Out & About: Hopkins/Edina

#3 posting 2.7.2006

Hopkins 65, Edina 62 2 overtimes

A classic battle in the Classic Lake
I debated about going to this game as I had seen both teams last week. I had other games I was looking at, but I figured a top 10 battle, a rivalry game, and it is closer to my house.

In a battle between two neighboring schools with a conference title, section seeding, and top 10 positioning in the balance, it went down to the wire not once, not twice but three times in Hopkins' 65-62 overtime win at home. The game was a hard fought game between two balanced teams. But Hopkins had more balance in the end.

Edina led at the start as both teams were trying to get their offenses going. Edina was a bit more successful with a floor % of 3/7. The Hornets led 6-0. Hopkins did not score until their 8th possession with 12:23 left in the half. Jillian Schurle broke the ice with a baseline drive on the left size. She opened 0/5 until that point. Hopkins, after getting the olive out of the bottle, went on a 13-6 run at that point and took a 13-12 lead. Abby Greene made a lay up with 7:49 left to provide the margin. Hopkins ended the half with a 4/5 possession string ending when Hanna Muegge found Tiana Wilkinson open under the hoop for a 26-20 lead at half.

After the break, Edina came out and scored on it's first three possessions. Lauren Young drained a three; Megan Gaard scored on a drive, and Laura Olsonoski put back a miss. Edina had a string of 4/5 possessions where they took the lead. Olsonoski scored off a pass from Gilligan to the weak side for a 33-32 lead. Natalie Pastor ended the string with two free throws and a 37-33 lead. Jackie Hiebert gave the lead back to Hopkins 39-37 with Schurle getting the assist. Hopkins kept up this string of four possessions with a basket by Muegge who was wide open underneath with the assist to Greene. The Royals had a 44-38 lead at this point, matching their biggest lead of the night.

After an Edina time out it was the Hornets' turn to get their offense humming. They went on a 6/7 string of possessions with Olsonoski and Natalie Pastor providing most of the damage. Pastor scored on a drive, Olsonoski scored a put back. Pastor had a steal and a lay up, Olsonoski scored on a high/low twice--once from the floor, and one point from the line the second time around. She missed the second shot, but Young was there for the rebound. She was fouled and converted both free throws. So Edina scored three points in that one possession and they now had the lead 49-47 on a 11-3 run. There was about 2:43 left in the regulation at this point. Steph Sension scored off a Schurle miss to tie it. After two non scoring possessions, Pastor drove and scored with 1:28 left. Hiebert scored in the lane after a Greene pass with about 30 seconds left. Wilkinson intercepted a Pastor pass with 27 seconds left. Hopkins took a time out. Edina only had four fouls at this point and fouled a couple of times and Hopkins only had 3.3 seconds left. They tried to go back side to Schurle, but the shot was off and we were off to overtime.

Both teams missed their first possessions in OT, but then they scored each time they touched it. Hopkins scored first with Hiebert making two free throws. Pastor answered with a drive. Wilkinson provided two more free throws. Young responed with two of her own free throws. Next it was Schurle's turn at the line for two. Edina scored two from the floor as Pastor drove and found Olsonoski. Wilkinson went to the line after Young fouled out and missed her first toss. Edina took a time out, but Wilkinson converted the second. Pastor was fouled by Wilkinson (her 5th) and made the first, but missed the second for a tie score of 58. Hiebert grabbed the rebound and Hopkins took a time out to set up their last shot. Sension took the shot but was blocked by Olsonoski. On to OT 2.

Again both teams did not convert their first possessions. Hiebert broke the ice first to put Hopkins up 60-58. Pastor scored on what else-- a drive. Hiebert was on a roll with a shot from the line. Next time down Pastor scored off a back cut from Gaard. Sension fumbled the ball for Hopkins next possession, Gilligan missed her shot. Greene rebounded and after working the ball around the perimeter down to 33 seconds Muegge penetrated and scored what proved to be the game winner. Edina took a time out and Hopkins made one adjustment--Schurle was guarding Pastor. That threw the Edina Offense off rhythm. Greene stole an errant Edina pass, was fouled and cashed in a free throw for a 65-62 win.


Height Matters: Edina 5-10, Hopkins 5-9.4
Department of Defense: Edina: man; Hopkins primarily man with 2/3 for a change and half court trapping.

name, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
Hopkins Player Evaluations
Starters
Jillian Schurle 23, 23, 100.0, .522 Shoot when you are on, and, when you are off, shoot until you are on. That is what Schurle did in the first half as she opened 0/5 on possessions and ended up with 15 points on 12 possessions in that half. Like I've said before a scorers mentality. I think that shows some mental toughness to bounce back when things aren't going the way a player expects. RF: During the 11-3 Edina run had two sequences in a row on offense where she fumbled on drives. only scored two free throws in the overtimes
Jackie Hiebert 14, 14, 100.0, .500 A better game from Saturday's contest. It appeared to me that she initiated contact a bit more, looking to get physical, tougher. Even though she did not score on some of those plays, I believe it carried over to make her tougher mentally when the game was on the line--game tying shot in regulation, made the free throws in 1st OT, scored the first four points in 2nd OT. RF: still will need to gain weight/strength in the off season
Hanna Muegge 4, 5, 80.0, .400 made the game winner by taking aggressive drive to the glass. In the right spot most of the time on offense: RF: however on defense was getting beat by Pastor too often on the dribble.
Tiana Wilkinson 11, 10, 110.0, .600 the enforcer. Got many rebounds that were crucial. quick interior defensive feet. provided offense, developing a decent shot from 10 ft out. RF: foul issues
Abby Greene 8, 8, 100.0, .500 steady leader. Gets offense rolling, can shoot, but thinks pass. RF: also got beat on the dribble.
Bench
Stephanie Sension 5, 6, 83.3, .333 Has range with a three from up top. good speed, and feet. RF: Needs to also get involved in the summer weights.

Edina Player Evaluations
Starters
Lauren Young 7, 11, 63.6, .273 has wing span, has flow, but RF: foul problems, needs to play with some emotion. Needs more body control on drives. And, like about every girl, hit the weights.
Megan Gaard 8, 10, 80.0, .400 standard performance, not flashy, gets job done. RF: speed.
Laura Olsonoski 22, 15, 146.7, .800 outstanding night. .800 is the highest floor % I have charted and this also includes retrofitting going back to Dec. Edina's enforcer. seals well. has a little hook shot going. In right spot for rebounding. Plays as if on a mission. made a block on a player four inches taller. RF: thinking post HS-- interior foot speed. and height
Katie Gilligan 4, 6, 66.7, .333 good passer from the block or free throw line. RF: needs to be more consistent on offense from floor and line.
Jenny Greig 4, 6, 66.7, .333 main point guard. another steady performer. RF: height post HS
Bench
Natalie Pastor 17, 15, 113.3, .600 very quick off the dribble, decent body control, can also pass. RF: needs to be reigned in and make easy decisions during crunch times.
Emily Warner 0, 2, 0.0, .000

BY THE NUMBERS
Team, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
Hopkins 65, 66, 98.5, .500
Edina 62, 65, 95.4, .477
Bench: Edina 17, Hopkins 5
Made Free Throws: Edina 13, Hopkins 12
Trench player tonight: Hiebert gets the nod with clutch shooting and tougher play. Olsonoski is also worthy.

Note: I sat next to Coach Erdman former coach at boys and girls Roseville, and men's coach at Gustavus. He is the grandfather of three Edina players (Lauren and Taylor Young, and Elise Biewen).
This was also the first time I had to wait in line to get into the game. I am talking like seven people deep. Now the gym is huge, but the crowd was decent.

DEFINITIONS
Possessions=the end result is measured. Only four things can happen. Either the player scores or misses a FG or FT, or turns it over. Sally may shoot and miss, but if her team rebounds it does not count as a possession for her. Only the termination of possession matters in this system.

PP100=What a player would average if they had 100 possessions. 1 point for 1 possessions would get a player 100.0. In theory, a player could shoot once and hit a three. They would then have a pp100 rating of 300.0. That is why one should look at possessions and not get flamfoozeled by a high pp100 rating. A low pp100 means the player misses too many shots or coughs it up too much.

Floor/scoring %=a player (or team's) scoring possessions divided by total possessions.

next posting--- tomorrow morning