And, just like in the first game tonight, you just knew it was going to come down to another Hopkins vs Eastview match-up, right? They were both on display on the floor at Williams Arena on this Saturday night for the rubber match on the big stage for the whole ball of wax. The Lightning knocked off the Royals in overtime back in early December at the Hopkins Breakdown event but Hopkins turned the table on Eastview on New Year's Eve at the St. Olaf tournament. Who would prevail this time?
The answer to that question - at least early on anyway - appeared to be the Royals as they raced out to an 8-2 lead by the 15:25 mark on the strength of two scores by junior guard Nia Hollie. But Eastview rose to the challenge and went on a 6-0 burst of their own in the form of two huge treys - one from junior guard Erika Schlosser at the 14:37 mark from the left top area and the other coming from willowy sophomore guard Rachel Ranke from the left corner at the 14:05 mark. Hopkins would respond with a 7-0 burst of their own as two free throws by senior guard TT Starks at the 13:44 mark and a Starks score in the paint at the 12:36 mark and a "3" from junior reserve guard Evelyn Knox from the left wing now had the Royals back out in front 15-8. A Hollie score in the paint at the 10:49 mark kept the cushion at six for Hopkins with a 17-11 lead and a score in the paint by senior guard Viria Livingston with 9:21 left made it an eight-point Royal lead at 19-11. Not to be outdone, though, the Lightning scratched and clawed their way as a drive and finish along the left baseline by senior forward Hannah Metoxen with 6:57 left and another Ranke "3" from the left corner with 5:37 left sliced Hopkins lead down to 21-19. Eastview would hang around with that two-point deficit until Starks drained a "3" from the left wing with 4:03 left for a 26-21 Royal lead and it looked as if Hopkins was in control. Eastview, however, would make a big statement in the home stretch of the first half. Metoxen connected with a short jumper with 3:42 left and pairs of free throws by strong senior forward Samantha Trammel sliced the Royals lead down to a scant point at 28-27 with :52.9 left. Hopkins had one last chance to expand their lead before halftime but an untimely turnover gave the Lightning a golden opportunity with scant seconds left and they made the most of it as Ranke got herself open at the top of the key and drained a "3" with just two seconds left to give Eastview an unlikely 30-28 advantage once the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Ranke's nine points led the way for the Lightning in the first half and Trammel was right behind with her eight points. Hopkins had balanced scoring as well and Hollie's eight points led the way while Starks added seven. Both teams had thirteen rebounds a piece so, at the moment anyway, this one had the makings of a very close, very tight contest.
One thing that the Royals under Head Coach Brian Cosgriff thrive on is getting out to a hot start in the second half and Hopkins did just that; getting an 8-0 spurt that established some cushion. Two scores by Hollie and an offensive rebound and putback by under-appreciated guard Ashley Bates and a lay-up in transition by Starks gave the Royals a 36-30 advantage before Eastview was able to put a halt to that run at the 14:53 mark on a score in the paint by Metoxen. The Lightning were able to close the gap to four points on a "3" by Schlosser from the right wing area at the 13:07 mark that reduced Hopkins lead to 41-37 but a 9-0 expedition by the Royals; capped by a Hollie "3" from the top of the key that kissed off the glass suddenly had Hopkins up 50-37 and had Eastview Head Coach Melissa Guebert clamoring for a timeout. Another Schlosser "3" from the left top area with 8:57 left along with two free throws by senior guard Madison Guebert and one more by Schlosser with 7:33 left had the Lightning back to within single digits trailing 50-43. The Royals, however, would push the lead back up to twelve points at 56-44 when Hollie went coast-to-coast for a lay-up with 5:18 left and at that point, all looked lost for Eastview. But one thing that I've learned about watching this Eastview team over the years under Guebert's helm is that they often play their best in the face of adversity when their backs are against the wall. Hopkins still held a double-digit cushion at 61-48 when Bates connected with a lay-up with 4:16 left but this is where things almost unraveled for the Royals as Eastview made a spirted comeback bid. One Guebert freebie with 2:55 left and a Guebert lay-up in transition after a steal cut the Royals lead down to ten at 61-51 and two more Guebert charity stripe shots with 2:08 left now had the Lightning back in single-digit range trailing 61-53. With 1:43 left, Trammel muscled into the paint to snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback that cut into the Hopkins cushion further. Guebert had the Eastview faithful on their feet with a roar when she connected on a drive and finish with 1:13 left and got fouled in the process as well and her ensuing free throw now had the Lightning trailing by only three at 61-58. A Hollie free throw with 1:05 left increased Hopkins' lead to 62-58 but Eastview had an opportunity to get to cut the deficit to a scant point when Ranke got free behind the arc again with :52 left but her three-point attempt was off the mark and that ended the Lightning comeback attempt. Insurance free throws by sophomore guard Dee Dee Winston, Starks and Hollie within the last minute preserved the hard-fought win and gave Cosgriff and Company another state title with a 68-60 victory.
A happy and relieved Cosgriff said afterward that "I knew it would be close....They're (Eastview) very good." He also spoke of his squad's defensive efforts early on in the second half that gave the Royals a bit of a cushion. "It's (the defense) been our calling card" he said. Of Hollie's big game where she finished with 26 points to lead all scorers: "Big-time players make shots when they need to." I asked Cosgriff specifically about Bates who, IMHO, doesn't seem to get the recognition she deserves. "Bates flies under the radar" Cosgriff said, adding that "she plays great defense." I asked Bates about the last couple of minutes when Eastview made that comeback bid and if there was ever any nervousness or panic that might have set in. "No, we've been there before" she replied adding that "we needed to stay calm." About winning this state title she said "It's really special....It's been our goal from Day 1....Our team is really close." On the other side of the coin, I asked Eastview's Melissa Guebert about this game and the last-gasp comeback bid that fell just short. "We needed to keep chipping away and we had to keep the energy-level up" she said adding that "I'm proud of their effort." Madison Guebert, in her last game as a Lightning, led the Eastview attack with her 19 points while Trammel finished with 12 points and Schlosser added 11 in the losing effort.
Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAA Championship Game Recap - Marshall vs Park Center 3-21-15
And somehow, you just knew it had to come down to these two again - Marshall and Park Center for all the marbles in the Class AAA final on a Saturday night at Williams Arena. While I wasn't counting on another three-overtime thriller like last year, I knew this one certainly had the potential to be very, very good.
The Tigers bolted out to a 5-0 lead on a lay-up in transition by senior guard Sarah Buysse at the 17:07 mark and a "3" from the left corner by fellow senior forward Callie Graff at the 15:20 mark. Park Center would cut Marshall's lead to one at 5-4 on two but two freebies by senior forward Morgan Saugstad at the 14:19 mark gave Marshall a 7-4 lead. Then the Pirate offense; which struggled a bit in the early going, started to find its groove. A "3" from the right corner by senior point guard Hannah Schaub at the 13:41 mark tied the issue at 7-all and a Hannah Schaub lay-up at the 13:02 mark kept the score knotted at 9 a piece. It was here, though, that Park Center was able to establish a bit of a cushion with a 5-0 run thanks to a one-handed lay-up by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 12:06 mark and a "3" from flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamadele at the 11:17 mark that gave the Pirates a 14-9 advantage. One charity stripe shot by Hayes with 8:17 left and a drive and one-handed finish by Hannah Schaub wowed the crowd at Williams and had Park Center up 17-11. Then it was younger sister Danielle Schaub's turn to get into the act as she launched a three-point bomb from the left corner with 5:45 left and a "3" from the left corner by senior guard McKenna DuBois with 3:59 left stretched the lead out to 23-15 and the Tigers; struggling with turnovers and miscues thanks to a pesky Pirate defense, was in a bit of a bind. However, a late 6-0 Marshall run tightened things up before the half. A score in the paint by Morgan Saugstad with 2:01 left and another one by Graff with 1:25 left trimmed the Park Center lead down to 25-21 and two Buysse freebies with :50.2 left now made it a one-possession game with the Pirates up only 25-23. Senior reserve post Camille McCoy's score in the paint with :34 left made the halftime score 27-23 in favor of Park Center. Arguably, things could have been a lot worse for the Tigers at this point with 11 first half turnovers although Marshall did own a decisive 22-8 advantage on the boards. Both Hannah Schaub and Hayes paced the Pirates with their seven points with Marshall was led by both Buysse and Morgan Saugstad with their six points.
The Tigers sought to right some of their first half wrongs once the second half got underway and a score in the paint by junior forward Marah Mulso at the 17:44 mark and another one by Morgan Saugstad at the 16:02 mark knotted the issue at 27-all. Marshall was able to forge a two-point advantage at 29-27 and a Mulso lay-up at the 14:23 mark maintained the two-point edge at 31-29. The Pirates would come right back, though, as a short jumper by Ayobamadele at the 11:18 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by sophomore guard Ann Simonet at the 11:05 mark gave the Pirates the lead at 33-31 and Park Center would expand that lead to five points on a score in the paint by Hayes with 8:23 left and two Ayobamadele free throws with 7:06 left for a 39-34 advantage. Marshall would close the gap to single possession, though, as Buysse's drive along the right baseline for a finish that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw with 6:35 left and a "3" from the left wing by junior forward Lexi Saugstad with 4:44 left now had Park Center up only by a 41-39 count and the issue was very much in doubt by this point. But, just when it seemed like the Tigers might be on the verge of finally stopping the Pirate machine, a stingy Park Center defense and timely "3's" saved the day for the green and gold faithful. Simonet; who struggled for a good portion of the game with her three-point touch, finally found the groove with 4:20 left when she got open in the left corner and drained one from there that pushed the lead back to five at 44-39. A Hayes lay-up with 2:30 left and another Simonet "3" - this one from the left corner again with 1:46 left - pushed the lead to six at 49-43 and now it was desperation time for Marshall as, down two possessions with time dwindling, they had no choice but to foul in order to preserve what little time was left. Hannah Schaub, who did a masterful job of running the offense and preserving the victory in those last few minutes, knocked down two freebies with :44.7 left and Simonet added one more with :15 left gave the Pirates a second state Class AAA title - this time in somewhat less dramatic fashion - with a 52-45 victory.
A happy and ecstatic Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde admitted afterward that he felt the squad "came out a little sluggish in the second half" but noted that the team's defensive efforts really saved the day in the crucial situations. "We didn't rebound so well" he said "but our defense was phenomenal." I asked VanderHyde what the identity of this program is now with two state championships under their belt. "We play fast and up-tempo; gritty and with confidence." Certainly those aspects were on full display tonight. I also spoke with a number of players afterward. Danielle Schaub: "Defense wins championships" she said and although she didn't have a great night shooting the ball, she's all over the court with her defense and tonight was no different. She plays smart with the ball and sees the whole court and knows how to get her teammates involved as well. Her big sister Hannah Schaub was full of smiles afterward as you can imagine. I asked her about what it was like running the half-court offensive sets when there wasn't a lot of cushion in the score and simply ran the whole show with an air of confidence and ability. "It's the flow of the game" she said "and you play with it". She also spoke about the great chemistry of this team over the last few years and she's really been the glue that has helped get this team to where it is right now. She also talked about the team's defensive efforts on this night; getting steals and creating turnovers at seemingly some of the most crucial junctures of this contest. "The steals gave us energy" she admitted. On getting this state championship in her senior year when she was forced to watch last year's thriller on the sidelines with that ACL injury: "It's one of the best feelings" she said smiling and the joy and happiness about having this chance and making the most of it was evident. Simonet talked about some of her early shooting struggles in this game and how making that first trey in the second half helped. "The first one (I made) really helped a lot" she said. Both she Danielle Schaub admitted it was a "HUGE relief" not to have to do the three-overtime thing again and finish up the deal in regulation. DuBois was of the same mindset afterward as she said the team "wanted to get it over and get it done with" and they did just that. She admitted that "It took a little bit to get untracked" but also said that it "definitely feels good to go out with a win." Ayobamedele, the flashy sophomore reserve who really provides a spark on both ends of the floor for the Pirates, talked about her team's defensive efforts and how they focus heavily on it as it creates their offensive opportunities. "We worked hard on (it) in every single practice" she said. Hayes, who led the Pirates in scoring with her 13 points, admitted that she got a little frustrated when she picked up her third foul early in the second half, said it was definitely a relief to finish this one up in regulation unlike last year; echoing the sentiments of Simonet and Danielle Schaub. "Definitely a relief!" she said smiling. I also asked her about how she's been able to expand her game and abilities as she's been willing to take three-pointers when left out on the arc. "I'm not just an inside player" she said and it's definitely been fun to watch her grow and develop her abilities and you can bet that she'll only be better in the years to come. On the flip side, Marshall was led by Mulso's 15 points while Buysse and Morgan Saugstad both added ten points a piece. The Tigers owned a decisive 45-22 advantage on the boards in this contest but were also guilty of 21 turnovers as well and that was what likely cost them in this contest. Marshall also shot only 15-46 for 32.6% from FG range and was a paltry 2-12 from behind the arc for only 16.7% and those numbers will not offset all those turnovers.
The Tigers bolted out to a 5-0 lead on a lay-up in transition by senior guard Sarah Buysse at the 17:07 mark and a "3" from the left corner by fellow senior forward Callie Graff at the 15:20 mark. Park Center would cut Marshall's lead to one at 5-4 on two but two freebies by senior forward Morgan Saugstad at the 14:19 mark gave Marshall a 7-4 lead. Then the Pirate offense; which struggled a bit in the early going, started to find its groove. A "3" from the right corner by senior point guard Hannah Schaub at the 13:41 mark tied the issue at 7-all and a Hannah Schaub lay-up at the 13:02 mark kept the score knotted at 9 a piece. It was here, though, that Park Center was able to establish a bit of a cushion with a 5-0 run thanks to a one-handed lay-up by lanky sophomore post Mikayla Hayes at the 12:06 mark and a "3" from flashy sophomore reserve forward Fey Ayobamadele at the 11:17 mark that gave the Pirates a 14-9 advantage. One charity stripe shot by Hayes with 8:17 left and a drive and one-handed finish by Hannah Schaub wowed the crowd at Williams and had Park Center up 17-11. Then it was younger sister Danielle Schaub's turn to get into the act as she launched a three-point bomb from the left corner with 5:45 left and a "3" from the left corner by senior guard McKenna DuBois with 3:59 left stretched the lead out to 23-15 and the Tigers; struggling with turnovers and miscues thanks to a pesky Pirate defense, was in a bit of a bind. However, a late 6-0 Marshall run tightened things up before the half. A score in the paint by Morgan Saugstad with 2:01 left and another one by Graff with 1:25 left trimmed the Park Center lead down to 25-21 and two Buysse freebies with :50.2 left now made it a one-possession game with the Pirates up only 25-23. Senior reserve post Camille McCoy's score in the paint with :34 left made the halftime score 27-23 in favor of Park Center. Arguably, things could have been a lot worse for the Tigers at this point with 11 first half turnovers although Marshall did own a decisive 22-8 advantage on the boards. Both Hannah Schaub and Hayes paced the Pirates with their seven points with Marshall was led by both Buysse and Morgan Saugstad with their six points.
The Tigers sought to right some of their first half wrongs once the second half got underway and a score in the paint by junior forward Marah Mulso at the 17:44 mark and another one by Morgan Saugstad at the 16:02 mark knotted the issue at 27-all. Marshall was able to forge a two-point advantage at 29-27 and a Mulso lay-up at the 14:23 mark maintained the two-point edge at 31-29. The Pirates would come right back, though, as a short jumper by Ayobamadele at the 11:18 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by sophomore guard Ann Simonet at the 11:05 mark gave the Pirates the lead at 33-31 and Park Center would expand that lead to five points on a score in the paint by Hayes with 8:23 left and two Ayobamadele free throws with 7:06 left for a 39-34 advantage. Marshall would close the gap to single possession, though, as Buysse's drive along the right baseline for a finish that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw with 6:35 left and a "3" from the left wing by junior forward Lexi Saugstad with 4:44 left now had Park Center up only by a 41-39 count and the issue was very much in doubt by this point. But, just when it seemed like the Tigers might be on the verge of finally stopping the Pirate machine, a stingy Park Center defense and timely "3's" saved the day for the green and gold faithful. Simonet; who struggled for a good portion of the game with her three-point touch, finally found the groove with 4:20 left when she got open in the left corner and drained one from there that pushed the lead back to five at 44-39. A Hayes lay-up with 2:30 left and another Simonet "3" - this one from the left corner again with 1:46 left - pushed the lead to six at 49-43 and now it was desperation time for Marshall as, down two possessions with time dwindling, they had no choice but to foul in order to preserve what little time was left. Hannah Schaub, who did a masterful job of running the offense and preserving the victory in those last few minutes, knocked down two freebies with :44.7 left and Simonet added one more with :15 left gave the Pirates a second state Class AAA title - this time in somewhat less dramatic fashion - with a 52-45 victory.
A happy and ecstatic Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde admitted afterward that he felt the squad "came out a little sluggish in the second half" but noted that the team's defensive efforts really saved the day in the crucial situations. "We didn't rebound so well" he said "but our defense was phenomenal." I asked VanderHyde what the identity of this program is now with two state championships under their belt. "We play fast and up-tempo; gritty and with confidence." Certainly those aspects were on full display tonight. I also spoke with a number of players afterward. Danielle Schaub: "Defense wins championships" she said and although she didn't have a great night shooting the ball, she's all over the court with her defense and tonight was no different. She plays smart with the ball and sees the whole court and knows how to get her teammates involved as well. Her big sister Hannah Schaub was full of smiles afterward as you can imagine. I asked her about what it was like running the half-court offensive sets when there wasn't a lot of cushion in the score and simply ran the whole show with an air of confidence and ability. "It's the flow of the game" she said "and you play with it". She also spoke about the great chemistry of this team over the last few years and she's really been the glue that has helped get this team to where it is right now. She also talked about the team's defensive efforts on this night; getting steals and creating turnovers at seemingly some of the most crucial junctures of this contest. "The steals gave us energy" she admitted. On getting this state championship in her senior year when she was forced to watch last year's thriller on the sidelines with that ACL injury: "It's one of the best feelings" she said smiling and the joy and happiness about having this chance and making the most of it was evident. Simonet talked about some of her early shooting struggles in this game and how making that first trey in the second half helped. "The first one (I made) really helped a lot" she said. Both she Danielle Schaub admitted it was a "HUGE relief" not to have to do the three-overtime thing again and finish up the deal in regulation. DuBois was of the same mindset afterward as she said the team "wanted to get it over and get it done with" and they did just that. She admitted that "It took a little bit to get untracked" but also said that it "definitely feels good to go out with a win." Ayobamedele, the flashy sophomore reserve who really provides a spark on both ends of the floor for the Pirates, talked about her team's defensive efforts and how they focus heavily on it as it creates their offensive opportunities. "We worked hard on (it) in every single practice" she said. Hayes, who led the Pirates in scoring with her 13 points, admitted that she got a little frustrated when she picked up her third foul early in the second half, said it was definitely a relief to finish this one up in regulation unlike last year; echoing the sentiments of Simonet and Danielle Schaub. "Definitely a relief!" she said smiling. I also asked her about how she's been able to expand her game and abilities as she's been willing to take three-pointers when left out on the arc. "I'm not just an inside player" she said and it's definitely been fun to watch her grow and develop her abilities and you can bet that she'll only be better in the years to come. On the flip side, Marshall was led by Mulso's 15 points while Buysse and Morgan Saugstad both added ten points a piece. The Tigers owned a decisive 45-22 advantage on the boards in this contest but were also guilty of 21 turnovers as well and that was what likely cost them in this contest. Marshall also shot only 15-46 for 32.6% from FG range and was a paltry 2-12 from behind the arc for only 16.7% and those numbers will not offset all those turnovers.
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Championship Game Recap - Sauk Centre vs Dover-Eyota 3-21-15
The second game of the Saturday afternoon session at Williams Arena was the Class AA Championship Game; a highly-anticipated match-up against #1 seed Sauk Centre going up against #2 seed Dover-Eyota which handled Roseau with ease last night. With the short turn-around time after yesterday, how much would each team have left in the tank for this one? Presumably both were fired and up and ready to go but it would be interesting to see how each side would hold up for 40 minutes.
The Eagles established a 4-2 advantage by the 14:46 mark in what was becoming a defensive slugfest of a contest but Sauk Centre took a bit of a hit early on when freshman guard Kelsey Peschel picked up 2 fouls by the 15:29 mark and Mainstreeter Head Coach Scott Bergman had no choice but to sit his star pupil for a spell. Dover-Eyota stretched their lead to 8-2 by the 12:51 mark when junior post Megan Hintz scored in the paint but Sauk Centre; which struggled mightily from the perimeter in the early going, finally shook off some cobwebs. One score by senior reserve guard Mauren Theisen in the paint at the 12:11 mark and one free throw by Peschel; back in the game by this point, cut the Eagle lead down to 8-7 and then a coast-to-coast lay-up by the fearless Peschel allowed the 'Streeters to poke their nose out in front for the first time at 9-8 at the 11:16 mark. A "3" by Mauren Theisen from the left corner at the 10:53 mark gave Sauk Centre a 12-10 advantage. The Eagles would tighten things up and two free throws by senior guard/forward Brandi Blattner gave Dover-Eyota a slim 18-16 advantage with 6:23 left. The Mainstreeters were forced to be a bit more patient on offense than they would prefer and a stingy 2-3 zone defense that Eagle Head Coach Brian Harris employed likely played a big role in Sauk Centre's unusual hesitations on offense. Dover-Eyota would get their lead to 23-19 on a score by Hintz in the paint with 5:56 left and one Blattner free throw with 5:01 left but a "3" from the top of the key by freshman guard Maesyn Theisen with 4:26 left brought the Mainstreeters right back into the fray trailing 23-22. The Eagles would re-establish a three-point edge at 27-24 when Blattner connected with a short shot off the glass with 2:47 left but this is where things REALLY started to get interesting and the fireworks started. Dover-Eyota appeared to be in prime position to take a bit of an edge with 1:30 left and up 28-26 - and in the double-bonus as well. A Hintz lay-up in transition with :43 left that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw put the Eagles up 31-28 but a "3" from the right wing by Maesyn Theisen with :33 left knotted the issue at 31-all. Dover-Eyota looked to go up ahead into the locker room at the break when sophomore reserve forward Madison Field connected with a lay-up with :09 left but a long pass downcourt to the Mainstreeter's Mauren Theisen allowed her to get a lay-up on a late-reacting Eagle defense that got her fouled in the process and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw giving Sauk Centre a 34-33 lead once the buzzer finally did sound ending the first half. Blattner's 13 points paced Dover-Eyota while Maesyn Theisen's 17 points paced Sauk Centre in a wild first half. Dover-Eyota, though, had a big edge in rebounding at 32-20 and that had to be a sore spot with the Mainstreeter's Bergman.
Dover-Eyota re-established a three-point edge at 39-36 in the opening minutes of the second half and that Eagle lead would stretch to 43-39 when sophomore reserve guard Haley Finstuen connected with a lay-up at the 12:21 mark. Right back came Sauk Centre. One trey by junior guard Madison Greenwaldt at the 11:11 mark frm the right top area and another from Maesyn Theisen at the 10:41 mark suddenly had the "Streeters back out in front 45-43. This wild back-and-forth affair would continue over the next six minutes. Dover-Eyota would get their nose back out in front; holding a precarious 51-50 lead with 7:14 left but when Maesyn Theisen drained a "3" from the left top area with 6:44 left and when junior post Rebecca Weir knocked down two charity stripe shots with 5:46 left, the Mainstreeters were now out in front 55-51. But, as legendary NFL Films narrater John Facenda once said, "Great teams aren't always great, they're just great when they have to be." And the Eagles stepped up their game and showed their true grit and embarked on a game-clinching 20-3 run to get the win - and state title. Hintz knocked down two charity stripe shots with 4:53 left that trimmed the deficit to two points and an offensive rebound and putback by Blattner, who dominated the boards in this decisive game-ending stretch, tied the game at 55-all. With 4:03 left, Hintz got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and the obligatory freebie now had Dover-Eyota up 58-55 and that sequence of events seemed to have an incredibly deflating effect on the Mainstreeters as they never could recover. With 3:33 left, Blattner again snared an offensive rebound for a putback that shoved the Eagle lead up to 60-55 and there was no looking back from there. A score off of an inbounds pass by junior guard Madison Nelson with 2:52 left padded the cushion at 62-55 and two free throws by Hintz with 1:10 left along with a Nelson lay-up with :53 left sealed the deal and gave Dover-Eyota the Class AA title with a 71-58 victory.
Blattner's 25 points led the way for Dover-Eyota while Hintz was right behind with her 24 points. The thing that really stood out to me though, was the dominating performance that the Eagles had on the boards; just in the second half alone with a 39-12 advantage. Those types of things help you win championships. Maesyn Theisen led the way for Sauk Centre with her 23 points in the losing effort.
The Eagles established a 4-2 advantage by the 14:46 mark in what was becoming a defensive slugfest of a contest but Sauk Centre took a bit of a hit early on when freshman guard Kelsey Peschel picked up 2 fouls by the 15:29 mark and Mainstreeter Head Coach Scott Bergman had no choice but to sit his star pupil for a spell. Dover-Eyota stretched their lead to 8-2 by the 12:51 mark when junior post Megan Hintz scored in the paint but Sauk Centre; which struggled mightily from the perimeter in the early going, finally shook off some cobwebs. One score by senior reserve guard Mauren Theisen in the paint at the 12:11 mark and one free throw by Peschel; back in the game by this point, cut the Eagle lead down to 8-7 and then a coast-to-coast lay-up by the fearless Peschel allowed the 'Streeters to poke their nose out in front for the first time at 9-8 at the 11:16 mark. A "3" by Mauren Theisen from the left corner at the 10:53 mark gave Sauk Centre a 12-10 advantage. The Eagles would tighten things up and two free throws by senior guard/forward Brandi Blattner gave Dover-Eyota a slim 18-16 advantage with 6:23 left. The Mainstreeters were forced to be a bit more patient on offense than they would prefer and a stingy 2-3 zone defense that Eagle Head Coach Brian Harris employed likely played a big role in Sauk Centre's unusual hesitations on offense. Dover-Eyota would get their lead to 23-19 on a score by Hintz in the paint with 5:56 left and one Blattner free throw with 5:01 left but a "3" from the top of the key by freshman guard Maesyn Theisen with 4:26 left brought the Mainstreeters right back into the fray trailing 23-22. The Eagles would re-establish a three-point edge at 27-24 when Blattner connected with a short shot off the glass with 2:47 left but this is where things REALLY started to get interesting and the fireworks started. Dover-Eyota appeared to be in prime position to take a bit of an edge with 1:30 left and up 28-26 - and in the double-bonus as well. A Hintz lay-up in transition with :43 left that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw put the Eagles up 31-28 but a "3" from the right wing by Maesyn Theisen with :33 left knotted the issue at 31-all. Dover-Eyota looked to go up ahead into the locker room at the break when sophomore reserve forward Madison Field connected with a lay-up with :09 left but a long pass downcourt to the Mainstreeter's Mauren Theisen allowed her to get a lay-up on a late-reacting Eagle defense that got her fouled in the process and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw giving Sauk Centre a 34-33 lead once the buzzer finally did sound ending the first half. Blattner's 13 points paced Dover-Eyota while Maesyn Theisen's 17 points paced Sauk Centre in a wild first half. Dover-Eyota, though, had a big edge in rebounding at 32-20 and that had to be a sore spot with the Mainstreeter's Bergman.
Dover-Eyota re-established a three-point edge at 39-36 in the opening minutes of the second half and that Eagle lead would stretch to 43-39 when sophomore reserve guard Haley Finstuen connected with a lay-up at the 12:21 mark. Right back came Sauk Centre. One trey by junior guard Madison Greenwaldt at the 11:11 mark frm the right top area and another from Maesyn Theisen at the 10:41 mark suddenly had the "Streeters back out in front 45-43. This wild back-and-forth affair would continue over the next six minutes. Dover-Eyota would get their nose back out in front; holding a precarious 51-50 lead with 7:14 left but when Maesyn Theisen drained a "3" from the left top area with 6:44 left and when junior post Rebecca Weir knocked down two charity stripe shots with 5:46 left, the Mainstreeters were now out in front 55-51. But, as legendary NFL Films narrater John Facenda once said, "Great teams aren't always great, they're just great when they have to be." And the Eagles stepped up their game and showed their true grit and embarked on a game-clinching 20-3 run to get the win - and state title. Hintz knocked down two charity stripe shots with 4:53 left that trimmed the deficit to two points and an offensive rebound and putback by Blattner, who dominated the boards in this decisive game-ending stretch, tied the game at 55-all. With 4:03 left, Hintz got into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and the obligatory freebie now had Dover-Eyota up 58-55 and that sequence of events seemed to have an incredibly deflating effect on the Mainstreeters as they never could recover. With 3:33 left, Blattner again snared an offensive rebound for a putback that shoved the Eagle lead up to 60-55 and there was no looking back from there. A score off of an inbounds pass by junior guard Madison Nelson with 2:52 left padded the cushion at 62-55 and two free throws by Hintz with 1:10 left along with a Nelson lay-up with :53 left sealed the deal and gave Dover-Eyota the Class AA title with a 71-58 victory.
Blattner's 25 points led the way for Dover-Eyota while Hintz was right behind with her 24 points. The thing that really stood out to me though, was the dominating performance that the Eagles had on the boards; just in the second half alone with a 39-12 advantage. Those types of things help you win championships. Maesyn Theisen led the way for Sauk Centre with her 23 points in the losing effort.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class A Championship Game Recap - Maranatha Christian Academy vs Ada-Borup 3-21-15
The high-noon showdown on Saturday was the Class A Championship Game between #1 and #2 seeds - Maranatha Christian Academy and Ada-Borup - two programs that have been here before AND have both won state championships before. This game would be a stark contrast of styles - the frenetic, fast-paced up and down style of Maranatha Christian Academy and slower, deliberate style of Ada-Borup. Which style would win out?
With Ada-Borup getting out to an early 6-3 lead, the Mustangs battled right back and a jumper from the left corner by willowy 6'0" forward Jaclyn Jarnot at the 15:33 mark just inside the arc cut Cougar's lead down to 6-5. But a 6-0 Ada-Borup push; highlighted by a rebound and putback by sophomore guard Elizabeth Birkemeyer at the 14:13 mark made it 13-5 and the Cougar lead got to double digits at 17-7 by the 12:38 mark. A lay-up in transition by senior forward Miki Lee at the 12:10 mark and one freebie by senior forward Haley Poehler increased the lead to 20-7 and those lime-green socks that the Mustangs were wearing certainly weren't bringing them much luck up to this point anyway. More importantly, though, Maranatha Christian Academy was having considerable difficulty on both ends of the floor with the bigger, stronger Cougar front line and that really threw a monkey wrench in the Mustang's half-court sets. A lay-up by junior reserve forward Morgan Miller with 8:35 left stretched the Ada-Borup lead out to 26-10 before before Maranatha Christian Academy recovered a bit. Senior guard Lexi Lee connected with a jumper from the left elbow with 8:00 left and one free throw by Jacklyn Jarnot with 7:02 left trimmed the deficit a bit but after a score in the paint by Cougar senior forward Miki Lee with 6:34 left and a lay-up by junior reserve forward Morgan Miller with 6:01 left the Ada-Borup lead was now stretched out to 32-13 in the Mustangs were clearly in the danger zone by this point. However, Maranatha Christian Academy managed to recover and they finally started to find their groove offensively. Two free throws by junior guard Ashley Lewis with 5:22 left was followed by successive lay-ups in transition: one by Lexi Lee with 5:00 left and another by junior guard Alaina Jarnot with 4:46 left and suddenly the Mustangs started looking like their old selves; scoring in bunches and the Cougar lead was cut to 32-19. A jumper by Lexi Lee from the left elbow area with 1:55 left and a three-point bomb by Jacklyn Jarnot from the right corner with :51 left now had Maranatha Christian Academy trailing by only ten at 40-30 and it arguably could have been closer than that once the halftime buzzer sounded. Ada-Borup had a relatively balanced scoring attack; led by Miki Lee's 14 points while Lexi Lee led the way for the Mustangs with her 17 points. But the really big factor from the halftime stat sheet was rebounds where Ada-Borup held an astounding 24-13 edge. That HAD to change for Maranatha Christian Academy if they were going to bring this all the way back.
The Mustangs did not get the hot start that they had hoped for once the second half started. One score by Poehler; a jumper in the lane at the 16:27 mark and a lay-up by junior guard Lexi Nelson at the 15:31 mark upped the Ada-Borup lead to 44-30 and a score off of an inbounds pass by Birkemeyer at the 14:45 mark maintained that fourteen point edge at 46-32. And it's not like Maranatha Christian Academy didn't have opportunities to draw closer in the early stages of the second half but a bevy of missed shots; including lay-ups and "bunnies" that could have easily brought the Mustangs within reasonable striking distance, ultimately doomed Maranatha Christian Academy. As such, the Cougars kept their opponent at bay with smart play and rebounding on both ends of the floor. A score in the paint by Poehler at the 12:14 mark and two free throws by senior forward Lexi Merkens with 8:58 left kept Ada-Borup in the safe zone up 57-42 and that safe zone was maintained on a short jumper by Miki Lee with 8:40 left. The Mustangs, though, made one last counter move to throw a few seeds of doubt into their opponent. A steal and lay-up by Lexi Lee with 7:12 left and a short jumper after a steal by Alaina Jarnot with 6:31 left brought Maranatha Christian Academy a bit closer and a free throw by Lexi Lee with 2:45 left cut the Cougar lead down to eleven at 71-60. Alas, that was as close as the Mustangs could get and they never could find that one "big" shot that might have drawn them to within single digits. Insurance free throws by Merkens, Poehler and Miki Lee down the stretch gave Ada-Borup yet another Class A championship with a 82-65 victory.
While the team celebrated yet another state championship with parents in the concourse and I was not able to get a word with Ada-Borup Head Coach David Smart as I had anticipated, I did get to speak with Cougar senior forward Haley Poehler who was nice enough to come down toward the locker room area afterward. About winning the championship her response quite simply was "It feels awesome....unbelievable!" she exclaimed; adding that the reality really hasn't sunk in yet. I asked Poehler about her squad's unrelenting efforts on defense and rebounding as well. "We couldn't give them those second shots" she replied. "We had to get those rebounds." Indeed, while it was Miki Lee who led the Cougar attack in the scoring column with her 22 points, it was Poehler's 18 rebounds that were as equally important. For Maranatha Christian Academy, a disappointing finish to a great 29-4 season and you can bet that they'll be back in the mix next year with the Jarnot sisters and others back. Lexi Lee, however, who finished with a game-high 32 points will graduate and move on this spring and she will be missed.
With Ada-Borup getting out to an early 6-3 lead, the Mustangs battled right back and a jumper from the left corner by willowy 6'0" forward Jaclyn Jarnot at the 15:33 mark just inside the arc cut Cougar's lead down to 6-5. But a 6-0 Ada-Borup push; highlighted by a rebound and putback by sophomore guard Elizabeth Birkemeyer at the 14:13 mark made it 13-5 and the Cougar lead got to double digits at 17-7 by the 12:38 mark. A lay-up in transition by senior forward Miki Lee at the 12:10 mark and one freebie by senior forward Haley Poehler increased the lead to 20-7 and those lime-green socks that the Mustangs were wearing certainly weren't bringing them much luck up to this point anyway. More importantly, though, Maranatha Christian Academy was having considerable difficulty on both ends of the floor with the bigger, stronger Cougar front line and that really threw a monkey wrench in the Mustang's half-court sets. A lay-up by junior reserve forward Morgan Miller with 8:35 left stretched the Ada-Borup lead out to 26-10 before before Maranatha Christian Academy recovered a bit. Senior guard Lexi Lee connected with a jumper from the left elbow with 8:00 left and one free throw by Jacklyn Jarnot with 7:02 left trimmed the deficit a bit but after a score in the paint by Cougar senior forward Miki Lee with 6:34 left and a lay-up by junior reserve forward Morgan Miller with 6:01 left the Ada-Borup lead was now stretched out to 32-13 in the Mustangs were clearly in the danger zone by this point. However, Maranatha Christian Academy managed to recover and they finally started to find their groove offensively. Two free throws by junior guard Ashley Lewis with 5:22 left was followed by successive lay-ups in transition: one by Lexi Lee with 5:00 left and another by junior guard Alaina Jarnot with 4:46 left and suddenly the Mustangs started looking like their old selves; scoring in bunches and the Cougar lead was cut to 32-19. A jumper by Lexi Lee from the left elbow area with 1:55 left and a three-point bomb by Jacklyn Jarnot from the right corner with :51 left now had Maranatha Christian Academy trailing by only ten at 40-30 and it arguably could have been closer than that once the halftime buzzer sounded. Ada-Borup had a relatively balanced scoring attack; led by Miki Lee's 14 points while Lexi Lee led the way for the Mustangs with her 17 points. But the really big factor from the halftime stat sheet was rebounds where Ada-Borup held an astounding 24-13 edge. That HAD to change for Maranatha Christian Academy if they were going to bring this all the way back.
The Mustangs did not get the hot start that they had hoped for once the second half started. One score by Poehler; a jumper in the lane at the 16:27 mark and a lay-up by junior guard Lexi Nelson at the 15:31 mark upped the Ada-Borup lead to 44-30 and a score off of an inbounds pass by Birkemeyer at the 14:45 mark maintained that fourteen point edge at 46-32. And it's not like Maranatha Christian Academy didn't have opportunities to draw closer in the early stages of the second half but a bevy of missed shots; including lay-ups and "bunnies" that could have easily brought the Mustangs within reasonable striking distance, ultimately doomed Maranatha Christian Academy. As such, the Cougars kept their opponent at bay with smart play and rebounding on both ends of the floor. A score in the paint by Poehler at the 12:14 mark and two free throws by senior forward Lexi Merkens with 8:58 left kept Ada-Borup in the safe zone up 57-42 and that safe zone was maintained on a short jumper by Miki Lee with 8:40 left. The Mustangs, though, made one last counter move to throw a few seeds of doubt into their opponent. A steal and lay-up by Lexi Lee with 7:12 left and a short jumper after a steal by Alaina Jarnot with 6:31 left brought Maranatha Christian Academy a bit closer and a free throw by Lexi Lee with 2:45 left cut the Cougar lead down to eleven at 71-60. Alas, that was as close as the Mustangs could get and they never could find that one "big" shot that might have drawn them to within single digits. Insurance free throws by Merkens, Poehler and Miki Lee down the stretch gave Ada-Borup yet another Class A championship with a 82-65 victory.
While the team celebrated yet another state championship with parents in the concourse and I was not able to get a word with Ada-Borup Head Coach David Smart as I had anticipated, I did get to speak with Cougar senior forward Haley Poehler who was nice enough to come down toward the locker room area afterward. About winning the championship her response quite simply was "It feels awesome....unbelievable!" she exclaimed; adding that the reality really hasn't sunk in yet. I asked Poehler about her squad's unrelenting efforts on defense and rebounding as well. "We couldn't give them those second shots" she replied. "We had to get those rebounds." Indeed, while it was Miki Lee who led the Cougar attack in the scoring column with her 22 points, it was Poehler's 18 rebounds that were as equally important. For Maranatha Christian Academy, a disappointing finish to a great 29-4 season and you can bet that they'll be back in the mix next year with the Jarnot sisters and others back. Lexi Lee, however, who finished with a game-high 32 points will graduate and move on this spring and she will be missed.
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Semifinal Game Recap - Dover-Eyota vs Roseau 3-20-15
The nightcap on Friday night at Williams Arena was the other Class AA semifinal matchup featuring Dover-Eyota going up against upstart Roseau which had pulled off the upset on Wednesday night when they beat Esko. On paper anyway, the Eagles looked like prohibitive favorites but in these kinds of settings - and considering that Roseau had already pulled off one upset anyway - you just never knew for sure.
Early on though, one thing that was apparent was that Dover-Eyota definitely did have a big advantage in the rebounding department and a game-opening 8-0 spurt had the Rams on their heels early on. Roseau 8th grade guard Kacie Borowicz tried to cut into that deficit with her short jumper at the 15:07 mark and one freebie by older sister and sophomore guard Kylie Borowicz at the 15:00 mark trimmed the Eagles lead down to 8-3 but a "3" from the right top area by junior guard Madison Nelson at the 14:37 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by junior post Megan Hintz at the 13:38 mark helped extend the Dover-Eyota lead to 15-6. A lay-up by senior forward Danielle Higgins at the 12:50 mark gave the Eagles an 18-8 lead and an offensive rebound and putback by versatile senior guard Brandi Blattner at the 11:33 lead gave Dover-Eyota a fourteen-point cushion at 22-8 and Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson wasted little time in calling a halt to the action to get her squad calmed down. To their credit, though, the Rams slowly battled their way back into the thick of things and it was not surprisingly the Borowicz sisters who had a large part in the comeback bid for Roseau. And one positive already for the Rams is that they got into the bonus with 6:31 left as well. Kacie Borowicz got a lay-up in transition with 6:03 left that cut the Dover-Eyota lead down to fourteen at 32-18 and with 4:47 left, Kylie Borowicz launched a "3" from the left wing area to keep the Roseau momentum going. With 4:06 left Kylie Borowicz went coast to coast for a lay-up and then struck again with 3:29 left as she got a lay-up in transition and got fouled in the process as well and her freebie shrunk the Eagle lead further. A Kylie Borowicz drive into the lane and finish with 2:54 left now cut Dover-Eyota's lead down to 38-28 and a Kacie Borowicz jumper from the right elbow area with 2:17 left now had the Rams within single digits trailing 38-30. Kylie Borowicz' "3" from the right corner with 1:34 left cut the Eagles lead further as it was now a 40-33 game but fortunately for Dover-Eyota, they recovered just enough to take a 46-35 lead into the locker room at the half. Nelson's 16 points paced the Eagle attack while Kylie Borowicz seemingly did it all for the Rams in the first half with her 18 points. More importantly, you had to think that the late Roseau run awoke Dover-Eyota and Head Coach Brian Harris.
The Eagles as expected came out wide awake once the second half started and quickly put distance between themselves and their opponent. A Blattner score in the paint at the 17:50 mark and a Nelson lay-up in transition at the 16:09 mark sparked an 11-4 run that made it a 2 57-39 game after Hintz' offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:08 mark. But Dover-Eyota was just beginning to put the pedal to the metal. The lead bulged to twenty at 66-46 on Blattner's drive and finish in the lane off the glass at the 12:15 mark and a Nelson lay-up at the 10:09 mark now made it 70-46 Eagles and there would be no miracle comeback or Borowicz sisters heroics that could save Roseau now. With the Eagles' transition game in full bore, Blattner connected with a lay-up in transition that now made it a thirty-point game with 8:46 left at 76-46. With the issue already decided at this point, both Dover-Eyota's Harris and Roseau's Didrikson sent in their reserves for clean-up duty down the stretch and the Eagles closed out the deal with a resounding 94-61 victory that sends them into Saturday's championship game against Sauk Centre.
Harris felt afterward that his team had to get it together in the locker room at the half. "We got regrouped at halftime and we wanted to wear them out." On the upcoming championship game with Sauk Centre Harris said "The tough thing is that they play a lot like us - up and down......They have guards that can shoot '3's' and we'll have to get defensive rebounds against them (Sauk Centre)." Blattner, who finished this game with 22 points, said that "We'll have to pressure the ball and pound it inside....We've got to 'move it'!" She also pointed out that it'll be important for her and her teammates to "relax a little bit" and noted that, despite tonight's big win, "There's always room for improvement."
Early on though, one thing that was apparent was that Dover-Eyota definitely did have a big advantage in the rebounding department and a game-opening 8-0 spurt had the Rams on their heels early on. Roseau 8th grade guard Kacie Borowicz tried to cut into that deficit with her short jumper at the 15:07 mark and one freebie by older sister and sophomore guard Kylie Borowicz at the 15:00 mark trimmed the Eagles lead down to 8-3 but a "3" from the right top area by junior guard Madison Nelson at the 14:37 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by junior post Megan Hintz at the 13:38 mark helped extend the Dover-Eyota lead to 15-6. A lay-up by senior forward Danielle Higgins at the 12:50 mark gave the Eagles an 18-8 lead and an offensive rebound and putback by versatile senior guard Brandi Blattner at the 11:33 lead gave Dover-Eyota a fourteen-point cushion at 22-8 and Roseau Head Coach Kelsey Didrikson wasted little time in calling a halt to the action to get her squad calmed down. To their credit, though, the Rams slowly battled their way back into the thick of things and it was not surprisingly the Borowicz sisters who had a large part in the comeback bid for Roseau. And one positive already for the Rams is that they got into the bonus with 6:31 left as well. Kacie Borowicz got a lay-up in transition with 6:03 left that cut the Dover-Eyota lead down to fourteen at 32-18 and with 4:47 left, Kylie Borowicz launched a "3" from the left wing area to keep the Roseau momentum going. With 4:06 left Kylie Borowicz went coast to coast for a lay-up and then struck again with 3:29 left as she got a lay-up in transition and got fouled in the process as well and her freebie shrunk the Eagle lead further. A Kylie Borowicz drive into the lane and finish with 2:54 left now cut Dover-Eyota's lead down to 38-28 and a Kacie Borowicz jumper from the right elbow area with 2:17 left now had the Rams within single digits trailing 38-30. Kylie Borowicz' "3" from the right corner with 1:34 left cut the Eagles lead further as it was now a 40-33 game but fortunately for Dover-Eyota, they recovered just enough to take a 46-35 lead into the locker room at the half. Nelson's 16 points paced the Eagle attack while Kylie Borowicz seemingly did it all for the Rams in the first half with her 18 points. More importantly, you had to think that the late Roseau run awoke Dover-Eyota and Head Coach Brian Harris.
The Eagles as expected came out wide awake once the second half started and quickly put distance between themselves and their opponent. A Blattner score in the paint at the 17:50 mark and a Nelson lay-up in transition at the 16:09 mark sparked an 11-4 run that made it a 2 57-39 game after Hintz' offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:08 mark. But Dover-Eyota was just beginning to put the pedal to the metal. The lead bulged to twenty at 66-46 on Blattner's drive and finish in the lane off the glass at the 12:15 mark and a Nelson lay-up at the 10:09 mark now made it 70-46 Eagles and there would be no miracle comeback or Borowicz sisters heroics that could save Roseau now. With the Eagles' transition game in full bore, Blattner connected with a lay-up in transition that now made it a thirty-point game with 8:46 left at 76-46. With the issue already decided at this point, both Dover-Eyota's Harris and Roseau's Didrikson sent in their reserves for clean-up duty down the stretch and the Eagles closed out the deal with a resounding 94-61 victory that sends them into Saturday's championship game against Sauk Centre.
Harris felt afterward that his team had to get it together in the locker room at the half. "We got regrouped at halftime and we wanted to wear them out." On the upcoming championship game with Sauk Centre Harris said "The tough thing is that they play a lot like us - up and down......They have guards that can shoot '3's' and we'll have to get defensive rebounds against them (Sauk Centre)." Blattner, who finished this game with 22 points, said that "We'll have to pressure the ball and pound it inside....We've got to 'move it'!" She also pointed out that it'll be important for her and her teammates to "relax a little bit" and noted that, despite tonight's big win, "There's always room for improvement."
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AA Semifinal Game Recap - Sauk Centre vs Minnehaha Academy 3-20-15
The first game on tap for the Friday evening session at Williams Arena featured the first of the Class AA semifinals - this one pitting Sauk Centre going up against Minnehaha Academy. While the Mainstreeters, with their sparkling 30-1 record may have had the edge on paper anyway, I had to figure that this one had the potential to be a good one.
The Redhawks; employing a 2-3 zone, stifled Sauk Centre's offensive attack early on and established a 4-1 lead by the 14:37 mark on a lay-up in transition by senior Angela Scharf at the 16:33 mark and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by freshman guard Terra Rhoades at the 16:00 mark. Sauk Centre though, would regain the edge at 7-6 on treys from both freshman guard Kelsey Peschel from the right wing at the 13:56 mark and one from freshman guard Maesyn Theisen at the 12:53 mark. One jumper from the left corner by Maesyn Theisen at the 10:15 mark and a Maesyn Theisen score in the paint had the Mainstreeters up 11-9. Both teams would trade one-point leads over the next five minutes with neither side being able to gain any decisive advantage. Sauk Centre senior reserve guard Mauren Theisen banged home a "3" from the right corner with 5:25 left that forged a 22-all deadlock but a 4-0 spurt by Minnehaha Academy; capped by a lay-up by senior guard Gracia Gilreath with 2:53 left gave the Redhawks a bit of separation at 26-22 but that little cushion didn't last long. Maesyn Theisen drained a "3" from the left corner with 2:03 left and two charity stripe shots by junior post Rebecca Weir knotted things up at 27-all. Sauk Centre gained a four-point edge on 2 free throws by sophomore reserve guard Jill Klaphake with :57 left and a pair of freebies by senior guard Madison Moritz with :33.1 left for a 31-27 Mainstreeter lead but a very late score by the Redhawks cut that lead to 31-29 at the half. 14 points from Mauren Theisen led the way for Sauk Centre while sophomore guard Sarah Kaminski led the way for the Redhawks with her nine points. Rebounds were nearly even but turnovers had to be a concern for Head Coach Josh Thurow as his Redhawks were guilty of 12 in the first half.
Minnehaha Academy looked to regain that edge once the second half got underway and two scores by Kaminski - a "3" from the left top area at the 17:04 mark and two free throws at the 16:21 mark - did give the Redhawks the lead back at 34-31. Sauk Centre would come right back, though. Moritz drilled one trey from the left corner at the 16:03 mark and a lay-up by junior guard Madison Greenwaldt at the 15:17 mark gave the Mainstreeters a two-point advantage at 36-34 and two free throws by Maesyn Theisen had Sauk Centre's lead up to three at 38-35 at the 14:31 mark. Again, a Redhawk response in the form of a four-point push now had Minnehaha Academy up 39-38 by the 12:25 mark. Now it was Sauk Centre's turn to respond. Two freebies by Moritz with 9:23 left and two more by Peschel with 9:04 left gave the Mainstreeters a 42-40 edge. Gilreath's lay-up with 8:49 left that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie gave Minnehaha Academy a brief 43-42 lead but this is where things appeared to change in Sauk Centre's favor. Maesyn Theisen connected with a lay-up with 7:24 left and then Klaphake snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up for a 46-43 Mainstreeter lead and the Redhawks Thurow called an immediate timeout to survey the damage. But Sauk Centre was intent on trying to inflict more damage and a Maesyn Theisen jumper along the left baseline with 4:39 left upped the 'Streeter lead to five at 48-43. But Minnehaha Academy was far from finished. Gilreath connected with a lay-up in transition with 3:20 left and got fouled in the process as well and her ensuing freebie attempt was good which shrunk the Sauk Centre lead down to 48-46. Moritz would get two free throws for the Mainstreeters with 2:05 left but then Redhawk senior reserve guard Megan Thurow cooly drained a "3" from the right corner that cut Sauk Centre's lead down to a scant point at 50-49 and threw a ton of doubt into the issue. And when Moritz was called for traveling with 1:19 left, Minnehaha had a golden opportunity to seize the moment. Alas, it was not to be for the Redhawks at the most crucial moments. Maesyn Theisen snared a steal with :53.1 seconds and was immediately fouled and her two ensuing charity stripe shots now made it a three-point lead at 52-49. Still, a sliver of a chance for the Redhawks but they now needed a three-pointer and when Kaminski finally got half a look with :33 left, her attempted bomb was off the mark. Sauk Centre got the rebound and Moritz was immediately fould and she sank two insurance free throws with :11.6 left to seal the deal for the Mainstreeters as Sauk Centre advanced to Saturday's final with a 54-49 victory.
Sauk Centre Head Coach Scott Bergman heaped a lot of praise on Thurow's Minnehaha Academy squad afterward. "They play tremendous defense" he said. About Saturday's final showdown? "With the short turn-around time, there's not a lot of time to strategize.....We just haveto go out and play." Mauren Theisen's 14 points led the way for the Mainstreeters in this one while Maesyn Theisen was right behind with her 12 points. Kaminski led the way for Minnehaha Academy in the losing effort with her 14 points.
The Redhawks; employing a 2-3 zone, stifled Sauk Centre's offensive attack early on and established a 4-1 lead by the 14:37 mark on a lay-up in transition by senior Angela Scharf at the 16:33 mark and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by freshman guard Terra Rhoades at the 16:00 mark. Sauk Centre though, would regain the edge at 7-6 on treys from both freshman guard Kelsey Peschel from the right wing at the 13:56 mark and one from freshman guard Maesyn Theisen at the 12:53 mark. One jumper from the left corner by Maesyn Theisen at the 10:15 mark and a Maesyn Theisen score in the paint had the Mainstreeters up 11-9. Both teams would trade one-point leads over the next five minutes with neither side being able to gain any decisive advantage. Sauk Centre senior reserve guard Mauren Theisen banged home a "3" from the right corner with 5:25 left that forged a 22-all deadlock but a 4-0 spurt by Minnehaha Academy; capped by a lay-up by senior guard Gracia Gilreath with 2:53 left gave the Redhawks a bit of separation at 26-22 but that little cushion didn't last long. Maesyn Theisen drained a "3" from the left corner with 2:03 left and two charity stripe shots by junior post Rebecca Weir knotted things up at 27-all. Sauk Centre gained a four-point edge on 2 free throws by sophomore reserve guard Jill Klaphake with :57 left and a pair of freebies by senior guard Madison Moritz with :33.1 left for a 31-27 Mainstreeter lead but a very late score by the Redhawks cut that lead to 31-29 at the half. 14 points from Mauren Theisen led the way for Sauk Centre while sophomore guard Sarah Kaminski led the way for the Redhawks with her nine points. Rebounds were nearly even but turnovers had to be a concern for Head Coach Josh Thurow as his Redhawks were guilty of 12 in the first half.
Minnehaha Academy looked to regain that edge once the second half got underway and two scores by Kaminski - a "3" from the left top area at the 17:04 mark and two free throws at the 16:21 mark - did give the Redhawks the lead back at 34-31. Sauk Centre would come right back, though. Moritz drilled one trey from the left corner at the 16:03 mark and a lay-up by junior guard Madison Greenwaldt at the 15:17 mark gave the Mainstreeters a two-point advantage at 36-34 and two free throws by Maesyn Theisen had Sauk Centre's lead up to three at 38-35 at the 14:31 mark. Again, a Redhawk response in the form of a four-point push now had Minnehaha Academy up 39-38 by the 12:25 mark. Now it was Sauk Centre's turn to respond. Two freebies by Moritz with 9:23 left and two more by Peschel with 9:04 left gave the Mainstreeters a 42-40 edge. Gilreath's lay-up with 8:49 left that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie gave Minnehaha Academy a brief 43-42 lead but this is where things appeared to change in Sauk Centre's favor. Maesyn Theisen connected with a lay-up with 7:24 left and then Klaphake snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up for a 46-43 Mainstreeter lead and the Redhawks Thurow called an immediate timeout to survey the damage. But Sauk Centre was intent on trying to inflict more damage and a Maesyn Theisen jumper along the left baseline with 4:39 left upped the 'Streeter lead to five at 48-43. But Minnehaha Academy was far from finished. Gilreath connected with a lay-up in transition with 3:20 left and got fouled in the process as well and her ensuing freebie attempt was good which shrunk the Sauk Centre lead down to 48-46. Moritz would get two free throws for the Mainstreeters with 2:05 left but then Redhawk senior reserve guard Megan Thurow cooly drained a "3" from the right corner that cut Sauk Centre's lead down to a scant point at 50-49 and threw a ton of doubt into the issue. And when Moritz was called for traveling with 1:19 left, Minnehaha had a golden opportunity to seize the moment. Alas, it was not to be for the Redhawks at the most crucial moments. Maesyn Theisen snared a steal with :53.1 seconds and was immediately fouled and her two ensuing charity stripe shots now made it a three-point lead at 52-49. Still, a sliver of a chance for the Redhawks but they now needed a three-pointer and when Kaminski finally got half a look with :33 left, her attempted bomb was off the mark. Sauk Centre got the rebound and Moritz was immediately fould and she sank two insurance free throws with :11.6 left to seal the deal for the Mainstreeters as Sauk Centre advanced to Saturday's final with a 54-49 victory.
Sauk Centre Head Coach Scott Bergman heaped a lot of praise on Thurow's Minnehaha Academy squad afterward. "They play tremendous defense" he said. About Saturday's final showdown? "With the short turn-around time, there's not a lot of time to strategize.....We just haveto go out and play." Mauren Theisen's 14 points led the way for the Mainstreeters in this one while Maesyn Theisen was right behind with her 12 points. Kaminski led the way for Minnehaha Academy in the losing effort with her 14 points.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Minnesota Girl's State Tournament - Class AAAA Semifinal Game Recap - Eastview vs STMA 3-19-15
The nightcap at Williams Arena on this Thursday evening was the second Class AAAA semifinal game which pitted defending state champ Eastview against highly-regarded STMA as both teams were able to advance to this setting with relatively comfortable victories on Tuesday. While the Lightning appeared as the favorites as defending state champ, this up-and-coming Knight team has been making a name for itself lately and, with a 26-3 record, you certainly couldn't take them lightly.
And being the underdogs certainly bother STMA either as the Knights got out to a 5-0 lead in the game's first two minutes. A "3" from senior guard Bobbi Brendefur from the left corner at the 17:04 mark and a jumper from the right elbow area by junior guard/forward Sydney Tracy at the 16:14 mark provided the advantage. STMA would hold the five-point edge as Brendefur made a drive into the lane for a finish at the 15:12 mark and then connected with a "3" from the right corner at the 13:26 mark for a 10-5 Knight lead. Eastview finally got untracked a bit as strong senior forward Samantha Trammel connected with a lay-up at the 11:43 mark and then got a score in the paint at the 10:40 mark that trimmed the STMA lead down to 12-9 but the Knights would get another push and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Lizzy Heil with 7:30 left increased STMA's lead to 17-11. A 6-0 push by the Lightning, capped by a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Allie Pickrain with 3:47 left tied the issue at 17 and the half would end in a 21-all deadlock. While rebounds and turnovers were virtually even, the big factor may have been that Eastview senior star guard Madison Guebert did not find her shooting touch in the first half and was held to a scant two points.
Eastview sought to shake off those first half jitters as a "3" from the left corner by sophomore guard Rachel Ranke at the 17:46 mark and a Ranke drive into the lane and finish at the 16:10 mark had the Lightning up 26-23 and a Trammel jumper along the left baseline at the 15:14 mark increased Eastview's lead to 28-23. One Guebert freebie at the 14:27 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Ranke at the 12:22 mark extended the lead to 31-23. Guebert picked up her third foul at the 10:04 mark but her Head Coach and mother, Melissa Guebert, kept her in there. Good decision. Guebert connected with a jumper from the left elbow off of an inbounds pass with 8:32 left and then got a lay-up in transition after a steal to complete this game-changing 14-2 burst for a 35-23 Lightning lead and STMA Head Coach Kent Hamre knew well and full that a timeout was warranted. By this time, however, the damage had been done and the Knights never were able to fully recover though a Heil offensive rebound for a putback with 4:34 left got STMA back to within single digits trailing 39-30. But Eastview quickly got the lead back to double-digit range with 2:35 left and a Trammel score in the paint with 1:55 left increased the lead to 45-30. Insurance freebies by both Trammel and junior guard Erika Schlosser got Eastview a 48-30 win - and a third date with rival Hopkins. This time in the state championship game.
Melissa Guebert talked about some of the problems of the first half and admitted that "we felt lucky to be tied at the half." She was disappointed with the overall performance of her team in the first half as she felt they were just out of sorts and she challenged her seniors at the half to regain their composure and do what they're supposed to do. "Our defensive intensity set the tone in the second half" she said. As for the upcoming championship game with Hopkins on Saturday night, Guebert noted that "We know each other well......We have to keep our composure - all the time." I mentioned to Guebert afterward about how senior forward Hana Metoxen; who went scoreless on this night but contributed in so many other ways; particularly with rebounds and going after loose balls and tie-ups. "It's nice to see her finally getting the recognition she deserves" Guebert said, noting that a lot of the things Metoxen does often doesn't show up in the stat sheets afterward. Metoxen, humble as always, talked about the upcoming rubber game with Hopkins. "They are very athletic" she noted but, remembering when they beat the Royals in early January at the Hopkins breakdown event added that "We know we have a chance to beat them."
And being the underdogs certainly bother STMA either as the Knights got out to a 5-0 lead in the game's first two minutes. A "3" from senior guard Bobbi Brendefur from the left corner at the 17:04 mark and a jumper from the right elbow area by junior guard/forward Sydney Tracy at the 16:14 mark provided the advantage. STMA would hold the five-point edge as Brendefur made a drive into the lane for a finish at the 15:12 mark and then connected with a "3" from the right corner at the 13:26 mark for a 10-5 Knight lead. Eastview finally got untracked a bit as strong senior forward Samantha Trammel connected with a lay-up at the 11:43 mark and then got a score in the paint at the 10:40 mark that trimmed the STMA lead down to 12-9 but the Knights would get another push and a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore guard Lizzy Heil with 7:30 left increased STMA's lead to 17-11. A 6-0 push by the Lightning, capped by a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Allie Pickrain with 3:47 left tied the issue at 17 and the half would end in a 21-all deadlock. While rebounds and turnovers were virtually even, the big factor may have been that Eastview senior star guard Madison Guebert did not find her shooting touch in the first half and was held to a scant two points.
Eastview sought to shake off those first half jitters as a "3" from the left corner by sophomore guard Rachel Ranke at the 17:46 mark and a Ranke drive into the lane and finish at the 16:10 mark had the Lightning up 26-23 and a Trammel jumper along the left baseline at the 15:14 mark increased Eastview's lead to 28-23. One Guebert freebie at the 14:27 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Ranke at the 12:22 mark extended the lead to 31-23. Guebert picked up her third foul at the 10:04 mark but her Head Coach and mother, Melissa Guebert, kept her in there. Good decision. Guebert connected with a jumper from the left elbow off of an inbounds pass with 8:32 left and then got a lay-up in transition after a steal to complete this game-changing 14-2 burst for a 35-23 Lightning lead and STMA Head Coach Kent Hamre knew well and full that a timeout was warranted. By this time, however, the damage had been done and the Knights never were able to fully recover though a Heil offensive rebound for a putback with 4:34 left got STMA back to within single digits trailing 39-30. But Eastview quickly got the lead back to double-digit range with 2:35 left and a Trammel score in the paint with 1:55 left increased the lead to 45-30. Insurance freebies by both Trammel and junior guard Erika Schlosser got Eastview a 48-30 win - and a third date with rival Hopkins. This time in the state championship game.
Melissa Guebert talked about some of the problems of the first half and admitted that "we felt lucky to be tied at the half." She was disappointed with the overall performance of her team in the first half as she felt they were just out of sorts and she challenged her seniors at the half to regain their composure and do what they're supposed to do. "Our defensive intensity set the tone in the second half" she said. As for the upcoming championship game with Hopkins on Saturday night, Guebert noted that "We know each other well......We have to keep our composure - all the time." I mentioned to Guebert afterward about how senior forward Hana Metoxen; who went scoreless on this night but contributed in so many other ways; particularly with rebounds and going after loose balls and tie-ups. "It's nice to see her finally getting the recognition she deserves" Guebert said, noting that a lot of the things Metoxen does often doesn't show up in the stat sheets afterward. Metoxen, humble as always, talked about the upcoming rubber game with Hopkins. "They are very athletic" she noted but, remembering when they beat the Royals in early January at the Hopkins breakdown event added that "We know we have a chance to beat them."
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