greade reserve post Vanessa Alexander with 2:13 left upped the lead to 58-56. An Anderson score in the paint with 1:55 left tied things up for White Bear lake at 58 a piece but when Rae Johnson was sent to the line after being fouled with 1:47 left, her two free throws put STMA back out in front 60-58. Now it was the Bears turn to respond and they did just that less than twenty seconds later as Hinck connected with a lay-up with 1:30 left for a 60-all deadlock. Both the Bears and the Knights had a chance to possibly win it from the charity stripe late but both Hinck and Tracy, respectively, could not knock down the freebies. White Bear Lake turned the ball over on its last possession and Zezza could only launch a desperation shot with less than a second left for STMA so off we went to overtime tied at 60 with the crowd in Target Center screaming its collective lungs out.
Two Hinck free throws with 3:11 left in the extra overtime period gave the Bears a 62-60 lead but a pretty running jumper in the lane by Rae Johnson helped tie this one up at 62-all for STMA. With 2:01 left the score was tied again at 64 with seemingly neither side willing to budge an inch but with just over a minute left, White Bear Lake delivered a crushing blow to the second-seeded Knights hopes as Molin uncorked a dagger three-point bomb from the left wing area for a 67-64 Bear lead and after Heil couldn't connect with a jumper on STMA's subsequent possession, Molin was fouled with :35 left and her two free throws mad it a 69-64 game that clearly had the Knights on the ropes. A "3" from the top of the key by Zezza with :24.3 left got STMA back to within single digits trailing 69-67 but now the Knights had to foul and well. Bear sophomore forward Jordan Ferrand got sent to the line with :16.6 left where she made the front end but the back end rattled out and went into Tracy's hands for STMA. The eighth-grader; Alexander, was able connect with a short shot with :04 left that cut the White Bear Lake lead down to one point at 70-69 but again, the Knights had no choice but to foul and hope for the best. With :02.8 left, White Bear Lake's Molin was fouled and she calmly stepped to the charity stripe and sank two free throws with ice water in her veins for a 72-69 lead. STMA was unable to get a desperation three-point attempt off before the buzzer and White Bear Lake fired the first shot of this 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament with a 72-69 upset.
White Bear Lake Head Coach Jeremy Post talked afterward about how he wanted his squad to "play with no regrets" and how they had to "fight tooth and nail" in this one. "We made some mistakes but when it mattered the most we didn't.....We got a second chance to show who we are and we think we're pretty good." I got to ask Molin about the late "3" she hit in regulation if she really wanted to necessarily take the shot but her teammates surrounding her quickly chimed in with "We wanted her to take that shot!" Not surprisingly, it was Molin's 15 points that led the way for the Bears on this afternoon. On the other side, I asked STMA's Hamre about how the early second half seven point lead was lost and what transpired. "It wasn't the way we wanted to play" he lamented and added that "we forced some things". Hamre also pooh-poohed the notion about the added pressure of being the number two seed in this state tournament by saying that "these girls have had pressure on them all year long." A heartbroken Zezza painfully admitted that her team may have rushed things a bit too much and may have panicked when that early second half lead was lost. Not surprisingly, it was Rae Johnson who led the way for STMA in the losing effort with her 21 points whize Zezza was right behind with her 18 points.
Los Angeles Rams
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Lakeville North vs Eastview 3-15-16
The second game on tap on this Tuesday at Target Center featured an intriguing match-ups of two teams who have been here many times before - Lakeville North and Eastview. Not having seen these two teams play this season I wasn't quite sure what to expect but the Lightning; who finished as runners-up in last years AAAA field maybe had a little more to prove in this game. At the same time, you couldn't count out the Panthers chances either.
With Eastview as the number four seed and Lakeville North as the number five seed, I expected this to be a tight contest and, given the fact that these two longtime South Suburban Conference rivals knew each other well, it was a given that this could be a good one despite the fact that the Lightning swept the regular season meetings between the two teams. Lanky Eastview junior guard Rachel Ranke had something of a hot hand early on; draining one trey from the right wing at the 13:47 mark and drilling another trey at the 12:27 mark to forge an 8-4 Lightning advantage. Lakeville North meanwhile struggled mightily from the perimeter and blew several easy transition lay-up chances and it didn't help the Panther cause when senior guard Sarah Krynski picked up her second foul that sent her to the bench for a spell. As it was, Eastview was able to stretch the lead as two scores by lanky sophomore forward Megan Walstad - a rebound and putback with 8:19 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 7:35 left made it a 12-4 ballgame. Two Ranke free throws with 7:06 left and a Ranke offensive rebound and putback with 5:57 left gave the Lightning a ten-point cushion at 16-6 and a Walstad drive into the lane and finish that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had the Panthers in a hole trailing 19-8. Lakeville North finally found a bit of a spark when junior guard Olivia Bruce banged home a "3" from the left wing area that cut the Lightning lead down to eight at 19-11 with 4:46 left but it would be an uphill climb for the Panthers down the stretch of the first half. Eastview built their lead back up to double digits on a score in the paint by Walstad with 4:32 left and on a offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve forward Miranda Crenshaw with 2:06 left. Lakeville North avoided a complete disaster as junior point guard Temi Carda was able to connect on a lay-up in transition with just :01 left but going into the locker room trailing 25-13, the Panthers had their work cut out for them in the second half.
Lakeville North needed some sort of spark to regenerate its hopes going into the second half and an opening 7-0 Panther spurt suggested that they had found it. Senior post Jessica Montouri knocked down two free throws at the 17:44 mark and then followed that up with a score in the paint at the 16:36 mark. Senior guard Claire Blascziek then drained a "3" from the right wing area that suddenly had Lakeville North right back within striking distance trailing 25-20 and Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper wasted no time in calling a thirty-second timeout to get her squad reorganized and calmed down. That short stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Lightning hunkered down and effectively choked off the Panther offensive strikes. A Walstad score in the paint at the 15:25 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up by Ranke at the 14:03 mark got the lead back up to nine at 29-20 and two more Lightning scores; including a strong offensive rebound and putback by Crenshaw at the 12:36 mark gave Eastview a 33-20 advantage. Unfortunately for Lakeville North, not only did the revert to their old bad habits of not being able to connect from the perimeter but they also could not cash in from the charity stripe either. Sophomore reserve post Kiara James was unable to drop two pairs of free throw attempts at the 12:17 and 11:22 mark and the Lightning pounced on the missed opportunities. One Walstad freebie at the 10:34 mark and two three-point bombs by junior guard Allie Pickrain - one with 7:50 left and another with 6:42 left - gave Eastview a cozy 40-22 lead. Two Pickrain free throws with 2:59 left increased the lead to 48-27 and the Lightning; despite a late Lakeville North rally, cruised into the semifinals with a 52-35 victory.
A disappointed Panther Head Coach Shelly Clemons could only heap praise on her South Suburban Conference rival. "They (Eastview) run their offense extremely well" she said. Lakeville North shot a dismal 20% from FG range in the first half and were even colder behind the arc (12.5%) and Clemmons admitted that Eastview's zone defense definitely had an adverse effect on her squad. On the Eastview side, Ranke; who finished this contest with 16 points, said that her team "had to come out with a lot of energy and intensity because they (Lakeville North) were really going to run the court." Going forward into the semifinal with Hopkins on Thursday, Pickrain just said that her team just has to focus and "lock down....play like we know we can....and play with heart." Walstad led the Lightning with 18 points but more importantly, Eastview owned the boards in this contest by a whopping 22-12 margin. Krynski led Lakeville North with her nine points while Montouri added eight.
With Eastview as the number four seed and Lakeville North as the number five seed, I expected this to be a tight contest and, given the fact that these two longtime South Suburban Conference rivals knew each other well, it was a given that this could be a good one despite the fact that the Lightning swept the regular season meetings between the two teams. Lanky Eastview junior guard Rachel Ranke had something of a hot hand early on; draining one trey from the right wing at the 13:47 mark and drilling another trey at the 12:27 mark to forge an 8-4 Lightning advantage. Lakeville North meanwhile struggled mightily from the perimeter and blew several easy transition lay-up chances and it didn't help the Panther cause when senior guard Sarah Krynski picked up her second foul that sent her to the bench for a spell. As it was, Eastview was able to stretch the lead as two scores by lanky sophomore forward Megan Walstad - a rebound and putback with 8:19 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with 7:35 left made it a 12-4 ballgame. Two Ranke free throws with 7:06 left and a Ranke offensive rebound and putback with 5:57 left gave the Lightning a ten-point cushion at 16-6 and a Walstad drive into the lane and finish that drew a foul that sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie had the Panthers in a hole trailing 19-8. Lakeville North finally found a bit of a spark when junior guard Olivia Bruce banged home a "3" from the left wing area that cut the Lightning lead down to eight at 19-11 with 4:46 left but it would be an uphill climb for the Panthers down the stretch of the first half. Eastview built their lead back up to double digits on a score in the paint by Walstad with 4:32 left and on a offensive rebound and putback by junior reserve forward Miranda Crenshaw with 2:06 left. Lakeville North avoided a complete disaster as junior point guard Temi Carda was able to connect on a lay-up in transition with just :01 left but going into the locker room trailing 25-13, the Panthers had their work cut out for them in the second half.
Lakeville North needed some sort of spark to regenerate its hopes going into the second half and an opening 7-0 Panther spurt suggested that they had found it. Senior post Jessica Montouri knocked down two free throws at the 17:44 mark and then followed that up with a score in the paint at the 16:36 mark. Senior guard Claire Blascziek then drained a "3" from the right wing area that suddenly had Lakeville North right back within striking distance trailing 25-20 and Eastview Head Coach Molly Kasper wasted no time in calling a thirty-second timeout to get her squad reorganized and calmed down. That short stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Lightning hunkered down and effectively choked off the Panther offensive strikes. A Walstad score in the paint at the 15:25 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up by Ranke at the 14:03 mark got the lead back up to nine at 29-20 and two more Lightning scores; including a strong offensive rebound and putback by Crenshaw at the 12:36 mark gave Eastview a 33-20 advantage. Unfortunately for Lakeville North, not only did the revert to their old bad habits of not being able to connect from the perimeter but they also could not cash in from the charity stripe either. Sophomore reserve post Kiara James was unable to drop two pairs of free throw attempts at the 12:17 and 11:22 mark and the Lightning pounced on the missed opportunities. One Walstad freebie at the 10:34 mark and two three-point bombs by junior guard Allie Pickrain - one with 7:50 left and another with 6:42 left - gave Eastview a cozy 40-22 lead. Two Pickrain free throws with 2:59 left increased the lead to 48-27 and the Lightning; despite a late Lakeville North rally, cruised into the semifinals with a 52-35 victory.
A disappointed Panther Head Coach Shelly Clemons could only heap praise on her South Suburban Conference rival. "They (Eastview) run their offense extremely well" she said. Lakeville North shot a dismal 20% from FG range in the first half and were even colder behind the arc (12.5%) and Clemmons admitted that Eastview's zone defense definitely had an adverse effect on her squad. On the Eastview side, Ranke; who finished this contest with 16 points, said that her team "had to come out with a lot of energy and intensity because they (Lakeville North) were really going to run the court." Going forward into the semifinal with Hopkins on Thursday, Pickrain just said that her team just has to focus and "lock down....play like we know we can....and play with heart." Walstad led the Lightning with 18 points but more importantly, Eastview owned the boards in this contest by a whopping 22-12 margin. Krynski led Lakeville North with her nine points while Montouri added eight.
2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Quarterfinal Game Recap - Park Center vs Hopkins 3-15-16
The first game on tap on this Tuesday morning at Target Center featured defending Class AAAA state champ Hopkins taking on defending Class AAA champ Park Center. This game; on paper anyway, seemed to heavily favor the Royals but with a swarming defense that the Pirates bring to each and every game makes them extremely dangerous as an underdog and they were going to do everything to try and pull off the monumental upset on this day.
This game started with a flurry of three-point bombs on both sides as one from Hopkins senior forward Nia Hollie from the top of the key at the 15:16 mark started the show but two from Pirates; including one from sophomore guard Sommer Blakemore from the right top area at the 14:41 mark gave Park Center a 6-5 lead. Junior guard Ann Simonet would drain one from the left wing area at the 13:32 mark for an 11-7 Pirate lead but the Royals would waste little time in gaining control of this contest with their stifling defense and an ability to force turnovers. Senior guard Ashley Bates got a lay-up in transition off one turnover at the 11:15 mark and then was able to snare another steal at the 10:29 mark where she then dashed the other way for a lay-up for a 17-13 Hopkins lead. And when the Royals weren't able to get lay-ups or jumpers off of those steals, they were getting a steady parade of free throw shots. Two freebies by 8th grader Paige Bueckers at the 10:06 mark and one more by Bates at the 9:53 mark got the lead to nine points at 22-13 and two more by Hollie with 7:45 left got the lead to double-digits at 24-13. With Hopkins safely in the bonus by this point, Hollie would knock down another pair with 6:24 left that maintained the eleven-point edge at 26-15. The Pirates, however, had no intention of simply folding up the tent and going home and they slyly cut into the Hopkins cushion. One jumper from the left elbow by junior guard Danielle Schaub with 5:23 left and a Simonet lay-up in transition with 4:19 left got the deficit back into single digits and a Simonet "3" from the top of the key with 3:58 left cut the Royals lead down to six at 30-24. Park Center's fortunes, however, appeared to take a turn for the worse when Schaub was whistled for her third foul of the contest on a questionable charging call in transition with 2:13 left. Still, a resourceful Pirate squad would not give in and despite two free throws by Hopkins senior reserve guard Evelyn Knox with :57.7 left, lanky 6'1" junior post Mikayla Hayes was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with :38 left that had Park Center right in the thick of things trailing 34-27 at the halftime break.
The Pirates needed to somehow limit their turnovers and the second chance points that Hopkins was getting the the trio of Hollie, Bates and senior reserve post Dominique McNeely simply proved to be too tough, too tall and too strong to keep off the boards. Park Center's Simonet, however, was not going to let her team go down without a fight as she went bombs away from behind the arc in the second half that helped keep the deficit anywhere in the 10-13-point range. But they could never sustain a key run that may have changed the complexion of this contest. The other problem was that the Royals kept making all-too frequent trips to the charity stripe that maintained the cushion they were able to establish in the early part of the second half (37-45 for the game). But that might be deflecting some of the credit that went to the seasoned veterans of this Hopkins team; particularly with Bates who led the Royals with her 28 points on this day. She has arguably grown as a player from last year as she seemed to be the forgotten component of the star-studded team that waltzed to the state title last year. Hopkins would win this one 81-69 but Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff stated afterward that this was "probably the toughest first-round game we've had here." And the equally stingy Park Center defense was another sore spot on Cosgriff's mind afterward as he admitted that his squad committed way too many turnovers on this day. On the opposite side of the coin, Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde admitted that the physical aspect of this Hopkins team was something of a concern coming into this contest but then again, the Pirates play several teams throughout the year that are arguably more physical than they are. VanderHyde did lament, however, that when Hopkins made their decisive move in the first half, "there were instances where we were out of position on defense." Still, VanderHyde believes that this initial experience at State at the Class AAAA level will pay dividends for his squad down the road. Simonet led the way for the Pirates with her 29 points.
This game started with a flurry of three-point bombs on both sides as one from Hopkins senior forward Nia Hollie from the top of the key at the 15:16 mark started the show but two from Pirates; including one from sophomore guard Sommer Blakemore from the right top area at the 14:41 mark gave Park Center a 6-5 lead. Junior guard Ann Simonet would drain one from the left wing area at the 13:32 mark for an 11-7 Pirate lead but the Royals would waste little time in gaining control of this contest with their stifling defense and an ability to force turnovers. Senior guard Ashley Bates got a lay-up in transition off one turnover at the 11:15 mark and then was able to snare another steal at the 10:29 mark where she then dashed the other way for a lay-up for a 17-13 Hopkins lead. And when the Royals weren't able to get lay-ups or jumpers off of those steals, they were getting a steady parade of free throw shots. Two freebies by 8th grader Paige Bueckers at the 10:06 mark and one more by Bates at the 9:53 mark got the lead to nine points at 22-13 and two more by Hollie with 7:45 left got the lead to double-digits at 24-13. With Hopkins safely in the bonus by this point, Hollie would knock down another pair with 6:24 left that maintained the eleven-point edge at 26-15. The Pirates, however, had no intention of simply folding up the tent and going home and they slyly cut into the Hopkins cushion. One jumper from the left elbow by junior guard Danielle Schaub with 5:23 left and a Simonet lay-up in transition with 4:19 left got the deficit back into single digits and a Simonet "3" from the top of the key with 3:58 left cut the Royals lead down to six at 30-24. Park Center's fortunes, however, appeared to take a turn for the worse when Schaub was whistled for her third foul of the contest on a questionable charging call in transition with 2:13 left. Still, a resourceful Pirate squad would not give in and despite two free throws by Hopkins senior reserve guard Evelyn Knox with :57.7 left, lanky 6'1" junior post Mikayla Hayes was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with :38 left that had Park Center right in the thick of things trailing 34-27 at the halftime break.
The Pirates needed to somehow limit their turnovers and the second chance points that Hopkins was getting the the trio of Hollie, Bates and senior reserve post Dominique McNeely simply proved to be too tough, too tall and too strong to keep off the boards. Park Center's Simonet, however, was not going to let her team go down without a fight as she went bombs away from behind the arc in the second half that helped keep the deficit anywhere in the 10-13-point range. But they could never sustain a key run that may have changed the complexion of this contest. The other problem was that the Royals kept making all-too frequent trips to the charity stripe that maintained the cushion they were able to establish in the early part of the second half (37-45 for the game). But that might be deflecting some of the credit that went to the seasoned veterans of this Hopkins team; particularly with Bates who led the Royals with her 28 points on this day. She has arguably grown as a player from last year as she seemed to be the forgotten component of the star-studded team that waltzed to the state title last year. Hopkins would win this one 81-69 but Royals Head Coach Brian Cosgriff stated afterward that this was "probably the toughest first-round game we've had here." And the equally stingy Park Center defense was another sore spot on Cosgriff's mind afterward as he admitted that his squad committed way too many turnovers on this day. On the opposite side of the coin, Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde admitted that the physical aspect of this Hopkins team was something of a concern coming into this contest but then again, the Pirates play several teams throughout the year that are arguably more physical than they are. VanderHyde did lament, however, that when Hopkins made their decisive move in the first half, "there were instances where we were out of position on defense." Still, VanderHyde believes that this initial experience at State at the Class AAAA level will pay dividends for his squad down the road. Simonet led the way for the Pirates with her 29 points.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Getting Ready For The 2016 Minnesota Girl's State Tournament!
It's that time of the year again and I'll be providing game reports from Target Center beginning on Tuesday (3-15) and from Mariucci Arena on Wednesday (3-16) and then from Williams Arena on Thursday (3-17), Friday (3-18) and Saturday (3-19). As always, there are some intriguing match-ups and teams that may be flying under the radar that are ready to step up and snatch the title away from a heavy favorite. Let's do a capsule look at each of the four classes and see how things shape up:
Class A
The Class A teams don't start action until Thursday over at Mariucci Arena and while I haven't had an opportunity to cover any of the Class A teams extensively, I did get to cover nearby Maranatha Christian back in January when they traveled to and upset highly-regarded Minnehaha Academy (in the Class AA field). The third-seeded Mustangs, who made it to the Class A title game last year to Ada-Borup, come into this year's state tournament with a solid 24-6 record and are led by a dynamic sister duo - senior point guard Alaina Jarnot and sophomore forward/swing guard Jacklyn Jarnot. While Alaina, who runs the show from the backcourt and averaged 21.3 ppg coming into this season, Jacklyn (11.8 ppg) anchors things down low. When this team is clicking, they are truly something to watch and there's no reason to think that this group can't win it. The only thing that works against them, IMHO, is their tendency for defensive lapses as this is a squad that knows how to put up points but doesn't always get the stops which could cost them going up against top-flight competition. Goodhue is the number one seed in Class A and Mountain Iron-Buhl is the second seed. The Wildcats are led by 5'11" sophomore PG (!) Sydney Lodermeier while the Rangers have a scoring triumvirate of scorers - junior guard Chelsea Mason, sophomore forward Mary Burke and junior guard Mya Buffetta. The Class A field seems to always be a bit more unpredictable but it wouldn't shock me one bit if Maranatha Christian finds a way to win it this time around.
Class AA
Plainview-Elgin-Millville comes into this field as the number one seed with their 28-1 record and three seniors lead the way for the Bulldogs - senior guard Sarah Hart, senior forward Chloe Holtz, and senior guard Tessa Hubbard. Second-seeded Sauk Centre; seeking to avenge last year's state title game loss to Dover-Eyota and the Mainstreeters are loaded with talent and scoring ability. Senior guard Madi Greenwaldt along with sophomore guards Kelsey Peschel and Maesyn Theisen lead a very balanced scoring attack. But another team to keep your eye on in Class AA is third-seeded Minnehaha Academy. The Redhawks, led by senior guard Sarah Kaminiski, have a lot of experience on this stage and Head Coach Josh Thurow calls Kaminski "the best all-around player we've had in our program". I give Sauk Centre a solid shot here but I really like Minnehaha Academy's experience in this setting. My money's on the Redhawks here.
Class AAA
The Class AAA tournament will have a new champion by this coming Saturday night with two-time defending champ Park Center shoved up to the Class AAAA field. Hutchinson comes in as the number one seed with a 23-5 record and the Tigers knocked off highly-regard Orono in the section final to get here. Hutchinson; competing in the Wright County Conference, should at least be battle-tested coming into the state tournament but will their lack of experience on this stage get the best of them? Second-seeded Winona comes in with a 23-6 record but some of the same questions about Hutchinson may very well be swirling around the Winhawks as well. Another team, St. Paul Como Park is making its very first trip to the state tournament but the Cougars do have a big weapon that the other teams in this field don't - senior guard Andrayah Adams who can do it all. If she does what she wants to do, St. Paul Como Park could be very, very tough to beat. But one other team that DOES come into this state tournament with a ton of experience is Marshall at the number four seed. The Tigers, with a 23-6 record, don't quite have the star-studded line-up they've had the last couple of years that saw them get to the title game only to fall to Park Center twice - the first time in that dramatic triple-overtime game back in 2014. Senior forward Marah Mulso and fellow senior forward Lexi Saugstad lead the way for Marshall and in a field that has a fair amount of unpredictability to it, experience could go a long way here and the Tigers are due.
Class AAAA
I suppose one could look at this field and simply reply "Just give it (the trophy) to Hopkins already and be done with it." But while the Royals are the number one seed here and the favorites to win it, you may just want to wait until all the games are played out before you go handing anyone the title trophy just yet. No doubt about it, the Royals are a very, very, good team as their 27-2 record suggests. Senior guards Nia Hollie, Ashley Bates and Evelyn Knox lead the way for Hopkins and their explosiveness on offense and ability to defend certainly give them something of an inside track to the title. But you also have to consider the two teams that managed to beat Hopkins this season that find themselves in this state tournament as well - second-seeded STMA and third-seeded Minnetonka. The Knights; at 26-2, were somewhat of a surprise (to me anyway) with the second seed although the trio of junior guard Rae Johnson, senior forward Sydney Tracy and fellow senior guard Kitri Zezza can put up a lot of points. This group has been here before as well and they know what it's about so it's not at all out of the realm of possibility that they could win it. But the most complete team (to me anyway), is the third-seeded Skippers. Senior guard Grace Allen and senior forward Courtney Fredrickson lead the way for Minnetonka. The experience factor on this stage works against them, but I think this group is more than good enough to overcome that. They're just solid at every position and they know how to play defense. Fourth-seeded Eastview and fifth-seeded Lakeville North are longshots here as is Anoka. Oddly enough, the most dangerous team out here may very well be unseeded Park Center. They've played both Hopkins and Minnetonka during the regular season (along with Anoka in Northwest Suburban Conference regular season play). Oh, let's not forget that they're the two-time defending Class AAA state champs and they can swarm like angry hornets on defense. Getting past Hopkins is likely a bridge too far for the Pirates on Tuesday morning but if there's one team you'd just as soon avoid playing if at all possible - especially at 10:00 in the morning, is Park Center. They've got absolutely nothing to lose here and they'll let it all hang out Tuesday morning.
So there you have it. As always, I'll be providing game recaps and interview bits. Let's get this show on the road!
Class A
The Class A teams don't start action until Thursday over at Mariucci Arena and while I haven't had an opportunity to cover any of the Class A teams extensively, I did get to cover nearby Maranatha Christian back in January when they traveled to and upset highly-regarded Minnehaha Academy (in the Class AA field). The third-seeded Mustangs, who made it to the Class A title game last year to Ada-Borup, come into this year's state tournament with a solid 24-6 record and are led by a dynamic sister duo - senior point guard Alaina Jarnot and sophomore forward/swing guard Jacklyn Jarnot. While Alaina, who runs the show from the backcourt and averaged 21.3 ppg coming into this season, Jacklyn (11.8 ppg) anchors things down low. When this team is clicking, they are truly something to watch and there's no reason to think that this group can't win it. The only thing that works against them, IMHO, is their tendency for defensive lapses as this is a squad that knows how to put up points but doesn't always get the stops which could cost them going up against top-flight competition. Goodhue is the number one seed in Class A and Mountain Iron-Buhl is the second seed. The Wildcats are led by 5'11" sophomore PG (!) Sydney Lodermeier while the Rangers have a scoring triumvirate of scorers - junior guard Chelsea Mason, sophomore forward Mary Burke and junior guard Mya Buffetta. The Class A field seems to always be a bit more unpredictable but it wouldn't shock me one bit if Maranatha Christian finds a way to win it this time around.
Class AA
Plainview-Elgin-Millville comes into this field as the number one seed with their 28-1 record and three seniors lead the way for the Bulldogs - senior guard Sarah Hart, senior forward Chloe Holtz, and senior guard Tessa Hubbard. Second-seeded Sauk Centre; seeking to avenge last year's state title game loss to Dover-Eyota and the Mainstreeters are loaded with talent and scoring ability. Senior guard Madi Greenwaldt along with sophomore guards Kelsey Peschel and Maesyn Theisen lead a very balanced scoring attack. But another team to keep your eye on in Class AA is third-seeded Minnehaha Academy. The Redhawks, led by senior guard Sarah Kaminiski, have a lot of experience on this stage and Head Coach Josh Thurow calls Kaminski "the best all-around player we've had in our program". I give Sauk Centre a solid shot here but I really like Minnehaha Academy's experience in this setting. My money's on the Redhawks here.
Class AAA
The Class AAA tournament will have a new champion by this coming Saturday night with two-time defending champ Park Center shoved up to the Class AAAA field. Hutchinson comes in as the number one seed with a 23-5 record and the Tigers knocked off highly-regard Orono in the section final to get here. Hutchinson; competing in the Wright County Conference, should at least be battle-tested coming into the state tournament but will their lack of experience on this stage get the best of them? Second-seeded Winona comes in with a 23-6 record but some of the same questions about Hutchinson may very well be swirling around the Winhawks as well. Another team, St. Paul Como Park is making its very first trip to the state tournament but the Cougars do have a big weapon that the other teams in this field don't - senior guard Andrayah Adams who can do it all. If she does what she wants to do, St. Paul Como Park could be very, very tough to beat. But one other team that DOES come into this state tournament with a ton of experience is Marshall at the number four seed. The Tigers, with a 23-6 record, don't quite have the star-studded line-up they've had the last couple of years that saw them get to the title game only to fall to Park Center twice - the first time in that dramatic triple-overtime game back in 2014. Senior forward Marah Mulso and fellow senior forward Lexi Saugstad lead the way for Marshall and in a field that has a fair amount of unpredictability to it, experience could go a long way here and the Tigers are due.
Class AAAA
I suppose one could look at this field and simply reply "Just give it (the trophy) to Hopkins already and be done with it." But while the Royals are the number one seed here and the favorites to win it, you may just want to wait until all the games are played out before you go handing anyone the title trophy just yet. No doubt about it, the Royals are a very, very, good team as their 27-2 record suggests. Senior guards Nia Hollie, Ashley Bates and Evelyn Knox lead the way for Hopkins and their explosiveness on offense and ability to defend certainly give them something of an inside track to the title. But you also have to consider the two teams that managed to beat Hopkins this season that find themselves in this state tournament as well - second-seeded STMA and third-seeded Minnetonka. The Knights; at 26-2, were somewhat of a surprise (to me anyway) with the second seed although the trio of junior guard Rae Johnson, senior forward Sydney Tracy and fellow senior guard Kitri Zezza can put up a lot of points. This group has been here before as well and they know what it's about so it's not at all out of the realm of possibility that they could win it. But the most complete team (to me anyway), is the third-seeded Skippers. Senior guard Grace Allen and senior forward Courtney Fredrickson lead the way for Minnetonka. The experience factor on this stage works against them, but I think this group is more than good enough to overcome that. They're just solid at every position and they know how to play defense. Fourth-seeded Eastview and fifth-seeded Lakeville North are longshots here as is Anoka. Oddly enough, the most dangerous team out here may very well be unseeded Park Center. They've played both Hopkins and Minnetonka during the regular season (along with Anoka in Northwest Suburban Conference regular season play). Oh, let's not forget that they're the two-time defending Class AAA state champs and they can swarm like angry hornets on defense. Getting past Hopkins is likely a bridge too far for the Pirates on Tuesday morning but if there's one team you'd just as soon avoid playing if at all possible - especially at 10:00 in the morning, is Park Center. They've got absolutely nothing to lose here and they'll let it all hang out Tuesday morning.
So there you have it. As always, I'll be providing game recaps and interview bits. Let's get this show on the road!
Sunday, March 13, 2016
NCAA Tournament Regional Final Game - Wartburg vs Texas-Tyler 3-12-16
Made my way back over to UST's Schoenecker Arena on this unseasonably warm Saturday evening to take in the NCAA Regional Final Game - not the anticipated George Fox vs UST match-up that I and many others thought would play out but rather between the two upset winners from Friday night - Wartburg going up against Texas-Tyler. These two teams shocked many with their upset wins so now it was time to see which team had enough left in the tank to punch their ticket to the Final Four.
Scoring came at a premium in the opening minutes of the first period as early free throws had Texas-Tyler up 2-1 by the 7:49 mark before both teams finally found a bit of a groove from FG range. Sophomore forward Miranda Murphy connected with a lay-up for Wartburg at the 7:07 mark but that was answered by a "3" from the right top area by diminutive 5'3" Patriot guard Michelle Obach for a 5-3 Texas-Tyler lead. A score in the paint by senior reserve post Kailey Kladivo tied things up for the Knights at 5 a piece and a short turn around jumper by Kladivo at the 5:07 mark had the score knotted at seven. It was here that the Patriots were able to make a push and establish a bit of a cushion. Junior guard Makenzi May unleashed a "3" from the top of the key with 4:54 left and a lay-up by the lightning-fast Obach with 3:10 left gave Texas-Tyler a 12-8 advantage. Another May three-point bomb - this one from the right wing area with 2:37 left stretched the lead to five at 15-10 and two free throws by junior reserve forward Shuntay Raglin with 1:06 left got the cushion upped to seven points at 17-10. Raglin would get into the paint for a score with :45 left to maintain that seven-point edge at 19-12 and although Wartburg sophomore guard/forward Kristie Sommer connected with a "3" from the left corner with :15 left in the opening period to cut the Patriot lead down to 19-15, Texas-Tyler's expansive up-tempo offense was stretching the Knight defense to its limits.
Arguably Wartburg was in a bit of a sticky situation down as they were at the beginning of the second period and with seemingly no answers - at least up to this point anyway - of controlling the fast-paced Patriots. But Knight Head Coach Bob Amsberry always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve even in the most pressure-packed situations and he calmly made the needed adjustments to get his squad going. The big difference in the second period was that Wartburg was finally able to establish their inside presence of Kladivo/Miranda Murphy and sophomore post Aryn Jones that helped open up opportunites out on the perimeter for their sharpshooters. A Kladivo score in the paint at the 9:29 mark and a "3" from the left wing by sophomore guard Kristie Sommer at the 9:05 mark gave Wartburg the lead back at 20-19. After Patriot junior forward D'Onna Matthews put Texas-Tyler back out in front 21-20 with her offensive rebound and putback at the 8:43 mark, the Knights countered as Kladivo connected with a short shot off the glass at the 7:01 mark and then followed that up with a lay-up at the 6:34 mark for a 24-21 Wartburg lead and Patriot Head Coach Kendra Hassell; concerned about how the Knights were getting their inside game going; called a timeout to discuss the situation with her squad. A jumper from the left wing by junior guard Alex Kochner at the 6:18 mark cut the Wartburg lead to one at 24-23 but the Knights were not deterred. Jones made a pretty move and finished in the paint for one score at the 5:51 mark and repeated that feat at the 5:16 mark that extended the Wartburg lead to 28-23. A score in the paint by Miranda Murphy with 4:20 left and a Miranda Murphy "3" from the left corner with 3:07 left got the lead to six at 33-27 and two Kladivo free throws with 2:22 left maintained the six-point edge at 35-29. The Knights would put Texas-Tyler in an even deeper hole right before halftime. Kladivo got into the paint for another score with 1:04 left and a jumper in the lane by sophomore reserve guard Morgan Neuendorf with :34 left made it a 39-31 ballgame and a somewhat shocked Patriot team had to wonder if it could recapture some of that early magic going into the locker room at the halftime break. Neither team shot exceptionally well in the first half but the way Wartburg was able to establish the inside game in the second period clearly turned this one around in the Knights favor.
Wartburg was able to increase their cushion to ten points in the early moments of the third period when Miranda Murphy knocked down a short jumper from the right side at the 9:14 mark for a 41-31 lead and when the former North Polk (IA) standout connected with a lay-up that drew a foul and allowed the Alleman (IA) native to sink the obligatory freebie for a 44-34 advantage at the 7:32 mark, Texas-Tyler looked doomed. But the Patriots faced a similar situation in their win against second-ranked George Fox the previous night and they valiantly battled their way back. May drained her second trey of the game at the 7:14 mark from the right wing area and a short jumper by Obach at the 6:53 mark cut the Knight lead in half at 44-39. At the 5:19 mark, sophomore reserve guard Alexus Bertrand connected with a lay-up and one Obach free throw with 4:31 left got Texas-Tyler closer trailing 46-42. With 3:34 left, a Bertrand "3" from the right top area got the Patriots back to within a single possession trailing 47-45 and another Obach charity stripe shot with 2:44 left cut Wartburg's lead to a perilous one point at 47-46. The Knights could have easily broken out the proverbial panic button right then and there but Amsberry and his squad would have none of it. Sophomore guard Katie Sommer calmly drilled a "3" from the right corner with 2:21 left and one Neuendorf freebie with 1:37 left gave Wartburg a bit more breathing space and a 51-49 lead. Senior guard Bobbie Burrows was able to snare an offensive rebound of a missed lay-up in transition for a putback with 1:13 left and a Kladivo jumper in the lane with :42 left got the lead to four at 55-51. With just :00.8 left, Kladivo was able to work her magic down low again that drew a foul from Matthews and the ensuing free throws by the Traer, Iowa native got the lead back to six and, despite the comeback effort by the Patriots midway through the period, Texas-Tyler looked a bit deflated and worse yet, their star junior forward Matthews was now saddled with her fourth foul as well.
Wartburg hoped to shovel in the dirt and plant the daisy on this contest for good in the early moments of the fourth and final period and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Kladivo at the 9:07 mark and a Kristie Sommer three-point bomb from the left corner at the 7:51 mark that gave the Knights a 62-53 lead suggested that they may have done just that. But this gritty, never-say-die Texas-Tyler team refused to go quietly into the night back to the Lone Star State without putting up one last comeback attempt. Two Bertrand free throws with 7:29 left and a score in the paint by Raglin at the 7:06 mark trimmed Wartburg's lead down to five at 62-57 and two Kochner free throws at the 6:30 mark got the Patriots back to within a single possession at 62-59 with a mountain of time left. A Raglin score in the paint at the 5:23 mark once again had Texas-Tyler tantalizingly close again; trailing 62-61. Just like they had in the third period, however, the Knights stood firm when everything could have gone kablooey for them right then and there. Kristie Sommer connected with a lay-up at the 5:00 mark and a dagger three-point bomb from the left corner with 4:29 left by twin sister Katie Sommer had the lead back up to four at 67-63. Texas-Tyler tried desperately to respond as Obach was able to make a gutsy drive and finish in traffic with 4:20 left but a key 7-0 spurt Wartburg in the span of two minutes effectively ended the last strand of hope the Patriots had. A Kladivo jumper in the lane with 3:52 left and a Neuendorf jumper from the right elbow area with 2:56 left had the lead back up to six at 71-65. The real blow came from Miranda Murphy with 2:01 left as she uncorked a killer "3" from the right wing area that extended the lead to nine at 74-65 and the Patriots Hassell had no choice but to take a match to a timeout. To their credit, Texas-Tyler was able to slim the deficit down to four points on two Matthews free throws with 1:46 left and a May "3" from the left top area with 1:34 left had Wartburg's lead down to 74-70 but the Patriots could not get any closer. Amsberry called a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down and set up strategy for the final home stretch. A Kochner three-point attempt with :46 left missed its mark and a Patriot turnover with :27 left now meant Texas-Tyler had to foul. Neuendorf was sent to the charity stripe with :20.3 left where she calmly dropped both attempts for a 76-70 Wartburg lead and after a missed jumper by Bertrand with :14 left, Katie Sommer was immediately fouled by the Patriots on the defensive rebound and she dropped two more insurance freebies for a 78-70 Knight lead. Katie Sommers would get sent to the line again for two more free throws with :07.3 left and, despite late baskets by both Matthews and Obach, Wartburg earned its first-ever trip to the Final Four with the exhilarating 80-74 victory.
Texas-Tyler's Hassell was quick to credit Wartburg on its victory and admitted that the Knights ability to shoot the three-pointer was key in its win. I asked Hassell specifically if Wartburg's ability to establish the post position in the second period bothered her team. "It did" she replied as she expressed some disappointment that they weren't able to handle that better. Still, she talked about how proud she was of her team and how easy it is to coach them and added that her student-athletes are not only great players on the court but also great students in the classroom and great members in the community as well. With a very young roster dominated by juniors and freshmen, you have to figure that this Patriot team will stand a good chance to build on this season and Hassell added that this run "is a big boost for our program." A very proud and happy Amsberry first talked about how proud he was of his group and how they knew that Texas-Tyler was a very good team coming in to this game and "very tough to guard." But he was quick to praise his team and it's "second chance and revival"......."I talked to our team before the game and I think the reason that we're in this position is that we work very hard on our culture....We've got a great culture." Amsberry added that "We were able to punch them in the nose and that gave us confidence." The thing that amazes me about this Wartburg team is how they hung together when a lot of things were going wrong for them earlier in the season. They had that losing streak back in January and just when it looked like they had righted the ship, the promptly lost to Coe in the first round of the IIAC Playoffs and their hopes for receiving an NCAA at-large bid looked bleak at best. Yet, here they are as regional champions; knocking off some very, very good teams along the way. The real interesting thing from my perspective when I look at this a bit closer is that I see parallels with this team and my 1979 Los Angeles Rams that made it to Super Bowl 14 when they were saddled with a 5-6 record at one point and beset by injuries or the 1980 Iowa Hawkeyes that lost their best player; Ronnie Lester early in the season and limped to an 10-8 record in the B1G to sneak into the Big Dance. Lester came back late in the season from that injury and guided Iowa to the Final Four where they narrowly lost to eventual champion Louisville that season. I couldn't help but ask Amsberry about this and he could only reply "One game at a time I guess.....I thought we did a good job of not ever looking forward." Well, here the Knights are - on the Big Stage - the Final Four. Given what this team has accomplished considering what they've been through and who they've managed to beat after getting a second chance, it's a great story and it'd be a mistake for any of the other three teams in the Final Four to discount their chances now.
As it had the previous night against UST, the Knights had very good scoring balance in this one. Kladivo; who skipped a chance to compete in the NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships, led all scorers with her 22 points while Miranda Murphy followed up with 16 points and Katie Sommer had twelve points. Both Kristie Sommer and Neuendorf added nine points a piece. Texas-Tyler was led by Obach's 19 points while both May and and Bertrand chipped in with 14 points and Matthews and Raglin had eight points a piece in the losing effort. While Wartburg's rebounding advantage wasn't that big (38-35), where the Knights won this contest was their ability to score in the paint where they had a decided 34-22 advantage. Wartburg also shot a solid 52.2% from FG range in the second half and shot 44.4% from three-point land in the second half as well. One possible overlooked stat that may haunt Texas-Tyler's Hassell for some time is that her squad shot only 73.3% from the charity stripe in the second half and that's simply not going to get the job done when things get tight in a championship game.
Scoring came at a premium in the opening minutes of the first period as early free throws had Texas-Tyler up 2-1 by the 7:49 mark before both teams finally found a bit of a groove from FG range. Sophomore forward Miranda Murphy connected with a lay-up for Wartburg at the 7:07 mark but that was answered by a "3" from the right top area by diminutive 5'3" Patriot guard Michelle Obach for a 5-3 Texas-Tyler lead. A score in the paint by senior reserve post Kailey Kladivo tied things up for the Knights at 5 a piece and a short turn around jumper by Kladivo at the 5:07 mark had the score knotted at seven. It was here that the Patriots were able to make a push and establish a bit of a cushion. Junior guard Makenzi May unleashed a "3" from the top of the key with 4:54 left and a lay-up by the lightning-fast Obach with 3:10 left gave Texas-Tyler a 12-8 advantage. Another May three-point bomb - this one from the right wing area with 2:37 left stretched the lead to five at 15-10 and two free throws by junior reserve forward Shuntay Raglin with 1:06 left got the cushion upped to seven points at 17-10. Raglin would get into the paint for a score with :45 left to maintain that seven-point edge at 19-12 and although Wartburg sophomore guard/forward Kristie Sommer connected with a "3" from the left corner with :15 left in the opening period to cut the Patriot lead down to 19-15, Texas-Tyler's expansive up-tempo offense was stretching the Knight defense to its limits.
Arguably Wartburg was in a bit of a sticky situation down as they were at the beginning of the second period and with seemingly no answers - at least up to this point anyway - of controlling the fast-paced Patriots. But Knight Head Coach Bob Amsberry always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve even in the most pressure-packed situations and he calmly made the needed adjustments to get his squad going. The big difference in the second period was that Wartburg was finally able to establish their inside presence of Kladivo/Miranda Murphy and sophomore post Aryn Jones that helped open up opportunites out on the perimeter for their sharpshooters. A Kladivo score in the paint at the 9:29 mark and a "3" from the left wing by sophomore guard Kristie Sommer at the 9:05 mark gave Wartburg the lead back at 20-19. After Patriot junior forward D'Onna Matthews put Texas-Tyler back out in front 21-20 with her offensive rebound and putback at the 8:43 mark, the Knights countered as Kladivo connected with a short shot off the glass at the 7:01 mark and then followed that up with a lay-up at the 6:34 mark for a 24-21 Wartburg lead and Patriot Head Coach Kendra Hassell; concerned about how the Knights were getting their inside game going; called a timeout to discuss the situation with her squad. A jumper from the left wing by junior guard Alex Kochner at the 6:18 mark cut the Wartburg lead to one at 24-23 but the Knights were not deterred. Jones made a pretty move and finished in the paint for one score at the 5:51 mark and repeated that feat at the 5:16 mark that extended the Wartburg lead to 28-23. A score in the paint by Miranda Murphy with 4:20 left and a Miranda Murphy "3" from the left corner with 3:07 left got the lead to six at 33-27 and two Kladivo free throws with 2:22 left maintained the six-point edge at 35-29. The Knights would put Texas-Tyler in an even deeper hole right before halftime. Kladivo got into the paint for another score with 1:04 left and a jumper in the lane by sophomore reserve guard Morgan Neuendorf with :34 left made it a 39-31 ballgame and a somewhat shocked Patriot team had to wonder if it could recapture some of that early magic going into the locker room at the halftime break. Neither team shot exceptionally well in the first half but the way Wartburg was able to establish the inside game in the second period clearly turned this one around in the Knights favor.
Wartburg was able to increase their cushion to ten points in the early moments of the third period when Miranda Murphy knocked down a short jumper from the right side at the 9:14 mark for a 41-31 lead and when the former North Polk (IA) standout connected with a lay-up that drew a foul and allowed the Alleman (IA) native to sink the obligatory freebie for a 44-34 advantage at the 7:32 mark, Texas-Tyler looked doomed. But the Patriots faced a similar situation in their win against second-ranked George Fox the previous night and they valiantly battled their way back. May drained her second trey of the game at the 7:14 mark from the right wing area and a short jumper by Obach at the 6:53 mark cut the Knight lead in half at 44-39. At the 5:19 mark, sophomore reserve guard Alexus Bertrand connected with a lay-up and one Obach free throw with 4:31 left got Texas-Tyler closer trailing 46-42. With 3:34 left, a Bertrand "3" from the right top area got the Patriots back to within a single possession trailing 47-45 and another Obach charity stripe shot with 2:44 left cut Wartburg's lead to a perilous one point at 47-46. The Knights could have easily broken out the proverbial panic button right then and there but Amsberry and his squad would have none of it. Sophomore guard Katie Sommer calmly drilled a "3" from the right corner with 2:21 left and one Neuendorf freebie with 1:37 left gave Wartburg a bit more breathing space and a 51-49 lead. Senior guard Bobbie Burrows was able to snare an offensive rebound of a missed lay-up in transition for a putback with 1:13 left and a Kladivo jumper in the lane with :42 left got the lead to four at 55-51. With just :00.8 left, Kladivo was able to work her magic down low again that drew a foul from Matthews and the ensuing free throws by the Traer, Iowa native got the lead back to six and, despite the comeback effort by the Patriots midway through the period, Texas-Tyler looked a bit deflated and worse yet, their star junior forward Matthews was now saddled with her fourth foul as well.
Wartburg hoped to shovel in the dirt and plant the daisy on this contest for good in the early moments of the fourth and final period and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Kladivo at the 9:07 mark and a Kristie Sommer three-point bomb from the left corner at the 7:51 mark that gave the Knights a 62-53 lead suggested that they may have done just that. But this gritty, never-say-die Texas-Tyler team refused to go quietly into the night back to the Lone Star State without putting up one last comeback attempt. Two Bertrand free throws with 7:29 left and a score in the paint by Raglin at the 7:06 mark trimmed Wartburg's lead down to five at 62-57 and two Kochner free throws at the 6:30 mark got the Patriots back to within a single possession at 62-59 with a mountain of time left. A Raglin score in the paint at the 5:23 mark once again had Texas-Tyler tantalizingly close again; trailing 62-61. Just like they had in the third period, however, the Knights stood firm when everything could have gone kablooey for them right then and there. Kristie Sommer connected with a lay-up at the 5:00 mark and a dagger three-point bomb from the left corner with 4:29 left by twin sister Katie Sommer had the lead back up to four at 67-63. Texas-Tyler tried desperately to respond as Obach was able to make a gutsy drive and finish in traffic with 4:20 left but a key 7-0 spurt Wartburg in the span of two minutes effectively ended the last strand of hope the Patriots had. A Kladivo jumper in the lane with 3:52 left and a Neuendorf jumper from the right elbow area with 2:56 left had the lead back up to six at 71-65. The real blow came from Miranda Murphy with 2:01 left as she uncorked a killer "3" from the right wing area that extended the lead to nine at 74-65 and the Patriots Hassell had no choice but to take a match to a timeout. To their credit, Texas-Tyler was able to slim the deficit down to four points on two Matthews free throws with 1:46 left and a May "3" from the left top area with 1:34 left had Wartburg's lead down to 74-70 but the Patriots could not get any closer. Amsberry called a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down and set up strategy for the final home stretch. A Kochner three-point attempt with :46 left missed its mark and a Patriot turnover with :27 left now meant Texas-Tyler had to foul. Neuendorf was sent to the charity stripe with :20.3 left where she calmly dropped both attempts for a 76-70 Wartburg lead and after a missed jumper by Bertrand with :14 left, Katie Sommer was immediately fouled by the Patriots on the defensive rebound and she dropped two more insurance freebies for a 78-70 Knight lead. Katie Sommers would get sent to the line again for two more free throws with :07.3 left and, despite late baskets by both Matthews and Obach, Wartburg earned its first-ever trip to the Final Four with the exhilarating 80-74 victory.
Texas-Tyler's Hassell was quick to credit Wartburg on its victory and admitted that the Knights ability to shoot the three-pointer was key in its win. I asked Hassell specifically if Wartburg's ability to establish the post position in the second period bothered her team. "It did" she replied as she expressed some disappointment that they weren't able to handle that better. Still, she talked about how proud she was of her team and how easy it is to coach them and added that her student-athletes are not only great players on the court but also great students in the classroom and great members in the community as well. With a very young roster dominated by juniors and freshmen, you have to figure that this Patriot team will stand a good chance to build on this season and Hassell added that this run "is a big boost for our program." A very proud and happy Amsberry first talked about how proud he was of his group and how they knew that Texas-Tyler was a very good team coming in to this game and "very tough to guard." But he was quick to praise his team and it's "second chance and revival"......."I talked to our team before the game and I think the reason that we're in this position is that we work very hard on our culture....We've got a great culture." Amsberry added that "We were able to punch them in the nose and that gave us confidence." The thing that amazes me about this Wartburg team is how they hung together when a lot of things were going wrong for them earlier in the season. They had that losing streak back in January and just when it looked like they had righted the ship, the promptly lost to Coe in the first round of the IIAC Playoffs and their hopes for receiving an NCAA at-large bid looked bleak at best. Yet, here they are as regional champions; knocking off some very, very good teams along the way. The real interesting thing from my perspective when I look at this a bit closer is that I see parallels with this team and my 1979 Los Angeles Rams that made it to Super Bowl 14 when they were saddled with a 5-6 record at one point and beset by injuries or the 1980 Iowa Hawkeyes that lost their best player; Ronnie Lester early in the season and limped to an 10-8 record in the B1G to sneak into the Big Dance. Lester came back late in the season from that injury and guided Iowa to the Final Four where they narrowly lost to eventual champion Louisville that season. I couldn't help but ask Amsberry about this and he could only reply "One game at a time I guess.....I thought we did a good job of not ever looking forward." Well, here the Knights are - on the Big Stage - the Final Four. Given what this team has accomplished considering what they've been through and who they've managed to beat after getting a second chance, it's a great story and it'd be a mistake for any of the other three teams in the Final Four to discount their chances now.
As it had the previous night against UST, the Knights had very good scoring balance in this one. Kladivo; who skipped a chance to compete in the NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships, led all scorers with her 22 points while Miranda Murphy followed up with 16 points and Katie Sommer had twelve points. Both Kristie Sommer and Neuendorf added nine points a piece. Texas-Tyler was led by Obach's 19 points while both May and and Bertrand chipped in with 14 points and Matthews and Raglin had eight points a piece in the losing effort. While Wartburg's rebounding advantage wasn't that big (38-35), where the Knights won this contest was their ability to score in the paint where they had a decided 34-22 advantage. Wartburg also shot a solid 52.2% from FG range in the second half and shot 44.4% from three-point land in the second half as well. One possible overlooked stat that may haunt Texas-Tyler's Hassell for some time is that her squad shot only 73.3% from the charity stripe in the second half and that's simply not going to get the job done when things get tight in a championship game.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal Game - Wartburg vs UST 3-11-16
After staving off defeat against Loras last Friday night at UW-River Falls, the Tommies took on another IIAC opponent in the Round of 16 in the nightcap at Schoenecker Arena on this Friday evening - unheralded Wartburg, which managed to get into the NCAA Tournament despite its loss in the IIAC playoffs at home to Coe. Left for dead after that loss, the Knights received some extremely good fortune in the form of arch-rival Luther losing to said Loras team in the IIAC Championship Game which put Wartburg back on the front-runner for an NCAA berth. Since that time, the Knights have made the most of that unforeseen opportunity; beating both Wisconsin Lutheran and UW-Oshkosh that thrust the Knights into the Sweet 16. While UST easily disposed of UW-River Falls on Saturday to get the opportunity to host this regional semifinal game, the Tommies learned - almost the hard way - not to take ANY opponent lightly.
Somewhat predictably, UST got off to a decent start in this game; building a 6-2 lead on the strength of a score in the paint by junior post Kaitlin Langer at the 8:42 mark and a drive and lay-up by freshman point guard Lucia Renikoff at the 8:02 mark along with a jumper by junior guard Paige Gernes at the 7:32 mark. The Knights would close the gap to one point on a "3" from the left top area by sophomore guard Miranda Murphy at the 6:37 mark and a score in the paint by fellow sophomore forward Abbie Haupert kept Wartburg within a single point trailing 8-7. Another Langer score in the paint with 4:54 left and a three-point bomb from the right top area by senior guard Katie Stone with 4:04 left increased the Tommie lead to 13-9 but the Knights were able to close the gap to one point again on a "3" by sophomore Katie Sommer from the right top area and a jumper in the lane by sophomore post Aryn Jones with 2:13 left kept Wartburg in that one-point range trailing 15-14. Unexpectedly, however, the Knights snared the lead away from host UST in the closing moments of the first period. Sophomore guard Morgan Neundorf got a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 1:56 left and a "3" from the left top area by Bobbie Burrows with 1:02 left had Wartburg up 19-15 and a slightly shocked Tommie team; ranked eighth in the country, had to wonder what just happened.
Much to the certain chagrin of UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, the Knights managed to hold the lead for a good chunk of the second period. The other half of the Sommer sister duo; sophomore Kristie, drained a "3" from the left corner at the 9:07 mark for a 22-17 Wartburg advantage and a Nuendorf trey from the right wing area at the 7:12 mark increased the margin at six points for a 25-19 lead. A Murphy score in the paint at the 6:31 mark maintained the six-point edge at 27-21 before the Tommies were able to right the ship in the form of a 12-0 run with six of those twelve points coming from Gernes. A Gernes "3" from the top of the key at the 6:13 mark started this run and the former Winona Cotter standout followed that up with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 5:46 mark that also drew a foul that sent her to the charity stripe for the obligatory freebie that tied the game at 27-all. At the 5:16 mark, Gernes struck again - this time on a jumper from the left elbow area that propelled UST back into the lead at 29-27. A Renikoff lay-up with 3:37 left and a routine Langer score in the paint with 1:38 left now gave the Tommies a six-point edge a 33-27 and although Jones was able to counter for the Knights with a score in the paint with :48 left, Wartburg looked as if it may have been blindsided by this latest Tommie onslaught trailing 33-29 going into the locker room at the half. A quick glance of the first half box score shows that the Tommies had the edge on the boards at 19-15 although Wartburg was shooting a blistering 71.4% from three-point land. Clearly the Knights would need a similar performance in the second half if they had any hopes of knocking off the heavily favored Tommies.
Stone, who single-handedly saved the Tommies season a week ago with the bravura performance late in the game against Loras, got UST in good shape early in the third period as the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native connected with a lay-up at the 7:46 mark and then dropped a three-point bomb from the right top area at the 7:09 mark that increased the Tommie lead to 38-31. But, much like underdog Texas-Tyler in the first game against heavily favored George Fox, Wartburg battled their way back when things looked bleak for the visitors from Waverly, Iowa. Two Murphy free throws at the 6:48 mark sparked an 8-0 Knight run. Burrows then drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:12 mark and a score in the paint by Murphy at the 5:37 mark that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw had this pesky Wartburg team out in front again 39-38. Langer connected with a jumper from the right elbow area that briefly had the Tommies back out in front 40-39 but the Knights were far from finished. Katie Sommer first connected with a lay-up in transition with 4:26 left and then knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 3:31 left for a 44-40 Wartburg advantage. A lay-up by twin sister Kristie Sommer with 2:31 left extended the lead to six at 46-40 before UST could dig in its heels and recover. Two Langer free throws with 2:17 left and a "3" from the top of the key by freshman reserve guard Bobbi Brendefur with 1:26 left sliced the Knight cushion down to a single point at 46-45. A Brendefur lay-up with :48 left and another one by Langer with just :06 left put the Tommies back out in front in this wild and wooly contest at 49-48 and you knew the fireworks show certainly wasn't over yet.
UST got their cushion back up to four points early in the fourth period when Langer; who was double-teamed, maneuvered through the potential roadblock and scored and drew a foul in the process and her free throw had the Tommies up 52-48 at the 8:48 mark. But the orange-clad Knights; who had absorbed every UST blow thus far, did it again. A Kristie Sommer lay-up in transition at the 7:54 mark and a Katie Sommer "3" from the left wing area at the 7:00 mark suddenly had Wartburg back up 53-52. Tommie sophomore guard/forward Lauren Fischer; quiet from a scoring standpoint in this game so far, shook off the cobwebs at the 6:46 mark with her three-point bomb from the left wing area that had UST back out in front 55-53. But Kristie Sommer put her Knights back out in front 56-55 with her "3" from the right wing at the 5:42 mark and that lead was extended to 58-55 when senior post Kailey Kladivo snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:01 mark. The Tommies appeared to restore a bit of order to this contest when all hell was breaking loose (at least from a UST perspective anyway) as a Gernes score in the paint with 4:47 left and two Langer free throws with 4:05 left had UST back up 59-58. But this tenuous Tommie lead was short-lived as this free-wheeling Wartburg team rolled the dice and took its chances. Jones got into the paint for a score with 3:48 left and got fouled in the process and the former Linn-Mar standout dropped the ensuing free throw that had the Knights back up for good at 61-59. While not an insurmountable deficit by any means for UST at that point, the real dagger came with 2:48 left when Nuendorf drained a "3" from the right top area that now had Wartburg up 64-59. Considering how the Tommies fought their way back from the brink against Loras a week ago in the closing minutes, it was still a doable proposition but this time when UST need a "3" to go down here and another one to go down there, it simply didn't happen. Langer did get two free throws to go down with 2:39 left that closed the gap to three points at 64-61 but they could get no closer. Stone got whistled for her fourth foul with 2:33 left and a tentative Tommie defense allowed Jones to score in the paint with 2:18 left that increased Wartburg's lead to five at 66-61. Sinn called a thirty-second timeout with 1:04 left and a full timeout with :41.5 left to try and draw up strategy but an untimely turnover and missed shots doomed UST at the most critical juncture. Two Kristie Sommer free throws with :25.7 left increased the Knight lead to 68-61 and although the Tommies closed the gap to four points on one free throw by freshman reserve guard Kaylie Brazil and two by Langer, Nuendorf sank two insurance free throws with :09 left and Wartburg pulled off the shocker of the NCAA Tournament with a 70-66 victory.
An obviously disappointed Sinn brought in both Stone and Langer afterward for the press conference and, despite the heartbreaking loss, Sinn talked about how proud she was of this group for overcoming the obstacles that they faced early on in the year and how much this team - particularly the young freshmen - grew in such a relatively short span of time. Langer could not escape the praise that Sinn heaped on her and the Stillwater native has certainly taken her game to new heights in just a few short months. For Stone, it was a tough time and she did get emotional late during the UST press session and why not? This is one student athlete who has paid her dues and she was one of the two seniors on this squad (along with Mykenzie Spaulding) who really played a big role in getting the Tommies this far. Had it not been for Stone's heroics in the first round game against Loras a week ago, UST wouldn't have even been in this situation. This girl is simply a winner both on and off the court and she will be sorely missed by Sinn, her staff and her teammates. On the other side of the coin, Wartburg Head Coach Bob Amsberry was quick to praise the UST program and Sinn and how much respect he has for them but also talked about how happy he was for his two seniors (Burrows and Kladivo) for getting the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament and making the most of the situation. I asked Amsberry specifically about how the Knights managed to get into the tournament considering how bleak the situation looked after the first round loss to Coe in the IIAC Playoffs. Amsberry replied that, based on the regional rankings at the time, he still felt that his squad still had a shot but at the same time acknowledged that the outcome could go either way. "Fortunately, there weren't any upsets (other than Luther losing)" he said. Ironically, he pointed out that some of the team members were down in Florida on Selection Monday and when Wartburg received the bid, he had to get on the phone and make sure the team members got back on the next plane home! Without question, the Knights have made the most of this second shot at life and sometimes when a team gets hot at the right time, great things can happen. That certainly seems to be the case for Wartburg right now. They're tough. They're hot. They're lucky. They may think that no one in the world can beat them right now and by thinking like that, they just may be right.
Amsberry talked about how his team had "great balance" and a look at the final box score reveals just that. Katie Sommer led the squad with her 13 points and right behind her was twin sister Kristie Sommer with her 12 points. Jones contributed 11 points while both Murphy and Nuendorf chipped in with ten points a piece. Langer had a fabulous night for UST in the losing effort with her 27 points while both Stone and Gernes added 12 points. IMHO, where the Tommies lost this game was allowing Wartburg to shoot 10-19 from three-point land for 52.6% and for a team that prides itself on its defense, I'm sure it's a bitter pill for Sinn, her staff and team to swallow. In an odd way, one could make the argument that perhaps this UST team was better positioned to make a run to the Final Four than last year's star-studded squad simply because it was healthier (despite the injury to junior guard Gabby Zehrer) and the expectations perhaps weren't quite as high. In any event, once you get to the NCAA Tournament, your margin for error becomes considerably smaller and all it takes to get knocked out is to have to absorb a great outing by your opponent which is what happened to both UST and George Fox on this night.
Somewhat predictably, UST got off to a decent start in this game; building a 6-2 lead on the strength of a score in the paint by junior post Kaitlin Langer at the 8:42 mark and a drive and lay-up by freshman point guard Lucia Renikoff at the 8:02 mark along with a jumper by junior guard Paige Gernes at the 7:32 mark. The Knights would close the gap to one point on a "3" from the left top area by sophomore guard Miranda Murphy at the 6:37 mark and a score in the paint by fellow sophomore forward Abbie Haupert kept Wartburg within a single point trailing 8-7. Another Langer score in the paint with 4:54 left and a three-point bomb from the right top area by senior guard Katie Stone with 4:04 left increased the Tommie lead to 13-9 but the Knights were able to close the gap to one point again on a "3" by sophomore Katie Sommer from the right top area and a jumper in the lane by sophomore post Aryn Jones with 2:13 left kept Wartburg in that one-point range trailing 15-14. Unexpectedly, however, the Knights snared the lead away from host UST in the closing moments of the first period. Sophomore guard Morgan Neundorf got a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 1:56 left and a "3" from the left top area by Bobbie Burrows with 1:02 left had Wartburg up 19-15 and a slightly shocked Tommie team; ranked eighth in the country, had to wonder what just happened.
Much to the certain chagrin of UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, the Knights managed to hold the lead for a good chunk of the second period. The other half of the Sommer sister duo; sophomore Kristie, drained a "3" from the left corner at the 9:07 mark for a 22-17 Wartburg advantage and a Nuendorf trey from the right wing area at the 7:12 mark increased the margin at six points for a 25-19 lead. A Murphy score in the paint at the 6:31 mark maintained the six-point edge at 27-21 before the Tommies were able to right the ship in the form of a 12-0 run with six of those twelve points coming from Gernes. A Gernes "3" from the top of the key at the 6:13 mark started this run and the former Winona Cotter standout followed that up with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 5:46 mark that also drew a foul that sent her to the charity stripe for the obligatory freebie that tied the game at 27-all. At the 5:16 mark, Gernes struck again - this time on a jumper from the left elbow area that propelled UST back into the lead at 29-27. A Renikoff lay-up with 3:37 left and a routine Langer score in the paint with 1:38 left now gave the Tommies a six-point edge a 33-27 and although Jones was able to counter for the Knights with a score in the paint with :48 left, Wartburg looked as if it may have been blindsided by this latest Tommie onslaught trailing 33-29 going into the locker room at the half. A quick glance of the first half box score shows that the Tommies had the edge on the boards at 19-15 although Wartburg was shooting a blistering 71.4% from three-point land. Clearly the Knights would need a similar performance in the second half if they had any hopes of knocking off the heavily favored Tommies.
Stone, who single-handedly saved the Tommies season a week ago with the bravura performance late in the game against Loras, got UST in good shape early in the third period as the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native connected with a lay-up at the 7:46 mark and then dropped a three-point bomb from the right top area at the 7:09 mark that increased the Tommie lead to 38-31. But, much like underdog Texas-Tyler in the first game against heavily favored George Fox, Wartburg battled their way back when things looked bleak for the visitors from Waverly, Iowa. Two Murphy free throws at the 6:48 mark sparked an 8-0 Knight run. Burrows then drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:12 mark and a score in the paint by Murphy at the 5:37 mark that drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw had this pesky Wartburg team out in front again 39-38. Langer connected with a jumper from the right elbow area that briefly had the Tommies back out in front 40-39 but the Knights were far from finished. Katie Sommer first connected with a lay-up in transition with 4:26 left and then knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 3:31 left for a 44-40 Wartburg advantage. A lay-up by twin sister Kristie Sommer with 2:31 left extended the lead to six at 46-40 before UST could dig in its heels and recover. Two Langer free throws with 2:17 left and a "3" from the top of the key by freshman reserve guard Bobbi Brendefur with 1:26 left sliced the Knight cushion down to a single point at 46-45. A Brendefur lay-up with :48 left and another one by Langer with just :06 left put the Tommies back out in front in this wild and wooly contest at 49-48 and you knew the fireworks show certainly wasn't over yet.
UST got their cushion back up to four points early in the fourth period when Langer; who was double-teamed, maneuvered through the potential roadblock and scored and drew a foul in the process and her free throw had the Tommies up 52-48 at the 8:48 mark. But the orange-clad Knights; who had absorbed every UST blow thus far, did it again. A Kristie Sommer lay-up in transition at the 7:54 mark and a Katie Sommer "3" from the left wing area at the 7:00 mark suddenly had Wartburg back up 53-52. Tommie sophomore guard/forward Lauren Fischer; quiet from a scoring standpoint in this game so far, shook off the cobwebs at the 6:46 mark with her three-point bomb from the left wing area that had UST back out in front 55-53. But Kristie Sommer put her Knights back out in front 56-55 with her "3" from the right wing at the 5:42 mark and that lead was extended to 58-55 when senior post Kailey Kladivo snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:01 mark. The Tommies appeared to restore a bit of order to this contest when all hell was breaking loose (at least from a UST perspective anyway) as a Gernes score in the paint with 4:47 left and two Langer free throws with 4:05 left had UST back up 59-58. But this tenuous Tommie lead was short-lived as this free-wheeling Wartburg team rolled the dice and took its chances. Jones got into the paint for a score with 3:48 left and got fouled in the process and the former Linn-Mar standout dropped the ensuing free throw that had the Knights back up for good at 61-59. While not an insurmountable deficit by any means for UST at that point, the real dagger came with 2:48 left when Nuendorf drained a "3" from the right top area that now had Wartburg up 64-59. Considering how the Tommies fought their way back from the brink against Loras a week ago in the closing minutes, it was still a doable proposition but this time when UST need a "3" to go down here and another one to go down there, it simply didn't happen. Langer did get two free throws to go down with 2:39 left that closed the gap to three points at 64-61 but they could get no closer. Stone got whistled for her fourth foul with 2:33 left and a tentative Tommie defense allowed Jones to score in the paint with 2:18 left that increased Wartburg's lead to five at 66-61. Sinn called a thirty-second timeout with 1:04 left and a full timeout with :41.5 left to try and draw up strategy but an untimely turnover and missed shots doomed UST at the most critical juncture. Two Kristie Sommer free throws with :25.7 left increased the Knight lead to 68-61 and although the Tommies closed the gap to four points on one free throw by freshman reserve guard Kaylie Brazil and two by Langer, Nuendorf sank two insurance free throws with :09 left and Wartburg pulled off the shocker of the NCAA Tournament with a 70-66 victory.
An obviously disappointed Sinn brought in both Stone and Langer afterward for the press conference and, despite the heartbreaking loss, Sinn talked about how proud she was of this group for overcoming the obstacles that they faced early on in the year and how much this team - particularly the young freshmen - grew in such a relatively short span of time. Langer could not escape the praise that Sinn heaped on her and the Stillwater native has certainly taken her game to new heights in just a few short months. For Stone, it was a tough time and she did get emotional late during the UST press session and why not? This is one student athlete who has paid her dues and she was one of the two seniors on this squad (along with Mykenzie Spaulding) who really played a big role in getting the Tommies this far. Had it not been for Stone's heroics in the first round game against Loras a week ago, UST wouldn't have even been in this situation. This girl is simply a winner both on and off the court and she will be sorely missed by Sinn, her staff and her teammates. On the other side of the coin, Wartburg Head Coach Bob Amsberry was quick to praise the UST program and Sinn and how much respect he has for them but also talked about how happy he was for his two seniors (Burrows and Kladivo) for getting the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament and making the most of the situation. I asked Amsberry specifically about how the Knights managed to get into the tournament considering how bleak the situation looked after the first round loss to Coe in the IIAC Playoffs. Amsberry replied that, based on the regional rankings at the time, he still felt that his squad still had a shot but at the same time acknowledged that the outcome could go either way. "Fortunately, there weren't any upsets (other than Luther losing)" he said. Ironically, he pointed out that some of the team members were down in Florida on Selection Monday and when Wartburg received the bid, he had to get on the phone and make sure the team members got back on the next plane home! Without question, the Knights have made the most of this second shot at life and sometimes when a team gets hot at the right time, great things can happen. That certainly seems to be the case for Wartburg right now. They're tough. They're hot. They're lucky. They may think that no one in the world can beat them right now and by thinking like that, they just may be right.
Amsberry talked about how his team had "great balance" and a look at the final box score reveals just that. Katie Sommer led the squad with her 13 points and right behind her was twin sister Kristie Sommer with her 12 points. Jones contributed 11 points while both Murphy and Nuendorf chipped in with ten points a piece. Langer had a fabulous night for UST in the losing effort with her 27 points while both Stone and Gernes added 12 points. IMHO, where the Tommies lost this game was allowing Wartburg to shoot 10-19 from three-point land for 52.6% and for a team that prides itself on its defense, I'm sure it's a bitter pill for Sinn, her staff and team to swallow. In an odd way, one could make the argument that perhaps this UST team was better positioned to make a run to the Final Four than last year's star-studded squad simply because it was healthier (despite the injury to junior guard Gabby Zehrer) and the expectations perhaps weren't quite as high. In any event, once you get to the NCAA Tournament, your margin for error becomes considerably smaller and all it takes to get knocked out is to have to absorb a great outing by your opponent which is what happened to both UST and George Fox on this night.
NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal Game - Texas-Tyler vs George Fox 3-11-16
Made my way over to UST's Schoenecker Arena once again on this unseasonably warm beautiful Friday afternoon to take in the much-anticipated NCAA Sweet 16/Elite 8 pod being hosted by UST. The first game on tap would feature a match-up of two teams that have made a name for themselves in the world of DIII women's basketball but I myself haven't had the opportunity to cover - the Texas-Tyler Patriots going up against the second-ranked George Fox Bruins. George Fox was coming into this tournament with an undefeated 29-0 record while the Patriots were sporting an equally impressive 29-1 record. While some had already pegged the Bruins into the Final Four, when you get to this stage you have to play one game at a time and one possession at a time.
Both teams spent the opening minutes of the first half feeling each other out; probing for any slight perceived weakenss they might be able to find. The Patriots got on the board first as junior guard Makenzi May unleashed a "3" from the right top area in a transition opportunity and a rebound and putback by fellow junior forward D'Onna Matthews had Texas-Tyler out in front 5-2 at the 8:25 mark before the Bruins finally found some solid footing. A score in the paint by lanky sophomore post Kaitlin Jamieson at the 8:03 mark and two free throws by senior forward Justine Benner gave George Fox its first lead of the contest at 6-5. The two teams would trade one-point leads over the next two minutes before the Bruins were able to build a slight cushion. A "3" from the left wing area by senior guard Nicole Blizzard at the 5:28 mark and a jumper in the lane by Benner had George Fox up 13-9 but that little cushion didn't last long as an 8-0 push by the Patriots gave them the lead right back. Junior guard Alex Kochner scored in the paint with 3:42 left and a Matthews lay-up with 3:10 left knotted the issue at 13 a piece. With 2:43 left, Matthews struck again on a short shot off the glass that had Texas-Tyler up 15-13. Diminutive 5'3" junior guard Michelle Obach struck next for the Patriots as she snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up with 2:13 left that gave the Patriots a 17-13 advantage before George Fox was able to collect itself and halt the bleeding. Junior reserve guard Kaycee Creech drilled a "3" from the right top area with 1:53 left that cut Texas-Tyler's lead to a scant one point at 17-16 but the Patriots had one last push before the end of the first period. Obach connected with a short jumper with 1:35 left and a Matthews free throw with 1:09 left re-established the four-point edge at 20-16. Texas-Tyler got their biggest lead of the opening period when Matthews grabbed an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with :44.6 left for a 22-16 advantage before Bruin senior point guard Sammy Naluai knocked down two free throws with :31.5 left in the opening period trimming the Patriots lead down to four at 22-18, undefeated George Fox knew they had a game on their hands.
One thing that was becoming increasingly clear as this game progressed were the vastly different styles of each time. While the Bruins prefer the half-court game; working the ball on the perimeter and looking for the opening down low first, Texas-Tyler likes an up-tempo, running style and the Patriots athleticism and speed fits that style to a hilt and it gave George Fox more problems than expected. Junior reserve forward Shuntay Raglin scored in the paint as the shot clock was expiring at the 9:28 mark of the second period and a Raglin lay-up at the 8:50 mark gave Texas-Tyler a 26-21 lead before the Bruins once again had to dig in their heels. Two Benner free throws at the 7:59 mark and a Benner lay-up at the 7:08 mark trimmed the deficit to one at 26-25 and a Benner jumper near the free throw line at the 5:17 mark completed this personal 6-0 burst but more importantly had George Fox back out in front 27-26. A Creech "3" from the left corner with 2:53 left had the Bruins up by two at 30-28 but Texas-Tyler simply wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Freshman reserve forward Samantha Odom connected with one lay-up with 2:33 left and junior guard Re'Elle Miller connected with another one that had the issue tied at 32 a piece and a jumper from the top of the key by freshman reserve guard Dia Evans off of an inbounds pass with :52 left helped forge a 34-34 tie. Benner's score in the paint on a pretty give-and-go pass from junior reserve guard Anjenae Torregano with :03 left did allow the Bruins to take a shaky 36-34 lead into the locker room at the half but nothing felt quite right for George Fox Head Coach Michael Meek and his staff and it was apparent that the undefeated Bruins definitely had their work cut out for them the rest of the way. A quick check of the first half box reveals some of the worries that Meek likely had going into the locker room. 3-13 from three-point land for 23.1% and 13-31 for 41.9% from FG range offset the 7-7 from the charity stripe. Texas-Tyler held a slight edge in the rebounding department at 19-17 so the Bruins were going to have to clean some things up going into the second half.
George Fox appeared to come out of the locker room to start the third period with a renewed sense of determination as they extended their small advantage to six points. Two lay-ups in transition by the versatile Benner - one at the 8:43 mark and another one at the 6:19 mark - extended the Bruins lead to 40-34 and Texas-Tyler Head Coach Kendra Hassell; fearful of having her squad get into too big of a hole early on in the second half, called a timeout to talk things over with her team. That stoppage in play paid huge dividends for the Patriots as they battled right back. May drained a "3"from the right top area at the 6:07 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by the athletic Matthews sliced the George Fox lead down to a scant point at 40-39. A "3" from the left top area by sophomore reserve guard Alexus Bertrand with 4:01 left completed this unlikely 8-0 burst for Texas-Tyler that suddenly thrust them back out in front 42-40. An Obach lay-up with 3:24 left kept the Patriots out in front 44-43 but this see-saw battle then took yet another twist. Back-to-back scores by the Bruins Jamieson - one in the paint with 3:02 left and a lay-up with 2:12 left - had George Fox back in front 47-44. That lead didn't last long, however, as an Obach trey from the left top area with 1:58 left knotted the issue at 47 a piece. The two teams would again trade one point leads over the next minute before the Bruins tried to restore a bit of order to this mess before the period ended. Two free throws by the wily and energetic Naluai with :57 left and a lay-up in transition by Benner with :32 left had George Fox up 52-49 but the fact that the Patriots had been able to avoid a potential disaster at the onset of the third period gave a little preview of what was to come before this thing was over and done.
A Naluai lay-up at the 9:48 mark of the fourth period had the Bruins up 54-49 along with a "3" from the right wng by Blizzard at the 7:43 mark made it 57-51 George Fox and once again, the Patriots were potentially in a vice grip in this high stakes, pressure situation. But, just as they had in the third period, Texas-Tyler put a thumb to the nose of looming disaster and clawed their way back. Evans connected with a lay-up at the 7:18 mark and then Obach snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up that drew a foul and sent the Tyler, Texas native to the line for the obligatory freebie that sliced the Bruin cushion to one point at 57-56. George Fox's Blizzard kept trying to keep the Patriots at bay with her scoring as she connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 6:44 mark and drained another trey at the 6:09 mark; this one coming from the top of the key that gave the Bruins a four-point 62-58 lead but this Texas-Tyler team simply would not go away. An Obach lay-up at the 5:35 mark and another one by Matthews at the 4:04 mark tied the game at 62. Blizzard's heroics for her Bruins team were not done yet as she unleashed yet another three-point bomb from the right wing area with 3:17 left that had George Fox back up 65-62. But the crazy twists and turns to this one were far from over. A score in the paint by Evans with 2:57 left cut the Bruin lead to one at 65-64 with 2:57 left and missed three-point attempts by Blizzard gave the Patriots the chance that they needed. As George Fox was desperately trying to run the clock out clinging to that one-point lead, Obach came out of nowhere like a thief in the night and snared a steal from the usually-reliable Bruin backcourt and whizzed the other way for a lay-up that suddenly put Texas-Tyler out in front 66-65 with :23 left. Facing the possibility of having their undefeated season come to a sudden and crashing halt, the Bruins Meek called a timeout to set up a play. Bringing the ball carefully upcourt on their next possession, the Bruins worked the ball around the perimeter looking for that open look. Junior guard Kim Frost, quiet from a scoring standpoint all game long, got that look with :11.2 left from behind the arc in the right wing area and calmly drained a "3" that gave George Fox a 68-66 lead and put the Bruins in a position to finally close this one out once and for all. But the Patriots Hassell promptly called a timeout to try and draw something up for her squad. On the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession, the Patriots looked to work the ball inside and Matthews; with just :02.7 left, wiggled inside for a game-tying score that sent this incredible game into overtime tied at 68 a piece.
Conventional wisdom held that the undefeated Bruins would somehow find a way to win this one in the extra five minute session and two Blizzard free throws with 4:20 left and a lay-up by Benner off of an inbounds pass with 2:43 left that gave George Fox a 72-70 advantage did nothing to dispel that notion. But this Patriot team; with seemingly more lives than a cat, suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed control of this game for good. Kochner, who had been relatively quiet since the early moments of the game, came alive when her team needed her the most. A pretty move and lay-up forged a 70-70 deadlock and another lay-up with 2:29 left knotted the issue again at 72 a piece. Jamieson couldn't connect on a tough lay-up for the Bruins with 2:06 left and on the defensive rebound, Texas-Tyler immediately got into transition that gave Obach a chance to connect on a short jumper that put the Patriots up 74-72 with 2:00 left. Still no need to panic from a George Fox standpoint and on the Bruins next possession, they again patiently worked the ball around the perimeter and Blizzard got a look with 1:30 left but was unable to knock the shot down. Texas-Tyler got the rebound and back downcourt they went. Kochner missed a lay-up with 1:20 left but Matthews was there for the offensive rebound. Kochner eventually got free in the right corner and with 1:03 left she drilled a back-breaking trey for a 77-72 Patriot lead and now George Fox was truly in desperation mode. A Benner score in the paint with :51 left got the Bruins back to within a single possession trailing 77-74 but now they needed to foul and get stops as well. Kochner was sent to the line with :45.1 left where she was able to knock down one free throw for a 78-74 Texas-Tyler lead. The Bruins still had a slim chance when Blizzard got sent to the line with :38 left but she was unable to knock down the free throw opportunity. With :32.2 left, Obach was sent to the line where she converted on the front end of a "one-and-one" situation for a 79-74 Patriot lead. On the ensuing George Fox possession, Blizzard finally was able to connect with a much-needed trey from the left corner with :23 left but again, the Bruins needed to foul and hope that the Patriots might miss the freebies. Miller was immediately fouled on the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession with :21.1 left but with everything on the line, the Waco, Texas native cooly dropped the two free throw attempts for an 81-77 Patriot lead. On the ensuing Bruin possession, Blizzard uncorked a contested three-point attempt that missed its mark with :12 left and Texas-Tyler's Matthews was there for the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Though Matthews was unable to convert on the ensuing free throw attempt, Naluai was unable to convert on a lay-up attempt and the buzzer finally brought a fabulous season for the Bruins to an end.
A disappointed but proud Meek could only praise his seniors for the great season that the Bruins had. Not being familiar with all that George Fox had done this season, I asked Meek if being in such a tight contest so late in regulation might have had an adverse effect on his squad. But Meek seemed to dismiss that notion noting that his team had been in several situations during the season where they had been down at the half; sometimes by double digits and managed to battle their way back. No doubt that the Bruins will miss the trio of seniors of Naluai, Blizzard and Benner who have all had great careers and it's no surprise that Benner and Blizzard led the way with 26 and 19 points, respectively. Texas-Tyler's Hassell talked about her squad fighting back from adversity time and time again during the season and the way they were able to hold together against the second-ranked team in the country in a high-stakes situation was truly remarkable. Obach's steal and lay-up late in regulation saved this game for the Patriots and Kochner's heroics in overtime were just as impressive as she scored eight of her ten total points in the deciding overtime period. Matthews' 23 points led the way for the Patriots in this contest while Obach was right behind with her 19 points. Texas-Tyler overcame the 16 total turnovers with their decided 48-39 advantage on the boards. Even more amazing was that the Patriots had a 44-34 advantage with points in the paint against a very solid and experienced George Fox team that knows how to get the job done down low. But now the Patriots find themselves one step away from a trip to the Final Four.
Both teams spent the opening minutes of the first half feeling each other out; probing for any slight perceived weakenss they might be able to find. The Patriots got on the board first as junior guard Makenzi May unleashed a "3" from the right top area in a transition opportunity and a rebound and putback by fellow junior forward D'Onna Matthews had Texas-Tyler out in front 5-2 at the 8:25 mark before the Bruins finally found some solid footing. A score in the paint by lanky sophomore post Kaitlin Jamieson at the 8:03 mark and two free throws by senior forward Justine Benner gave George Fox its first lead of the contest at 6-5. The two teams would trade one-point leads over the next two minutes before the Bruins were able to build a slight cushion. A "3" from the left wing area by senior guard Nicole Blizzard at the 5:28 mark and a jumper in the lane by Benner had George Fox up 13-9 but that little cushion didn't last long as an 8-0 push by the Patriots gave them the lead right back. Junior guard Alex Kochner scored in the paint with 3:42 left and a Matthews lay-up with 3:10 left knotted the issue at 13 a piece. With 2:43 left, Matthews struck again on a short shot off the glass that had Texas-Tyler up 15-13. Diminutive 5'3" junior guard Michelle Obach struck next for the Patriots as she snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up with 2:13 left that gave the Patriots a 17-13 advantage before George Fox was able to collect itself and halt the bleeding. Junior reserve guard Kaycee Creech drilled a "3" from the right top area with 1:53 left that cut Texas-Tyler's lead to a scant one point at 17-16 but the Patriots had one last push before the end of the first period. Obach connected with a short jumper with 1:35 left and a Matthews free throw with 1:09 left re-established the four-point edge at 20-16. Texas-Tyler got their biggest lead of the opening period when Matthews grabbed an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with :44.6 left for a 22-16 advantage before Bruin senior point guard Sammy Naluai knocked down two free throws with :31.5 left in the opening period trimming the Patriots lead down to four at 22-18, undefeated George Fox knew they had a game on their hands.
One thing that was becoming increasingly clear as this game progressed were the vastly different styles of each time. While the Bruins prefer the half-court game; working the ball on the perimeter and looking for the opening down low first, Texas-Tyler likes an up-tempo, running style and the Patriots athleticism and speed fits that style to a hilt and it gave George Fox more problems than expected. Junior reserve forward Shuntay Raglin scored in the paint as the shot clock was expiring at the 9:28 mark of the second period and a Raglin lay-up at the 8:50 mark gave Texas-Tyler a 26-21 lead before the Bruins once again had to dig in their heels. Two Benner free throws at the 7:59 mark and a Benner lay-up at the 7:08 mark trimmed the deficit to one at 26-25 and a Benner jumper near the free throw line at the 5:17 mark completed this personal 6-0 burst but more importantly had George Fox back out in front 27-26. A Creech "3" from the left corner with 2:53 left had the Bruins up by two at 30-28 but Texas-Tyler simply wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Freshman reserve forward Samantha Odom connected with one lay-up with 2:33 left and junior guard Re'Elle Miller connected with another one that had the issue tied at 32 a piece and a jumper from the top of the key by freshman reserve guard Dia Evans off of an inbounds pass with :52 left helped forge a 34-34 tie. Benner's score in the paint on a pretty give-and-go pass from junior reserve guard Anjenae Torregano with :03 left did allow the Bruins to take a shaky 36-34 lead into the locker room at the half but nothing felt quite right for George Fox Head Coach Michael Meek and his staff and it was apparent that the undefeated Bruins definitely had their work cut out for them the rest of the way. A quick check of the first half box reveals some of the worries that Meek likely had going into the locker room. 3-13 from three-point land for 23.1% and 13-31 for 41.9% from FG range offset the 7-7 from the charity stripe. Texas-Tyler held a slight edge in the rebounding department at 19-17 so the Bruins were going to have to clean some things up going into the second half.
George Fox appeared to come out of the locker room to start the third period with a renewed sense of determination as they extended their small advantage to six points. Two lay-ups in transition by the versatile Benner - one at the 8:43 mark and another one at the 6:19 mark - extended the Bruins lead to 40-34 and Texas-Tyler Head Coach Kendra Hassell; fearful of having her squad get into too big of a hole early on in the second half, called a timeout to talk things over with her team. That stoppage in play paid huge dividends for the Patriots as they battled right back. May drained a "3"from the right top area at the 6:07 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by the athletic Matthews sliced the George Fox lead down to a scant point at 40-39. A "3" from the left top area by sophomore reserve guard Alexus Bertrand with 4:01 left completed this unlikely 8-0 burst for Texas-Tyler that suddenly thrust them back out in front 42-40. An Obach lay-up with 3:24 left kept the Patriots out in front 44-43 but this see-saw battle then took yet another twist. Back-to-back scores by the Bruins Jamieson - one in the paint with 3:02 left and a lay-up with 2:12 left - had George Fox back in front 47-44. That lead didn't last long, however, as an Obach trey from the left top area with 1:58 left knotted the issue at 47 a piece. The two teams would again trade one point leads over the next minute before the Bruins tried to restore a bit of order to this mess before the period ended. Two free throws by the wily and energetic Naluai with :57 left and a lay-up in transition by Benner with :32 left had George Fox up 52-49 but the fact that the Patriots had been able to avoid a potential disaster at the onset of the third period gave a little preview of what was to come before this thing was over and done.
A Naluai lay-up at the 9:48 mark of the fourth period had the Bruins up 54-49 along with a "3" from the right wng by Blizzard at the 7:43 mark made it 57-51 George Fox and once again, the Patriots were potentially in a vice grip in this high stakes, pressure situation. But, just as they had in the third period, Texas-Tyler put a thumb to the nose of looming disaster and clawed their way back. Evans connected with a lay-up at the 7:18 mark and then Obach snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up that drew a foul and sent the Tyler, Texas native to the line for the obligatory freebie that sliced the Bruin cushion to one point at 57-56. George Fox's Blizzard kept trying to keep the Patriots at bay with her scoring as she connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 6:44 mark and drained another trey at the 6:09 mark; this one coming from the top of the key that gave the Bruins a four-point 62-58 lead but this Texas-Tyler team simply would not go away. An Obach lay-up at the 5:35 mark and another one by Matthews at the 4:04 mark tied the game at 62. Blizzard's heroics for her Bruins team were not done yet as she unleashed yet another three-point bomb from the right wing area with 3:17 left that had George Fox back up 65-62. But the crazy twists and turns to this one were far from over. A score in the paint by Evans with 2:57 left cut the Bruin lead to one at 65-64 with 2:57 left and missed three-point attempts by Blizzard gave the Patriots the chance that they needed. As George Fox was desperately trying to run the clock out clinging to that one-point lead, Obach came out of nowhere like a thief in the night and snared a steal from the usually-reliable Bruin backcourt and whizzed the other way for a lay-up that suddenly put Texas-Tyler out in front 66-65 with :23 left. Facing the possibility of having their undefeated season come to a sudden and crashing halt, the Bruins Meek called a timeout to set up a play. Bringing the ball carefully upcourt on their next possession, the Bruins worked the ball around the perimeter looking for that open look. Junior guard Kim Frost, quiet from a scoring standpoint all game long, got that look with :11.2 left from behind the arc in the right wing area and calmly drained a "3" that gave George Fox a 68-66 lead and put the Bruins in a position to finally close this one out once and for all. But the Patriots Hassell promptly called a timeout to try and draw something up for her squad. On the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession, the Patriots looked to work the ball inside and Matthews; with just :02.7 left, wiggled inside for a game-tying score that sent this incredible game into overtime tied at 68 a piece.
Conventional wisdom held that the undefeated Bruins would somehow find a way to win this one in the extra five minute session and two Blizzard free throws with 4:20 left and a lay-up by Benner off of an inbounds pass with 2:43 left that gave George Fox a 72-70 advantage did nothing to dispel that notion. But this Patriot team; with seemingly more lives than a cat, suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed control of this game for good. Kochner, who had been relatively quiet since the early moments of the game, came alive when her team needed her the most. A pretty move and lay-up forged a 70-70 deadlock and another lay-up with 2:29 left knotted the issue again at 72 a piece. Jamieson couldn't connect on a tough lay-up for the Bruins with 2:06 left and on the defensive rebound, Texas-Tyler immediately got into transition that gave Obach a chance to connect on a short jumper that put the Patriots up 74-72 with 2:00 left. Still no need to panic from a George Fox standpoint and on the Bruins next possession, they again patiently worked the ball around the perimeter and Blizzard got a look with 1:30 left but was unable to knock the shot down. Texas-Tyler got the rebound and back downcourt they went. Kochner missed a lay-up with 1:20 left but Matthews was there for the offensive rebound. Kochner eventually got free in the right corner and with 1:03 left she drilled a back-breaking trey for a 77-72 Patriot lead and now George Fox was truly in desperation mode. A Benner score in the paint with :51 left got the Bruins back to within a single possession trailing 77-74 but now they needed to foul and get stops as well. Kochner was sent to the line with :45.1 left where she was able to knock down one free throw for a 78-74 Texas-Tyler lead. The Bruins still had a slim chance when Blizzard got sent to the line with :38 left but she was unable to knock down the free throw opportunity. With :32.2 left, Obach was sent to the line where she converted on the front end of a "one-and-one" situation for a 79-74 Patriot lead. On the ensuing George Fox possession, Blizzard finally was able to connect with a much-needed trey from the left corner with :23 left but again, the Bruins needed to foul and hope that the Patriots might miss the freebies. Miller was immediately fouled on the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession with :21.1 left but with everything on the line, the Waco, Texas native cooly dropped the two free throw attempts for an 81-77 Patriot lead. On the ensuing Bruin possession, Blizzard uncorked a contested three-point attempt that missed its mark with :12 left and Texas-Tyler's Matthews was there for the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Though Matthews was unable to convert on the ensuing free throw attempt, Naluai was unable to convert on a lay-up attempt and the buzzer finally brought a fabulous season for the Bruins to an end.
A disappointed but proud Meek could only praise his seniors for the great season that the Bruins had. Not being familiar with all that George Fox had done this season, I asked Meek if being in such a tight contest so late in regulation might have had an adverse effect on his squad. But Meek seemed to dismiss that notion noting that his team had been in several situations during the season where they had been down at the half; sometimes by double digits and managed to battle their way back. No doubt that the Bruins will miss the trio of seniors of Naluai, Blizzard and Benner who have all had great careers and it's no surprise that Benner and Blizzard led the way with 26 and 19 points, respectively. Texas-Tyler's Hassell talked about her squad fighting back from adversity time and time again during the season and the way they were able to hold together against the second-ranked team in the country in a high-stakes situation was truly remarkable. Obach's steal and lay-up late in regulation saved this game for the Patriots and Kochner's heroics in overtime were just as impressive as she scored eight of her ten total points in the deciding overtime period. Matthews' 23 points led the way for the Patriots in this contest while Obach was right behind with her 19 points. Texas-Tyler overcame the 16 total turnovers with their decided 48-39 advantage on the boards. Even more amazing was that the Patriots had a 44-34 advantage with points in the paint against a very solid and experienced George Fox team that knows how to get the job done down low. But now the Patriots find themselves one step away from a trip to the Final Four.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)