Out & About: SD Elite/IBCA Iowa Select I + Bonus

#4 posting 7.26.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

this game took place on Sunday, July 23
Bloomington Jefferson HS, MN
Adidas Mid America championships
17u Championships
South Dakota Elite 56, IBCA Iowa Select I 49

In a rematch of the Dakota Showcase semifinals SDE proved itself no fluke in a tighter win 56-49. ISI came out with an extremely patient and deliberate offense designed to disrupt the SDE's rhythm and flow and frustrate them into rash actions. ISI scored first on Cala Westergard's post up. She also scored the next two points for ISI, but then was never heard from again. SDE didn't let the patient game disrupt their game and they soon grabbed a 14-4 lead after six straight scoring possessions including two 3s. It didn't stop there as SDE had a high water mark at 26-10. SDE found the holes in the 1/3/1 zone. They made six 3s up to that point, and Jill Young wasn't one of the five SDE players that hit the mark. SDE had a five possession drought, but weathered the ordeal as ISI sliced into that 16 point lead to 28-20. SDE led 32-24 at half.

Young quickly rectified the missing 3 with a shot from the corner on the opening possession in the second half. Rotert had a driving lay up on possession two and SDE had their biggest lead in the second half at 37-24. They then went into a five possession siesta. ISI cut the margin, but didn't really seize the initiative until they made 5/6 scores and 11-2 run. That made the score 42-39. Kelsey Bolte had five points in the run. SDE was caught in another four possession dry spell during the time. SDE snapped out of it with Liz Helsper's two free throw. Kelsey Bolte knocked down a huge 3 and the game was now a nail biter at SDE 45, ISI 44. On SDE's very next possession Jill Young drove in for two and a more comfortable margin of 47-44. Bolte's next 3 attempt went off. Rotert grabbed the board and in due course Megan Doyle made two free throws. After both teams had nonscoring possessions Bolte gave ISI hope again with another trey. The score was 49-47 with time ticking away. But ISI then picked the wrong time to go into offensive hibernation with four straight no scores. The rest of the SDE possessions were a free throw parade. In the next four possessions they converted 7 free throws. ISI did score one more time with a post up by Allison Volkens.

NUMBERS EXPLAINED
player, points, possessions, pp100, floor %

SOUTH DAKOTA ELITE
STARTERS
Liz Helsper, Brookings 11, 9, 122.2, .556 aggressive with a nose for the basket.
Abby Plucker, Parker 7, 10, 70.0, .300 cooled off a bit from the previous games.
Jenny Miller, Sioux Falls O'Gorman 7, 87.5, .375 had a quick 7 early in the game on transition and a trey.
Kristin Rotert, McCook Central 8, 8, 100.0, .500 a wonderful player, great hands, great vision, great shooting. Both her and Young's stock absolutely soared this summer.
Jill Young, Mitchell Christian 11, 9, 122.2, .556 what more can I say. only one score in the first half, but had 7 assists then. RF: got tired and grabbed her shorts during breaks in the action.
BENCH
Sarah Puthoff, West Central 5, 6, 83.3, .333
Megan Doyle, Hanson 7, 6, 116.7, .667 should not be left alone behind the arc. RF: shot was short when at the line, another sign of tired legs.

IBCA IOWA SELECT I
STARTERS
Jacqui Kalin, Sioux City North 6 6, 100.0, .500 another good outing for the point guard.
Lana Otting, Cascade 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Kelsey Bolte, Battle Creek-Ida Grove 15, 16, 93.8, .375 takes the big shots. strong and intense.
Erin Brocka, North Butler 1, 4, 25.0, .250 physical player. RF: can do more offensively.
Cala Westergard, Charles City 4, 4, 100.0, .500 delivered inside. RF: not enough touches
BENCH
Kelly Krei, Iowa City 0, 4, 0.0, .000
Rachel Madrigal, Decorah 7, 8, 87.5, .375 transition, 3s, and baseline drives make the nets sing. RF: passing questions
Kelsey Cermak, Norwalk 8, 6, 133.3, .500 another big body on the perimeter that has touch, and decent quickness. RF: another player that needed more touches. needs to think of her shot before passing at times. Too nice.
Jodie Krall, Solon 4, 5, 80.0, .400 scored twice on drives.
Allison Volkens, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 4, 2, 200.0, 1.000 see Westergard's analysis because it is the same.

TRENCH PLAYER
Jill Young

BY THE NUMBERS
SD Elite 56, 56, 100.0, .464
IBCA Iowa Select I 49, 56, 87.5, .393

The first match up had SDE winning 74-41 as they unleashed a torrent of 3s. SDE still hit for 8 today, but not the 17 in the first matchup. One huge, huge advantage for SDE was the points scored at the line. They made 18 on the game, 16 in the second half compared to two, both in the first half, for ISI. The team of guards prevented ISI from doing serious damage inside. Both Volkens and Westergard did punish SDE inside, but they only had six possessions combined.

The slow pace of the game may have aided SDE as they only had seven bodies and their exhaustion showed later in the second half. SDE was not fresh by any means.

Unfortunately for this fan and many others, this was the end of the summer tournaments for both teams.

BONUS COVERAGE
All the championships took place at the same time preventing me from watching the complete games. However the two other games went longer.
16u
In the 16u championship between MN Quest and Dakota Hardwood Threat went into overtime. It was tied at 48. Each team had three possessions in overtime, but only the Quest's Rebecca Friestleben scored on a runner from the right side with 2.2 seconds left. Maggie Malloy's very long 3 was not to be for DHT.
With Yackley having a strong overtime on Saturday, I was expecting more touches for her, but she only had one drive in the opening possession.
Quest won 50-48
15u
For some reason this game was vastly delayed. It featured MN Stars, the hosts, vs. Lakeside Lady Scholars from the Milwaukee area. LLS was up 44-38 when we arrived. The Stars did close the gap to 46-45 on Stacy Dally's basket. Earlier in that possession Marisa Yernatich made one free throw and two technicals, so five points in one possession. Both teams had two non scores for possessions. Then it was an avalanche of scoring. Both teams combined were 15/17 to close out the game. The Stars tied the game at 48 on Jessica Thone's 3. LLS were never to trail at this stage and would always meet the tie with a basket. LaKendra Washington knocked in a three from the left corner to give LSS a 55-51 lead. The LSS had one non scoring possession, but the Stars kept the pressure on as Yernatich made a free throw to cut the margin to 55-54. Rachel Story made two free throws for the LSS. Sarina Simmons finished the scoring for LSS with four points.
Just when I was watching Rachel Story, the point guard for LSS had 8 points. Washington had 6.
For the Stars Yernatich had 7. Dally and Brianna Mastey had five.

Next up: late with a report on the MN Elite camp Challenge games.