Out & About: Jordan/Norwood-Young America

#8 posting 12.19.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

JORDAN jaguars 66,
NORWOOD-YOUNG AMERICA raiders 64

Jordan won the Minnesota River battle between two undefeated top 10 teams in AA 66-64. This game had it all from lead changes, to clutch shooting, to an airplane toss that changed the course of the game.

Jordan grabbed the early lead at 10-2 with four players contributing points. After a Brittany Chambers steal and lay up NYA took a time out to resettle the situation at the 15:23 mark. After the time out they went on a 8-0 run of their own to tie it at 10. A trend was developing in the game plan---NYA attacked and Jordan picked up a lot of fouls which NYA was in the bonus at 11:34 to go in the half. Leah Dietel was alternating early after picking up 2 fouls. Jordan played man defense and would get beat on penetration due to being to high once the dribble started. No one took advantage of the foul situation better than NYA's Rachel Hanson who scored 8 points at the line in the first half alone. She had 15 points at half time. Jordan went back in front at 14-10, but NYA knotted it up at 14. Jordan twice pushed that lead to 8, the last time at 28-20 on a drive by Chambers. NYA then scored on five straight possessions on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the night 29-28. Hanson had five during the outburst. Amanda Dietel delivered a three from the top left key area to reclaim the lead for Jordan 31-29. Hanson answered with her own trey from the same position for NYA to go back in front 32-31. Chambers ended the half with a drive and spin down the lane for a lay up as the horn sounded 33-32.

Jordan has a halftime event fund raiser where you buy a paper airplane and toss it on the floor for prizes. Many folks in attendance, and many planes flew. Half time was delayed a bit due to that airplane toss and the subsequent clean up. Not all the airplanes were launched at half time however.

NYA had the ball to start the half and scored on their first possession on a back cut by Becky Otto to take the lead 34-33. Chambers picked up a steal and transition lay up for the return of the Jordan lead. That started an 8-2 lead in which Jordan pulled ahead 41-36. On Jordan's 40th and 41st point both teams then scored on each of their possessions for 8 consecutive scores. The last coming on a Danielle Lembcke basket from Otto for NYA. NYA scored on 6 consecutive possessions and reclaimed the lead 50-49 on a Hanson bucket. Leah Dietel answered immediately to get the lead back in Jordan's hands. NYA tied the game at 55 with about 7:30 to go. Then both teams went into a phase where they didn't score. Jordan was 2/9 during the stretch and NYA was 0/7. Both teams had a combined 7 turnovers during this stretch of 16 possessions. Jordan led 59-55 with 2:43 to go when an airplane from a youngster found its way to the floor just as Leah Dietel was receiving the ball at the right block. The refs of course stopped the game and with the stoppage, NYA called a time out. After the time out Leah Dietel missed from the left side and Chambers picked up her 5th foul. Things were going to get interesting. Hanson was the victim and made both tosses to cut it to 59-57. Leah Dietel came right back and stepped out for a 3 from the right corner to push the Jordan lead 62-57. NYA posted up and was fouled inside by Amanda Dietel. She converted both tosses and it was 62-59 with 1:58 left. With Chambers on the bench Leah Dietel was the ball handler. After getting the ball across the time line Jordan called time with 1:42 to go. They drew up a play that was executed to perfection as Leah Dietel went away to screen and came back for the ball. She then hit a back cutting Katie Moriarty on the left side for a 64-59 Jordan lead. Hanson nailed a three from the left side on the next NYA possession for a 64-62 Jordan lead. Amanda Dietel made the front and back end of a one and one with 46.1 ticks left to make it 66-62. Hanson fouled on the next NYA possession and she drained both tosses with 23.4 seconds left. Amanda Dietel came up empty at the free throw line. NYA got the rebound, came down court and took time with 5.8 seconds left. The plan--get it to Hanson. She launched a three from the right side, but was blocked by Leah Dietel right in front of the NYA bench. The horn sounded, the refs departed. The NYA coaches were looking for a foul, but none was forthcoming. The game was over in a wild and wooly affair right to the end.

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

JORDAN
STARTERS
Brittany Chambers 21, 23, 91.3, .435 point guard. aggressive/attacking. favorite move right to left cross, leading to spin. shoots on the move. defensively wraps up possessions. had 6 steals. scored in transition. looks for her buddy LD. made a move which the refs called traveling...a call they never would make in the boys game. leader, communicator, mind is always churning. RF: had 6 fouls (refs tagged O'Malley). reaching the main foul. teammates aren't ready for her passes at times. Also she tries to make the one foot pass. Also her passes are out of reach and are rockets which wouldn't be that bad, but she needs to understand her teammates better. guarded Hanson most of the night. allowed her to get the possession. needs to improve left hand ball handling.
Elizabeth O'Malley 4, 3, 133.3, .667 RF: fouled out.
Amanda Dietel 14, 12, 116.7, .500 drained a couple of threes. RF: needs to keep the block out longer than two seconds.
Ashley Franke 0, 4, 0.0, .000 RF: needs to be ready to catch
Leah Dietel 21, 18, 116.7, .556 smoothpost operator. also has range with two 3s, strong on right block. runs the floor well. filled in fine when Chambers fouled out as the main ball handler. delivered key baskets, key passes, and key defense all late to preserve the win. RF: picked up early fouls which hampered her aggressiveness on defense. needs to come hard to the ball when teammates are in trouble. sometimes exposes ball. needs to use glass at the angle.
BENCH
Kelsey Kes 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Erin Wildberg 4, 5, 80.0, .400
Katie Moriarty 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Emily Clark 0, 0, 0.0, .000 subbed in for Leah Dietel in the first half in defensive situations. RF: picked up even more fouls than LD. beat on baseline drive.
Jordan: defensively too high, they start off, when their player has the ball, low. But when the offensive player starts to put it on the floor they raise up and are out of position. hence the fouls.

NORWOOD-YOUNG AMERICA
STARTERS
Jessica Schrupp 4, 7, 57.1, .286 scored on baseline drive. RF: needs to improve ball handling.
Rachel Hanson 29, 23, 126.1, .609 can shoot out, can post up. uses body to draw fouls. smart player. wants ball in crunch time. in right position. RF: foot speed post hs
Mackenzie Wolter 4, 12, 33.3, .167 Point guard.
Becky Otto 9, 8, 112.5, .500 moves without the ball. feeds the post well.
Rachel Pexa 12, 11, 109,1, .545 post player. uses body well to seal. RF: needs to get more than zero defensive boards.
BENCH
Lynn Swiggum 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Danielle Lembcke 6, 5, 120.0, .600 mid range shooter.

TRENCH PLAYER
Leah Dietel

BY THE NUMBERS
Jordan 66, 69, 95.7, .449
NYA 64, 69, 92.8, .449
made 3s: Jordan 5, NYA 2
made free throws: NYA 18, Jordan 13
Bench: Jordan 6, NYA 6
as you can see two evenly matched teams with the exact same floor %. Jordan put NYA at the line early and often in the first half which kept NYA in the game and hampered Jordan's natural tendancy to be aggressive. NYA used a variety of defenses with zone early and man later. Jordan stuck with man throughout. NYA also looked to run on missed shots as well as turnovers.

This game had fervor in the crowd, it meant something to the players. There was playoff intensity behind the game. It was worthy of the game of the week.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
defensive rebounds, steals, blocks and forced turnovers leading to offensive possessions
JORDAN
Brittany Chambers 14
Leah Dietel 7
Elizabeth O'Malley 3
Ashley Franke 3
Amanda Dietel 3
Erin Wildberg 2
Kelsey Kes 1
Katie Moriarity 1
total 34
NORWOOD-YOUNG AMERICA
Becky Otto 7
Mackenzie Wolter 5
Rachel Hanson 5
Lynn Swiggum 4
Jessica Schrupp 3
Daneille Lembcke 2
Total 26

Next up: tomorrow morning