Out & About: NC Heat/MN Stars Hested

#5 posting 5.19.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

FOREST LAKE AAU TOURNAMENT
Junior Girls, Pool F
NC HEAT 63, MN STARS HESTED 55

I reported on this early today on my Gabcast channel episode 20.

NC Heat won the pool game between two of the more potent AAU teams in Minnesota. The controversial seeding placed these two powers in the same pool and the unfortunate time of 8:30 am was the tip off. Georgie Jones for MN Stars Hested arrived four minutes before the start. Ephesia Holmes for NC Heat came in one minute before the action would begin.

NC Heat took a 13-6 lead to start. Megan Nipe of those 8 points for NCH. During this sequence NCH also had five assists with Tayler Hill racking up four. She had nine for the day. The ability to get the shot off without using the dribble helped put NCH ahead. Brianna Mastey had four of the points for MSH. MSH did cut the lead to 16-12 with a steal and lay up by Nicole Mastey. NCH kicked off a 6/7 offensive sequence on a 9-2 run. Both teams were pressing. It didn't seem to slow either team down. MSH did go through a 1/10 offensive sequence with six straight empty possessions, four of which were turnovers. NCH really broke the game open with four straight scores worth three points each. Carly Rothfusz got the 3 parade going with two straight. Tayler Hill then dropped one and it wrapped up with an "& 1" with Courtney Kranz. The 12-4 run put NCH up 37-20. At half it was 38-26.

The second half started much more slowly. NCH had a six possession drought to start. It was MSH's turn with the 3 ball as Brianna Mastey and then Kiara Allums followed by an "& 1" for Brianna Mastey again. That 9-4 flurry cut the NCH lead to 43-35. The game remained at that spread for the most part. NCH was making use of put backs and leading that charge was Taquoia Hammick. She had six points off second chancers including a two hand volleyball tip, or bat in. NCH pushed the lead out to 57-44. Then the game turned. It started when Hill went to the bench for a break at this time. Brianna Edwards missed two free throws for NCH. Jones got the rebound and Theairra Taylor drove down and added the free throw. It was her first points of the game. That started a 9-0 run. Allums had four points in the run. Brianna Mastey scored on an out of bounds play to cut the margin to 57-53. Katya Leick was fouled on a drive and canned both free throws to bump the lead back to 59-53 with 4:08 left. MSH then turned the ball over on their next two possessions and the momentum left them. MSH only scored two more points the rest of the way with a 1/8 sequence. NCH wasn't burning it up late either. As they milked the clock they tried to draw the fouls. They did that but didn't convert. The rest of NCH's points came at the line. NCH won the battle 63-55 and needed to win their other pool game to move to the championship bracket play.

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

NC HEAT
STARTERS
Megan Nipe, Centennial 12, 11, 109.1, .545 quick release. RF: too many fouls. needs to move feet, not lunge
Katya Leick, Park-Cottage Grove 7, 10, 70.0, .400 definitely gets after loose balls, and blocks out.
Ephesia Holmes, Mpls South 4, 13, 30.8, .231 guard. has body control. RF: forced too many dribbles, shots. passes thrown to
Brianna Edwards, Mpls North 4, 8, 50.0, .375 athletic, runs floor. initiates contact. not afraid. RF: needs to make the free throws. took ill advised 3 late when NCH was trying to milk time.
Tayler Hill, Mpls South 15, 15, 100.0, .467 didn't start scoring to later in the first half. Was busy racking up assists. had 9 for the game. has body control, likes to score on the drive. has step back ability. RF: needs to cash in at the line.
BENCH
Carly Rothfusz, Eden Prairie 6, 5, 120.0, .400 3 point bomber. RF: needs to work on strength and ball handling. defensively leaves feet.
Courtney Kranz, Visitation 7, 4, 175.0, .750 post player, physical and strong.
Brittany Dyshaw, Eagan 0, 2, 0.0, .000 long limbed rangy perimeter player. made great defensive efforts, but RF: didn't get down quick enough to convert.
Many Poke, Richfield 0, 1, 0.0, .000
Taquoia Hammick, Mpls South 8, 4, 200.0, 1.000 progress has been made. is still learning. offensively is a threat on put backs/second chancers. RF: needs to get ball under her chin after a defensive rebound and pop the elbows out to create space. Next step on the learning curve is post offense and foot quickness.

MN STARS HESTED
STARTERS
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central 5, 11, 45.5, .182 has hangtime ability. RF: elbow too far away on dribble.
Brittney McSperron, Eastview 8, 9, 88.9, .444 stop & pop offense. gets on floor makes saves. RF: shows frustration when things go wrong.
Brianna Mastey, Becker 14, 10, 140.0, .600 consistent. alert defensively. moves without ball. runs floor. RF: passes tend to sail.
Kiara Allums, Centennial 15, 13, 115.4, .615 had a great flurry of activity. 3 range. driveability. RF: needs to put forth that energy the entire game. defensively too high and reaches.
Georgie Jones, St. Paul Central 1, 7, 14.3, .143 RF: invisible today. on shot drifted.
BENCH
Shelly Stemper, Becker 0, 1, 0.0, .000 injury held her out.
Kelsey Jacobson, Moorhead 3, 8, 37.5, .125 RF: 3 point shot wasn't on. had to guard Hill. passing angles not there.
Emly Becken, Centennial 4, 5, 80.0, .400 point guard. good footwork, stop and pop.
Alexis Montgomery, Cannon Falls 1, 4, 25.0, .250 post
Nicole Mastey, Becker 4, 4, 100.0, .500 plays within herself. delivers results.
Brittany Lewis, Red Wing 0, 0, 0.0, .000

TRENCH PLAYER
Tayler Hill

BY THE NUMBERS
NC Heat 63, 73, 86.3, .438
MN Stars Hested 55, 72, 76.4, .375
made 3s: NCH 4, MSH 3
made fts: NCH 19, MSH 13
assists: NCH 13, MSH 8
bench: NCH 21, MSH 12
An interesting fact: Hammick and Kranz combined for 15 points on 8 possessions a 187.5 pp100 and floor % of .875 both eyepopping numbers. Kranz did her damage in the first half, Hammick in the second half.
NCH could of had many more points, but there free throw shooting left something to be desired. Leick was the top at the line for NCH with 5/6. Take her and the Hammick/Kranz duo out of the equation NCH was 9/20.
NCH was playing without Annie Berner of Forest Lake. She has some wrist issues yet, but will be returning soon.

DEFENSIVE WRAPS
NC HEAT
Katya Leick 9.5
Ephesia Holmes 5.5
Brianna Edwards 5
Tayler Hill 4
Brittany Dyshaw 4
Taquoia Hammick 3
Courtney Kranz 3
Megan Nipe 2
Carly Rothfusz 2
totals: 38

MN STARS HESTED
Brianna Mastey 11
Brittnye McSperron 5.5
Georgie Jones 4
Kiara Allums 3.5
Theairra Taylor 3
Alexis Montgomery 2
Emily Becken 1
Nicole Mastey 1
Brittany Lewis 1
totals: 32

Next up: North Tartan vs MN Stars Antl