Team WI Select 17 Wins Tournament

#8 posting 4.15.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MIDWEST ELITE EXPOSURE SHOWCASE
Today I saw six games at the Menomonie Midwest Elite Exposure Showcase. In the end it was Team WI Select 17 winning the event beating their younger sisters Team WI Select 16 in the finals 68-37. The 17s had bigger and stronger bodies inside and controlled the paint. Katie Bushman had a strong showing and Hannah Quilling left no doubt on who was running the show on the 17s side.

I started off with the tail end of pool play on Sunday morning. It was Team WI Red 17 over the All Americans from the Detroit, Michigan area 49-27.

In game two it was Team WI Select 16 over North Tartan 16 58-51. NT led at half 22-19. TWS16 went on a 19-6 tear in the middle of the second half to give some breathing space and put NT in the hole 49-34. NT did close the gap, but time expired to end the rally. This game decided who was to be the C pool representative.

The above two contests were in the platinum (16/17) division.

Next game a gold (15) semifinal. This game went to the Metro Stars 15s 57-51 over Team WI Select 15s. MS led at half 39-29. TWS15 did come back early in the second half to cut the margin to 42-40, but then hit a dry patch. MS re-established their lead back to 54-43 and then closed out the game holding off a late rally by TWS15.

Then it was back to the platinum division semifinals with TWS17 vs MN Metro Stars White who won the B pool. The game was tight at half with TWS17 up 26-23. At the start of the second half it was TWS17 dominating with a 16-2 run to put the game in control.

Next up came the semifinals for the 5th place bracket in the platinum division. This game featured the second seeds from pool A---Randolph Girls Club and the second seed from pool B---MN Summit Blue coached by Dave DeWitt of Anoka-Ramsey CC. This game had a lot of momentum shifts and offensive pyrotechnics. Randolph led 19-13 in the first half when Summit scored on 8 straight possessions and took a 31-26 lead. In that string Summit hit four straight 3s. Randolph did manage to close the gap to 34-33 at half. Summit led 50-41 early in the second half when it was Randolph's turn for hot shooting (or hotter shooting) with 12/15 scoring possessions and a 70-62 lead. By that point time was running out and Randolph finished with a 74-66 win.

Then came the platinum championship. It matched Team WI Select 17 vs Team WI Select 16 and early on the 16s were thinking upset with a 9-2 lead after three 3s in their first four possessions. But the outside shooting dried up and the inside game wasn 't effective for the 16s and the 17s muscle and hustle eventually wore down the 16s. The 17s went on a 23-2 run to take firm control of the contest. It was 40-20 at half and it was more of the same in the second half as the 17s cruised to a 68-37 win.

This will be the Out & About reporting for the upcoming week:
MONDAY: the two Saturday games from Coon Rapids: Cambridge-Isanti vs Wrenshall; MN Comets vs Elk River
TUESDAY: the two pool games from Sunday in Menomonie: Team WI Red 17 vs All Americans MI; and Team WI Select 16 vs North Tartan 16
WEDNESDAY: the two semifinal contests: Metro Stars 15s vs Team WI Select 15 and Team WI Select 17 vs MN Metro Stars White 16s.
THURSDAY: the 5th place semifinal of Randolph vs MN Summit Blue and then the platinum championship between Team WI Select 17 and Team WI Select 16
FRIDAY: A recap of the whole week with team and player of the week.

IF YOU HAVE RESULTS FROM AAU TOURNAMENTS LET ME KNOW & I WILL GET THEM POSTED.

I can't be everywhere at once and that is why the readers help is greatly appreciated.

next up: tomorrow morning