Out & About: Minnetonka/Hopkins

#9 posting 2.2.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MINNETONKA skippers 71, HOPKINS royals 64 overtime

Today is Ground Hog day and just like Bill Murray who lived the same day over and over again, I saw the same game again. Just like yesterday a higher rated team trailed by 10 in the second half. Just like yesterday a 3 tied it late in the game. Just like yesterday the home team got beat in overtime. Welcome to Ground Hog Day II.

Minnetonka won a key Classic Lake and 2AAAA game with these subplots. #1 it was the first game back for Hopkins' Caitlin Rowland. #2 Minnetonka's Alyssa Benson and Elle Queen played for Hopkins coach Brian Cosgriff on the MN Metro Stars in AAU last year. #3 seeding for 2AAAA was on the line. Right now it looks as if Edina and Minnetonka will be 1 or 2. Hopkins could go anywhere from 3-5. #4 Conference lead: both teams entered the contest tied for first at 2-0. In overall recoreds Minnetonka is 17-3. Hopkins is now 13-7 for the year.

Hopkins led early 4-0 with a Hanna Muegge drive on the first possession and Steph Sension put back on possession #3. Minnetonka (here after shortened to Tonka) took the lead on Alyssa Benson's three from the right corner 6-5. All in all there were five lead changes in the first half and four ties as both teams matched either other. The only real drought was with Tonka with six, and four The last tie took place at 21. Hopkins had a four possession run and the last two scores gave them a 24-21 lead on one free throw by Steph Sension and a Muegge shot in thte left corner. Tonka did hold the ball for a while, but their delay didn't result in any points. One factor in the Hopkins lead in the first half was 11 points on second chance points, Tonka on the other hand had 3 points on second chance opportunities.

To start the second half both teams were clicking. The first five combined possessions resulted in scores. Hopkins led 29-28 after the initial flury. Hopkins stretched that lead to 37-30 on an 8-2 run. Muegge had five points in this stretch with a 3 and a drive, and Ana Garcia matched her with a three from the left wing. Hopkins stretched the lead to the largest of the night at 48-38 with a Muegge steal and lay up. That is when Tonka started their 18-8 run led by Benson's pull up jumper on the next possession. Benson had 15 points in the second half, 7 in the key run. That started a four possession scoring sequence for Tonka as they closed to 50-47 with five minutes to go. Hopkins had one last push as Jackie Hiebert scored in traffic in the lane and then a Garcia lay up and foul after Muegge stole the ball. Garcia added the lay up and Hopkins led 55-47 with 2;55 to go. Tonka answered with a 3 possession scoring streak with a step through by Queen in the paint; a shot from the short corner by Simone Ashkar off a pass from Kate Constable and then a pair of Benson free throws off of a miss by Ashkar. That made it 55-53 with 1:12 to go. On Hopkins next possession Constable stole the ball from Garcia. But Tonka's Ashkar's pass inside was snatched by Sension. Rowland was fouled and she made the first free throw with 41 seconds left. She missed the second. Queen grabbed the rebound. Ashkar missed with a shot, but Constable was there for the board. She found Comer on the left wing and she nailed the critical 3 with 17 seconds left. On Hopkins' next possession they were forced to burn two time outs. A Hiebert pass inside went astray and Benson got possession with 1.6 seconds left. Tonka tossed the ball to the top of their key from the opposite baseline to Queen. She had a good look at a 3, but it bounced off. For the second straight day it was OT.

Tonka won the tip and Ashkar scored with Ashkar's shot from the elbow on Queen's pass. From that point on Tonka never trailed. Hopkins scored on their possession with Rowland cashing in on the second free throw to make it 58-57. Benson hit again on a pull up jumper to make it 60-57. Both teams had turnovers. Sension scored inside to make it 60-59. Tonka went into a delay game and Hiebert picked up her 5th foul to stop the delay. Constable made her first, but missed her second as Tonka led 61-59 with 1:20 to go. Sension missed on a drive and Tonka was limiting Hopkins to one shot. Queen got the board and Benson was fouled. She added two more to her total. For the next six possessions Tonka converted 10 of 12 free throws. Hopkins would come down and missed, Tonka cleaned the boards and led 68-59 after Benson add two more free throws. Sension hit a 3 from the top of the key and Garcia scored a put back with less than five seconds left. Queen got the inbounds ball and was fouled. She ended the scoring with one more free throw for a Tonka win 71-64.

One thing I will address here for both teams: It was emotional and intense, but when the ref makes the call players whining or pleading will not change the call. It is best to keep the mouth shut and go about your business. For both teams I saw more complaining or questioning than I have seen all year. In my bazillion years of coaching, and watching I have never seen a ref reverse the call when a player starts in.

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

MINNETONKA
STARTERS
Alyssa Benson 27, 25, 108,0, .520 athlete. elevates to another plane on her pull up jumper one of the better versions I have seen this year. quick defender knocking balls away in denial. moves on offense. feet are good. RF: some passes could be crisper. picked up some quick fouls early.
Stephanie Comer 8, 6, 133.3, .500 nailed the big 3. Only made two field goals all night. both 3s. strong defender. good positioning.
Allissa Bateson 2, 3, 66.7, .333 RF: was beat on the drive at times.
Elle Queen 13, 11, 118.2, .545 did a strong job on Hiebert defensively even dancing with four fouls. posted up. can pass. a leader on the floor. physical. RF: fourth foul 80 feet from basket. picked up charge. Free throw tends to be flat.
Simone Ashkar 10, 11, 90.9, .545 decent shot and range. likes free throw elbows, and short corners. RF: passes are soft at times.
BENCH
Taylor Meads 0, 2, 0.0, .000
Jordan Skiem 4, 5, 80.0, .400 big reserve post., drew a charge on Muegge. Can also step out from the lane and score (8-10 feet) RF: needs to be ready for the ball.
Kate Constable 7, 7, 100.0, .571 nice and low on defense. made 5/6 at the line. RF: takes shots straddling 3 line.

HOPKINS
STARTERS
Ana Garcia 13, 9, 144.4, .444 handled point guard duties most of the night. key shots in the second half. Good range. RF: favors the spin.
Hanna Muegge 12, 14, 85.7, .429 playing with more confidence. takes the ball to the glass with more zest. anticipates well on defense. RF: charging call--body control/stopping. needs to keep elbows tight to body.
Stephanie Sension 14, 19, 73.7, .368 rebounded with power and authority. can feed others. hit Lillemoe on the weak side for two. RF: starts on the blocks too low and then has no angle on the glass. picked up too many travel calls.
Caitlin Rowland 6, 11, 54.5, .364 can draw defense into fouling. likes to drive, and can drive baseline. RF: first game back and is not at February speed. rthythm was off, even at the line. will need time to aclimate back into flow. Also picked up charge.
Jackie Hiebert 11, 12, 91,7, .417 post player. initiates contact. can score in the jostle in the paint. works the high low with Sension well. extremely strong rebounder. RF: needs more touches. Needs to avoid the fouls. Even with the strong rebounding not one was made after half time.
BENCH
Rachael Johnson 3, 3, 100.0, 1.000 3 range in the first half.
Jenna Lillemoe 3, 1, 100.0, 1.000 scored and was fouled.
Hannah Oliverius 2, 1, 100.0, 1.000 gave breaks for the post players

TRENCH PLAYER
Alyssa Benson for clutch shooting

BY THE NUMBERS
Minnetonka 71, 70, 101.4, .500
Hopkins 64, 70, 91.4, .414
made 3s: Hopkins 5, Tonka 4
made fts: Tonka 21, Hopkins 13
bench: Tonka 11, Hopkins 8
Tonka outscored Hopkins 33-16 from the 7 minute mark to the end of overtime. Their numbers looked like this
Tonka: 33, 23, 143.5, .739
Hopkins: 16, 22, 72.7, 364
Before that time it was:
Hopkins 48, 48, 100.0, .438
Tonka 38, 47, 80.9, .383
Now part of Tonka's big numbers came with the free throw parade later.
Tonka played ninja defense to close out the game. Actually the whole game. They didn't give too much away in the half court. Once they limited the Hopkins opportunities it improved their chances. You see the D wraps below, but it doesn't measure things that DON"T happen. One of the big things that didn't happen in the second half was Jackie Hiebert only had three possessions. So Queen did a good job of preventing that from happening, but also the perimeter defense didn't allow good looks inside.
Hopkins' last five possessions in regulation had four turnovers.
If you look at the numbers for the Hopkins bench players: 8 points, 5 possessions or 160.0 pp100. They did what they needed to.
Both teams chinned the ball and looked strong for the most part. The passes were zippy. The play was intense and the crowd was good for a busy Friday.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
d rebounds, steals, forced turnovers, and blocks leading to offensive possessions
MINNETONKA
Elle Queen 9
Simone Ashkar 7
Kate Constable 5
Jordan Skiem 3
Stephanie Comer 2
Allissa Bateson 2
Alyssa Benson 1
totals: 29

HOPKINS
Stephanie Sension 13
Jackie Hiebert 7
Hanna Muegge 5
Caitlin Rowland 4
Ana Garcia 2
Rachael Johnson 1
Totals: 32

I asked and got something to write about.

Next up: tomorrow morning.