Out & About: River Falls/New Richmond

#6 posting 11.21.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

RIVER FALLS wildcats 54, NEW RICHMOND tigers 44

Tonight was another Wisconsin contest. River Falls is almost a suburb now of the Twin Cities so it was no problem to get to RF. It matched a D1 team (like AAAA) with River Falls; and a D2 team New Richmond (like AAA). This game did not feature any power teams or power players, but the game was pretty competitive with four points dividing the teams with under 2 minutes to go in the game. River Falls brand new coach picked up his first win in his first game.

NR used the two person game with Kassie Kunz, and Maggie Demulling combining 11 of the 13 points in the first quarter. RF took a time out with New Richmond in front 11-6. After the time out Rita Rabb provided a spark off the bench with her hawking defense and snappy passes. She nailed a three from the right side to cut the margin to 11-9 and then hit Baily Franklin with a lob pass which was converted for a 13-11 NR lead at the quarter.

NR led 15-11 when Kassie Kunz picked up her third foul. After the time out Katie Herum hit a three for RF. The game seesawed in the 1 or 2 point differential until 2 minutes to go in the half when Amy Kujak made two free throws. That was part of a four possession string of scoring by RF. RF closed the half with an 8-0 run. After Kunz left NR was outscored 13-3.

Kunz started the third quarter and NR had a 7-0 run on three possessions including Kunz's three to tie the game at 25. RF scored twice to push the margin to 29-25. Demulling and Kunz answered with two baskets to tie it at 29. Sparkplug Caitlin Brendum entered the game and on a blown assignment, or lack of assignment, was wide open on the right wing. She tickled the twine for three and RF never trailed again. With 2:34 to go in the quarter Kunz picked up a reach foul beyond the three line and was regulated to the bench. NR was in a four possession drought at the time, and that ballooned to seven after that. RF wasn't a ball of fire either having five turnovers in six possessions to close the quarter. RF led 37-33 heading into the final stanza.

RF maintained a six to eight point lead for most of the fourth quarter. NR did cut it to 48-44 after two free throws by Demulling. NR got the ball back and Demulling came across on the dribble from the right into the lane, but put up a shot that was not strong. It was snuffed out by Kujak. The result was a transition lay up by Katie Ness. NR turned it over right away with a steal by Kiley Draper and a rebound basket by Franklin. Franklin had 8 points in this quarter, 6 from the rebound route. NR closed the game with five straight non scoring possessions.


NUMBERS EXPLAINED
player, points, possessions, pp100, floor %
RIVER FALLS
STARTERS
Katie Ness, G, 5-4, 2007, 6, 13, 46.2, .231 runs the floor. RF: too many unforced turnovers; soft passes, stared down passes.
Katie Herum, G, 5-6, 2007, 9, 9, 100.0, .444 can hit the 3. decent anticipation on defense.
Amy Kurak, C, 6-0, 2008, 7, 9, 77.8, .444 post player with wrapped shoulder. RF: too low on the block, turning with no angle on the glass. Needs to be aware of where she is on the floor. too high defensively on the ball.
Baily Franklin, F, 5-11, 2008, 16, 12, 133.3, .750 good leaper, persistent on the offensive boards. scored 8 points off missed shots. runs the floor well. RF: needs to get stronger, square up at times, and needs to play more.
Sarah Schwalbach, G, 5-10, 2007, 0, 7, 0.0, .000 RF: too hesitant; non existant follow through.
BENCH
Kiley Draper, G, 5-4, 2007, 2, 4, 50.0, .250
Rita Rabb, G, 5-4, 2009, 6, 11, 54.5, .273 can feed the post, good lob in. quick, decisive passes with pop. took a key charge late in the game. RF: instincts are right, execution is off. passed behind a player breaking to basket.
Caitlin Brendum, G, 5-5, 2007, 7, 6, 116.7, .667 tough, energetic, a spark off the bench. aggressive to the glass. Canned a wide open 3 to give the lead permanently back to RF.
Morgan Loney, G, 5-5, 2007, 0, 2, 0.0, .000

NEW RICHMOND
STARTERS
Maggie Demulling, G, 2008, 15, 12, 125.0, .667 nice pull up jumper about 10 feet out. worked the two person game with Kunz with a screen & roll. moves without the ball. Defensively able to read the passes and make the play with 8 steals on the night. RF: late in the contest took a shot that was weak, not square and was blocked. picked up an offensive foul when dribbling down on break. also exposed the ball at the waist resulting in either tie ups, or blocked lay ups.
Paige Spaulding, G, 2008, 4, 15, 26.7, .133 was able to penetrate and dish, when in control. RF: faded on the break. spins too much. when dribbling taking eyes off the prize.
Libby Jensen, G, 2008, 2, 5, 40.0, .200 RF: failed to block out
Kassie Kunz, F, 2008, 12, 10, 120.0, .500 good 3 point shooter, has decent movement without the ball. RF: had too many fouls early, picked up foul #3 early in the second quarter. had a useless foul by not controlling body and reaching 30 feet from basket for #4. spent way too much time riding the pine. She needs to be in.
Ashley Stoffel, F, 2008, 9, 14, 64.3, .357 RF: was getting stretched out before half.
BENCH
Alexis Taubman, G, 2008, 0, 6, 0.0, .000
Sarah Munson, G, 2008, 0, 4, 0.0, .000 RF: needs to improve hands.
Joanna Ongstad, G, 2007, 0, 2, 0.0, .000 RF: needs to square up.
McKenzie Kelly, F, 2009, 2, 3, 66.7, .333
Hannah Bygd, F, 2008, 0, 1, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Bailey Franklin

BY THE NUMBERS
River Falls 54, 73, 74.0, .384
New Richmond 44, 72, 61.1, .301
Neither team cracked .400 on floor %; both teams were limited in their pp100. both teams need to improve their guard play. That may come with time. However their aggressiveness and passing crispness, for most, need to improve. The ball handling for both squads had too many unforced errors, and soft creamy passes that were snatched by hungry defenses.
The game was faster paced than last night with both teams playing man.

next up: tomorrow morning