Out & About: New Ulm Cathedral/Cedar Mt-Comfrey

#9 posting 3.5.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

2A NORTH SUBSECTION FINALS
NEW ULM CATHEDRAL greyhounds 46,
CEDAR MT-COMFREY cougars 38

New Ulm Cathedral rallied from 7 down early in the second half to beat the #3 team in class A Cedar Mt-Comfrey 46-38. These two teams know each other well. This was the rubber game of the series. In the first game between the two Tomahawk Conference foes NUC won 40-38 in a control game. In game two CMC won 71-53 as their running game took over. Tonight it was ball control. NUC is now 23-5. CMC finishes 25-3. Now NUC will face Springfield in the finals on Friday at MSU Mankato. These two split on the year too with the last game a two overtime game won by NUC 67-64.

For those familiar with the scoring system I use the first game was 2 and a half pages for the first half. This game was one and a half pages. So the secret word was control. CMC put full court pressure on NUC, but they were able to handle the heat. CMC scored first on a rebound basket by Shana Grejtak. NUC then scored 7 straight points over five possessions. The one two punch of Kirsten Prunty handling the ball and Sally Schreiber inside delivered the points. Then it was CMC's turn for a run. They took the lead with an 6-0 run. After NUC tied it at 8, CMC went on a 10-2 run with all 10 points coming from the hand of Megan Madsen. She was scoring not only in the paint, but also stepping out for 12 footers. It all happened in 5/6 scoring possessions. NUC closed to 18-14 after a basket from Megan Schwartz. Grejtak scored the last four for CMC and had a last second 3 shot waved off in a disputed call at the buzzer. With out the shot CMC led 22-17.

Grejtak took up where she left off to start the second half. She scored on a drive in the lane to put CMC up 24-17 for their largest lead in the second half. Schreiber then scored 8 points in a 11-6 run by NUC. They converted 6/8 possessions during the stretch. Prunty scored on a pull up jumper to cut the margin to 30-28. But points were coming hard for CMC. They had six points in the stretch, but both were on three point plays, one old fashioned, and one from behind the arc. Then came the tit for tat sequence where both teams scored and answered in what was rapid succession for this contest. Schwartz tied it at 30 on a shot from the left wing. Grejtak was fouled and converted both free throws to give the lead back to CMC. Schreiber scdored and was fouled. She made the free throw for the three point play and NUC was back in the lead for the first time since they led 7-6. That didn't last more than 30 seconds as Stephanie Ochs drilled a 3 from the right wing to put CMC up 35-33. Schwartz scored again on a kick out by Prunty to tie it up again at 35. But that was to be the last points scored by CMC until their last possession. They endured a nine possession drought for about 6 minutes. CMC wasn't getting the ball inside as before, and Grejtak and Madsen didn't have a possession until the score was 43-35 NUC. NUC took the lead for good on a three by Kaitlin DuChene from the top of the right key. Prunty added to it with a drive on the very next possession and now NUC led 40-35. Whitney Seifert missed on her shot and NUC started to stall. Neither team was in foul trouble so CMC had to foul quickly. They did, but when NUC went to the line they score and when they didn't convert on the second of Prunty's free throws Schwartz was there to pick up the rebound. All 3 attemps were probably out of range and a tad rushed by CMC. NUC added three more free throws and led 46-35 with 16.5 seconds left. Brittany Kokesch did finally break through for her 3, but it was right before the horn sounded to end the game 46-38.

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

NEW ULM CATHEDRAL
STARTERS
Samantha Dengerud 0, 3, 0.0, .000
Katie Larson 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Sally Schreiber 16, 16, 100.0, .500 outstanding second half propelled NUC to top. kept tabs on biggest CMC player on the floor never giving an inch. delivered on offense.
Kristen Prunty 13, 12, 108.3, .500 the indespensible player for NUC. intelligent. She was constantly double teamed, but always made the proper decison when surrounded. Once she had four smothering her. She has great court awareness and likes to score off the dribble. she is deceptively fast. also a good passer.
Megan Schwartz 7, 10, 70.0, .400 scored in and can also step out. RF: unable to get ball in. now that isn't entirely her issue, but maybe she should call time out when it is getting close to time. likes to spin.
BENCH
Kaitlin DuChene 7, 6, 116.7, .500 made big time shots. has ice water in her veins.
Tricia Bjerke 1, 2, 50.0, .500

CEDAR MOUNTAIN-COMFREY
STARTERS
Stephanie Ochs 3, 4, 75.0, .250 guard. has 3 range.
Nikki Schultz 5, 10, 50.0, .200 lefty, explosive, athletic, had the primary responsibility of keeping Prunty in check. RF: on offense was rushing-hurrying things too much. sometimes doing things before possession was gained.
Shana Grejtak 15, 14, 107.1, .500 another lefty. can score in or out had the disputed three shot taken away. had a nice drive with good body control. RF: off balance at times.
Brittany Kokesch 3, 4, 75.0, .250 guard. 3 shooter. RF: unable to shake free.
Whitney Seifert 2, 4, 50.0, .250 defensive rebounder. RF: needs to square up on shot.
BENCH
Megan Madsen 10, 8, 125.0, .625 big post player. can step out and hit shot. kept the ball high. RF: needs to get stronger.
Emily Mathiowetz 0, 8, 0.0, .000 guard: RF: needs to take better care of the ball.

TRENCH PLAYER
Last game was a tough call. This was even tougher. But for two reasons it is Sally Schreiber. For starting off the comeback in the second half and for shutting down the potent inside game for CMC. Madsen didn't score in the second half and Grejtak only had two field goals.

BY THE NUMBERS
New Ulm Cathedral 46, 52, 88.5, .442
Cedar Mt-Comfrey 38, 52, 73.1, .327
made 3s: CMC 3, NUC 2
made fts: NUC 10, CMC 3
bench: CMC 10, NUC 8
NUC had the patience, deliberate, methodical way of attacking the pressure by CMC. Prunty, was the mother hen guiding her flock to safety. She knew where all the booby traps were, and where her brood was at all times. All players did their part by valuing the ball and were aware of the time and score situations. No one tried to do too much on offense. Nothing was forced. defensively NUC knew how to shut down CMC's high powered attack. CMC averaged 68.7 for the year on offense.
Again it was a contrast of halves. For CMC the second half, minus the bookend scores at the opening and closing of the second half look like this: 11, 24, 45.8, .167. For NUC it was quite the opposite: 29, 25, 116.0, .560.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
d rebounds, steals, forced turnovers & blocks leading to offensive possessions
NEW ULM CATHEDRAL
Sally Schreiber 8
Meghan Schwartz 7
Kaitlin DuChene 6.5
Katie Larson 2.5
Samantha Dengerud 2
Kirsten Prunty 1
totals 27

CEDAR MT-COMFREY
Nikki Schultz 8
Whitney Seifert 5
Megan Madsen 4
Stephanie Ochs 3
Emily Mathiowetz 2
Shana Grejtak 1
Brittany Kokesch 1
totals: 24

next up: tomorrow morning